If you are one of those people who would love to design your own tattoo, then you are not alone. Many people who want to get a tattoo have a strong desire to create it themselves for several reasons. For one, if you create your own tattoo design, you can be certain that no-one else will be walking around with something exactly like it. Another popular reason for wanting to take that extra time up front is so that the tattoo that comes out of it will have a deep meaning for you.

Those who have never attempted to design something, often don't realize how difficult the task can be until they actually sit down to do it. It may seem simple enough to come up with a design that you like and that means something to you. But it really is a skill to be able to express that properly on paper. Especially when you consider that whatever it is that you come up with is also going to have to conform to the shape of your body.

So where do you begin?

If you have some artistic talent already, then this will be an advantage. But even if your ability to draw is limited, this doesn't have to stop you. A tattoo professional will be able to flesh out the design that you come up with. The main thing that you are trying to accomplish beforehand is to solidify a strong idea. That's it. A starting point to something great. Hopefully, looking at it that way will help you to overcome any doubts you may have about the possibility of creating a unique tattoo.

Now, you have to think about what your tattoo will look like. This process of discovery will be different for different people. Some want the idea of what it's supposed to represent first. What part of yourself would you like to express through the ink? What emotion, memory, or dream will you commemorate? Others choose to begin by considering the artistic aspects of the actual design. The curves of the lines, the shading, the visuals. You can get ideas for this all around you. Browse through your favorite magazine, surf the internet, or even pass by a local museum. Art is art, and what you're looking for is inspiration.

Once you have an idea, the next step is to be able to express it clearly. If it consists of images or a fusion of them that you have found somewhere, you could just print everything out and bring all the reference you have into your favorite tattoo parlor. Another option is to draw it yourself. Remember that you do not have to be the next Picasso in order to do this. Just put something down on paper for someone else to use as a guide.

The best advice for anyone stuck on what they should do is just to begin working on it. You do have to strike a delicate balance, as you don't want to rush into anything that you are not sure that you like either. But if you have been staring at a blank piece of paper for the last nine months, then you just need to start doodling on it. It will be easier to work with something that is physically in front of you, modifying and tweaking it to your liking, than it will be to try to work with abstract ideas.

Tattoos are painful and permanent. This is probably part of their appeal. It is something that you have to pay for in blood and sweat. There is no simple way to buy your way into this club. You have to earn it. It is an admirable goal to make your next one unique. From my experience, those turn out to be the best kind.