So you’ve recently added some ink to your body’s permanent collection — this is exciting, and you should be enjoying and admiring your fresh tat as much as possible! And you totally would, except for the fact that you’re two weeks out and the cool artist who did it is still yet to post a pic of your tattoo on their Instagram. This deeply destabilizing event would rock anyone’s world, but here’s how to love yourself anyway even though this artist is apparently ashamed of the work that they put on your body for the rest of time.
Ask yourself: How do YOU feel about your tattoo?
It’s your tat and it’s on your body. Remember how excited and happy you were when you first looked down at it? That’s the opinion that matters. Would you really have permanently altered your physical form if the way you felt about the addition were dependent on external validation? Such as, for example, the external validation of the artist who created the design and poked it into your skin, then took a bunch of well-lit photographs of it, and then opted to not put it on what is essentially their public portfolio? Why would they TAKE the pictures if they weren’t going to post them??
What else do you like about yourself?
If you’re spinning out too much to feel secure about your tattoo, try focusing on other things that you like about yourself. For instance, maybe you’re really passionate about the idea of one day starting to learn French. Don’t think, “Is there something wrong with my tattoo that I’m not aware of? Did they fuck it up but not want to tell me, so they took pictures to be nice before hurrying me away? Does the artist think that if their followers see my tattoo, it will kill their business and reputation?” These are examples of harmful and unproductive thoughts.
Try denial.
In the end, the most effective approach to loving yourself will likely be denial. Maybe they posted it in their stories and you just missed it. Maybe they’re saving it because they love it so much and want to do a “Best of 2021” post with it at the end of the year. It’s probably that and not that they hate how your tattoo came out or that your skin looked weird and scary in the picture.
So try these tips to rehabilitate your capacity for self-love after the tattoo artist doesn’t post a pic of your tattoo. And honestly? They’ve probably been scheduling from a backlog and will post yours in a couple weeks, at which point you’ll feel really silly for a minute, then immediately start stressing about its likes.
