MY Q & A WITH KIM

Q: Hello, are you comfortable with stating your name? A: Sure I will state my first name if you dont mind, its Kim. Q: I ha e a few tattoos myself! howe er I got my tattoos when I was much younger, and not ery "nowledgeable about the culture. #ould you tell me what drew you to the culture? A: $%aughing& 'ell, I initially got a ty(ical tat, a )rose* $giggling&. I had no clue what I wanted, but I "new I had to get something, because I was intrigued in the art. So, after my first one, I showed the tat artist some of my art wor", and he as"ed me to design some tats, and so I started hanging with him and his friends+well I ended u( getting more meaningful tats, and I guess you can say I got addicted $laughing&. Q: So, you stated its addicting, is it really? And how many tattoos and (iercing do you ha e? A: $%aughing& ,o its not addicting li"e a drug, but you get this rush, because its such a free e-(ression, its li"e obtaining the ultimate (iece of art on )your* body+its refreshing to ha e that ty(e of freedom. I ha e too many to gi e you a number, I sto( counting a long time ago. Q: .o you feel (eo(le /udge you base off your a((earance? A: $frowning& absolutely0 1h, 2y 3od0 I get so many dirty loo"s, (eo(le are literally afraid of me. I ha e been told that I must be a Satan worshi((er, a frea" of nature, cra4y, a se- frea", a lesbian $which if I was so what0&, and

some thin" I am on drugs. I dont bother to correct (eo(le, because whats the (oint? 5hey are going to belie e what they want to belie e. I could tell them I am a ba"er, I come from a military family, that my (arents are still married after 67 years, and I grew u( in an u((er middle class family in a small town in 2ississi((i. ,o(e they will not listen. So I /ust laugh and continue to wal" along. Q: Since youre a ba"er, how are your customers reactions? A: 1h, they lo e my tats0 5hey lo e to loo".

Q: 'hat are your ad ice to future social wor"ers regarding (eo(le with tattoos and (iercings? A: 'ell, I ho(e that they will not /udge anyone based on their a((earance, and to always "ee( in mind that (eo(le who loo" li"e me are /ust regular (eo(le. 'e /ust ha((en to lo e art and to loo" different, but we are not bad (eo(le. I mean bad (eo(le come in all ty(e of forms, so you cant base that off of somebodys a((earance. 8ad (eo(le e-ist, but at the end of the day I thin" e eryone needs hel(. 9 eryone has a bac" story. Q: I read that tattoo culture dates bac" o er 7::: years, do you thin" one day it will not be taboo anymore, es(ecially with so many (eo(le getting tattoo wor" now a days? A: 3reat ;uestion $laughing&0 I ha e no clue, and thats (retty cool my culture dates bac" so far bac", I had no clue about that. I ho(e it will be acce(ted one day, but hey we are still trying to get (eo(le to acce(t (eo(le who are born with different s"in color and gender (references

so I am sure this culture will not be acce(ted by mainstream anytime soon.