It’s hard to forget your first tattoo. In our first My First Time video, Cruz reminisces on when she decided to dedicate her first tattoo to a classmate that passed away from cancer. Being 15 at the time, it was a little bit of a search for her to find an artist, let alone a credible one, that would tattoo her. While searching, a friend recommended an artist with the name Angel. Unconcerned that he tattooed out of his basement, Cruz was determined to arrange an appointment with him. There were some red flags—such as the artist insisting to pick Cruz and her girlfriend up at a local Tim Hortons coffee shop instead of providing his address to them—but when you’re fifteen and fearless you tend to ignore the warnings. (Can you blame her?!)
When it came time to actually getting tattooed, she provided him with the expected design concept, placement and size of the tattoo. The roman numerals indicated her friend’s birth date and death date were to be a fairly medium-sized tattoo,
If Cruz could change anything about her first tattoo experience, it would be thinking the placement through a bit more. Different placements have different pain levels, and rib tattoos can be on the more painful end of the spectrum. Knowing what to expect beforehand would have prepared Cruz for what was to come and might’ve even influenced her decision on where to get it. Despite the discomfort, she still mustered up the strength to mosh at Warped Tour the very next day.
Thinking about getting your first tattoo? Make sure you read up on these 13 key things-to-know so that you feel confident when deciding to commit. If you’re still wavering on your exact design choice or placement, consider test driving the tattoo with
RIP Warped Tour :'(