Why Your Tattoo Should Be Your Own: The Importance of Custom Designs

In a world where everyone’s scrolling through Pinterest tattoo boards or saving screenshots from Google, it’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting the exact same tattoo as someone else. But here’s the truth—your tattoo should be yours. Tattoos are personal. They represent your story, your journey, and your individuality. Copying a design straight off the internet takes away from that. Let’s dive into why custom tattoos matter and why trusting your artist to create something unique will leave you with a piece you’ll cherish forever.

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Tattoos Are Personal—So Should the Design Be

Your tattoo isn’t just ink on skin. It’s part of your identity. Whether it’s your first tattoo or your tenth, the design should reflect your personality, experiences, and taste.

A custom tattoo ensures no one else will have the exact same piece.

It fits your body’s anatomy perfectly, flowing with your shape and contours.

It tells a story that’s yours and yours alone.

Sure, a Pinterest tattoo might look cool on someone else, but copying it can take away the meaning behind the piece. That design was made for someone else’s body, experiences, and journey—not yours.

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Steal Like an Artist, Not a Copycat

There’s a difference between inspiration and imitation. Austin Kleon’s book Steal Like an Artist puts it perfectly—“Good artists copy, great artists steal.” But Kleon doesn’t mean ripping off someone’s work line by line. He’s talking about taking inspiration from multiple sources, breaking them down, reworking them, and making them your own.

In tattooing, this means:

Borrow ideas, not exact designs. Maybe you love the shading from one piece and the flow of another. Take elements, but blend them into something unique.

Reference, don’t replicate. Look at art, patterns, or even nature for inspiration. Your tattoo should feel like an evolution of ideas, not a duplicate of someone else’s ink.

Work with an artist to refine the vision. I can take the ideas you like and shape them into a design that’s tailored to you.

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The Art of Referencing

Using references is part of the creative process, but there are rules to follow when it comes to tattoo designs:

1. Combine Multiple References:

Don’t just hand over one picture and say, “I want this.” Bring in several images that show different elements you like—the composition, the shading, the style—so the final design is a blend, not a copy.

2. Let the Artist Interpret It:

Trust your tattoo artist to reimagine the design in their style. A straight copy disrespects the original artist’s work.

3. Change and Adapt:

Alter the reference enough so that the final product isn’t recognizable as the original. This is how you take influence and create something unique.

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Why Copying Internet Tattoos Doesn’t Work

1. Lack of Flow:

Tattoos need to fit the body’s curves. A flat image from Pinterest might look amazing on screen but awkward in real life. A custom tattoo flows with your anatomy.

2. Overdone and Unoriginal:

Some designs—like infinity symbols, feather-and-bird tattoos, or geometric lions—are everywhere. Having the same tattoo as everyone else takes away the personal meaning.

3. Respect for Artists:

Copying another artist’s tattoo directly is like plagiarizing a painting. Artists put time and effort into custom designs, and lifting them without credit is disrespectful.

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The Value of Custom Tattoos

When you get a custom tattoo, you’re investing in:

Art that evolves with you. The design grows from your ideas and experiences.

A unique statement. No one else will have the same piece.

Body flow and design that fits you. A tattoo should highlight your body, not fight against it.

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Working with Me

When you sit in my chair, we’re not just copying Google images. I work with you to:

Take inspiration from multiple sources.

Sketch something that fits your vision and anatomy.

Create a tattoo that only you will wear.

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Your Tattoo Should Be a Reflection of You

If you’re serious about getting something that’s not just another trend, let’s design something unforgettable. I’m here to help you turn your ideas into art that fits your body, your story, and your personality.

Book a session with me in Escondido or La Jolla, and let’s make your tattoo something worth showing off.

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“Good artists copy, great artists steal”