gathering design for a tattoo. Will do it on my chest if selected

[Johnny Chan Fan Hui]

Hi. Newbie here. I am thinking of getting a tattoo on my chest. But as a person with no artistic background, I would like to gather some design here. I don't know if i am infringing anything here, moderator, please let me know if I am crossing some lines.

Anyway, I am a bit embarrassed about sharing this. But I learnt a big life lesson awhile ago and would like to get a tattoo symbol on my chest to remind myself of the lesson every morning. So here goes: All through my life, I have always been blaming everyone around me for my bad social life. I am always angry at others for provoking me and excluding me from activities. This started when I was a kid and ended when I started my career in the military. I realize that I am the reason and have been rather self centered and hostile whenever I feel like it. Joining the army has been a big life changer for me. I would have to be reminded of the lesson "hostility often stem from yourself" everyday. However, sometimes, the lesson slips my mind.

I have always seen tattoo as a mark of your life and is something significant an individual want to commemorate. However, coming from a reserved family background, I do not want my tattoo to be too big. I intend to have it on my left chest, 2-3inches above the nipple. So here's some of the requirement that I have been thinking a long time (I hope you guys like some challenge):

• Let it be simplistic. E.g. a symbol, logo, abbreviation, or anything you deem appropriate
  
• size of it should be roughly the size of a watch's face. since it is simple, not a big space is needed
  
• i want to look at it in the mirror every morning. tattoo should look good from the mirror too. (don't have to be symmetrical)
  
• use black ink only
  

I hope i am not asking for too much. Thank you in advance for your effort. Cheers!

[exume]

Where do you live? You should ask a tattooer

[Johnny Chan Fan Hui]

I live in Hong Kong. But i am from singapore. I thought about tattooers. But I thought asking individuals on forum would be much faster and more original (correct me if i am wrong).

[CultExciter]

I will correct you, you are wrong.

The purpose is the forum is to talk about tattoos and as a place to showcase what you have gotten and to discuss the various aspects of that entire process.

I believe you want to venture to Reddit if you want someone to spend their time and energy designing you something because they are bored in their parents basement.

(I'll keep it down Mom).

[tatB]

have you tried a google image search?

- - - Updated - - -

@CultExciter those people over at reddit are pretty good:

http://www.reddit.com/r/tattoos/comments/2jwmbt/geometric_fox_by_frankie_caraccioli_kings_ave/

surprised to see a few good tattoos over there, but mostly not good.

[pidjones]

Here is what I had done (~ 4" wide") on my left chest about 4" above the nipple to commemorate something that definitely marked my life:

http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/gallery/uncategorized/17110-after-touchup.html

[bongsau]

welcome

a tattoo can be of anything and still mean something, whatever you want it to symbolise. or it doesn't have to mean anything at all. doesn't have to be literal.

my tattoos mean something different to me everyday. the meaning may be the same or different from when i first got them. but the context of the meaning can transform over time, just like we do, as we go through life.

suggestions? get a fierce tiger on your chest, that tiger can easily represent "hostility often stem from yourself" when you look at the tattoo and yourself everyday in the mirror...but to the rest of the world, it's just a tiger tattoo.

[SeeSea]

You might also go in the opposite direction and select something that gives you peace or makes you smile or laugh. Then when you are feeling angry or hostile, perhaps it can diffuse your mood. To center you.

Or something that reminds you of a peaceful place or time that could trigger those feelings in you.

You mentioned the military affected you significantly - is there some imagery you saw at the time you had this epiphany? Or, silly as it sounds, perhaps you had this epiphany while you were doing pushups or some crazy thing - make the tattoo involve something associated with when or where you had that epiphany and perhaps seeing it could re-trigger it.

Good luck. There's nothing wrong with wanting a tattoo to have personal meaning and as a reminder of something.

And you were very brave to share this life's lesson with a bunch of strangers. I hope you are able to find the imagery that you seek.

[JoshRoss]

This is what I tell everyone: Get a dragon.

[Jonybravo13]

Tattooist?

[Hogrider]

This is what I tell everyone: Get a dragon.

Dragons are good!