Tattoos Are a Totem: Why the Art We Wear Matters
That Moment Before the Mark
There’s a moment—just before the needle hits your skin—where the world seems to slow right down. The sound of the machine fades a bit, and the weight of your decision truly sinks in. This isn't just ink. It isn't just a cool design. It’s a totem.
We see it every day here at Light Side Tattoo & Piercing. People walk through our door carrying stories they’ve held onto for years. Some are finally ready to speak them out loud; others just need them etched into something permanent. Either way, what they're asking for is more than decoration. It’s a ritual. A permanent marker. A tangible tether to something bigger than themselves.
What Exactly Is a Totem?
A totem isn't just a symbol—it’s a container. It holds memory, meaning, and identity. Historically, totems were sacred emblems of lineage, spirit, and protection. They weren’t chosen on a whim; they were inherited, earned, or revealed.
Today, tattoos carry that exact same weight for many of us. They’re how we honor our past, claim who we are right now, and shape the person we’re becoming. They’re our way of saying: "This mattered. This changed me. This is mine forever."
Whether it’s a name, a date, a creature, or a personal sigil—any tattoo has the potential to become a true totem. But it only happens when it’s done with intention.
Our Studio as Your Sacred Space
We don’t take that responsibility lightly. At Light Side, we haven't just built a workspace; we’ve created a refuge where every story is heard, respected, and transformed.
Look around the shop—the lighting, the textures, the layout—it’s all designed to feel grounded, tactile, and profoundly real. It might be industrial in places, maybe a little antique in others, but it's always human.
Clients often tell us they feel a shift the moment they walk in. That’s no accident. We’ve curated this space to honor the process itself, not just the final product. Because when you sit down in that chair, you aren’t just getting a tattoo. You’re participating in a rite of passage.
Why Intention Is the Real Foundation
Sure, we’ve seen plenty of impulse tattoos. We’ve seen flash designs picked off a wall in five minutes flat. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little spontaneity, but there’s a massive difference between a tattoo and a totem.
A totem makes you ask yourself some tough questions:
• Why this specific symbol?
• Why does it need to happen now?
• What is it protecting, preserving, or proclaiming about you?
When clients come to us with those questions already stirring, we know we’re about to create something genuinely meaningful. If they haven’t thought about it, we'll gently ask. Not to pry, not to upsell, but to make sure what we create together will still resonate five, ten, or twenty years down the line. Permanence deserves a moment of pause.
The Emotional Weight We Hold
Some tattoos are pure joy: births, achievements, or new beginnings.
But others are incredibly heavy: loss, survival, or closure.
We've tattooed parents honoring children, veterans marking battles won and lost, and survivors reclaiming their bodies. Every piece carries a different kind of emotional weight, and our job isn't just to apply the ink—it’s to hold space for that weight.
That's why we listen. That's why we ask the deep questions. That’s why we truly care. It's not because it's good business; it's just good practice.
Not Every Tattoo Needs to Be a Totem—And That’s Fine
We’re not here to be gatekeepers of meaning. Some tattoos are just pure fun: a favorite cartoon character, a cool design, or an inside joke with friends. And that is perfectly valid.
But when someone walks in with that deeper ask—the story they’ve carried for years—we instinctively shift gears. We slow down. We honor the true weight of what they’re asking for.
Because when a tattoo becomes a totem, it stops being about just aesthetics. It’s about truth.
A Final Thought from Light Side
If you’re considering a new mark—whether it’s your first or your fiftieth—we encourage you to ask yourself what it holds. Don't just think about what it looks like or where it goes. Ask what it protects, what it remembers, and what it proclaims.
Ask yourself if you’re ready to receive a totem.
If the answer is yes, we’d be profoundly honored to help you bring that truth to life. We want to work with you because we believe in the mark.