We have all heard the phrase, "a picture is worth a thousand words."  This is by far one of the greatest understatements of all time.

I could pick a variety of common everyday pictures and symbols and prove volumes of literature on its subject.

Volumes!

From the Cross, the Pentagram, and the Eye, to a Circle, a Triangle or even a simple Line, their imagery evokes countless emotional responses some escaping verbal description entirely.

These are basic human symbols whose descriptions are non-quantifiable.

They can all be discussed to no end!

Imagine now the complexities of Art.

Not always multiple symbols, but commonly. Not specific to symbolism with meaning, but interpretation is inescapable if it is not avoided. And even then there is reason. Even then an emotional response is necessitated.

Now imagine yourself to be an arbiter of such symbolism. What kind of Responsibility have you taken on now?

This is the Albatross around the neck of a Tattoo artist. And if you are a Tattoo artist and you don't feel its weight you have neglected the Human connection with those who receive your tattoos.

We have a responsibility to the Men and Women we Tattoo.

Throughout my career as a Tattoo Artist the Human connection has come and gone, but the one thing I could always count on is maintaining a sense of integrity, ensuring the Craft, and the Art of my work pleased my clients. And the symbolism remained strong, whether I liked their idea or not. But sometimes we are reminded that we are Human, and we as artists are reminded that we are the Guardians of Symbols, and we are the Mothers and Fathers of Imagery.

I recently had a client who had just turned 18, and in celebration of this he came to me for a tattoo. He was very specific about what he wanted, and I was conflicted because it was difficult to take all the elements he wanted in his tattoo and put them together in a cohesive package. But I sat down and went to work. I struggled in the beginning, but eventually the pencil went to paper and I drafted a quality design.

When he first saw the design he was thrilled. He was pumped up and couldn't wait to get it tattooed on his body for the rest of his life.

Sadly the rest of his life was very short after I met him and tattooed him, because he took his own life. He was only 18 years old.

Now the symbol I put on his body has new meaning. Not only for me, but for his friends and family who are choosing to have the exact same symbol tattooed on them.

Words fail where symbols can succeed, at least on an individual level for all of us. And my experience is not yours, but the imagery we create connects us all emotionally regardless of our verbal failures. It's the responsibility of Artists, and even more so as  Tattoo Artists to never lose sight of this.

-Travis Litke