Journal 5

Based off of the discussions we have had in class, I would say that the three most important concepts we have considered are the ideas of scene/place, non-institution, and meaning/sentiment.  All of these concepts are primary components of the genre of everyday writing.  Scene and place are vital aspects of everyday writing and the are important concepts any writer should use because they are capable of relaying context.  Where a writing took place, or where the writer presents his work could be an indicator of who the writer is trying to outreach or why the artist created his work.  The idea of non-institutional works is unique to everyday writing, because it defines the essence that this genre can be done by anyone.  Writing doesn't have to taught by a professional to be credible or have meaning.  The use of creativity is capable of creating beautiful works.  Finally, sentiment in a work is the backbone of everyday writing, for it relays the reasoning behind a work and portrays how the writer is human and deals with everyday things.  It enables the communication of an idea which is meaningful to them.

In my opinion, tattoos align with these concepts very well and could be considered everyday forms of writing.  The scene and place you were tatted are important aspects behind the tattoo. They can relay the reasoning of  a person getting one, for if a person came in drunk late at night as oppose to sober during the day, the meaning behind the tattoo could vary.  The idea that creating designs for tattoos is an untaught, non-institutionalized trade and the fact that anyone can get one enhances the concepts of tattoos being everyday form of writings. Lastly, tattoos often carry much sentiment within their ink.  Many people come to tattoo parlors in hopes of printing on their bodies a symbol or word or phrase that holds meaning in their life.  As Simone mentioned from the text, the people in the essay "The Precarious Visibility Politics of Self-Stigmatization: The Case of HIV/AIDS Tattoos." got tattoos on their bodies which represented how they were suffering from AIDS or HIV.  They are communicating something that means a lot to them by permanently writing it on their skin.  Due to these reasons, I believe it could be safe to conclude that tats are an everyday form of writing.