No regrets!

Sunday mid-day editor Aastha Atray Banan’s latest tattoo shows a deer and its antlers, that signifies transformation

Getting a tattoo is one of the most important decisions one can make in life. And that's why you need to be very careful of what you get done. But, I also feel you shouldn't overthink it. Because of you do, then you may never end up getting one.

The other important decision that will aid this tattoo collection drive is that you get a tattoo artist who fulfils the following criteria: He makes sure the pain is minimal, you trust his artistry to bring your vision to life, and he fits your budget. I have found all three in Savio Dsilva's who runs Fine Art Studio in Versova. Savio just doesn't make a tattoo - he makes a piece of art. He will take your idea and develop it to become something you will never get tired of looking at.

Two other tattoos signify her love for writing, and inner strength

Next, get clear on what you want. What has worked for me that I have always got a tattoo when I feel I have accomplished something, or I want to remind myself of a lesson or a learning. The first tattoo I got was of an infinity sign, with a quill and a heart sign - which showed my forever commitment and love for writing. I have since then got a heart, flowers, the words ‘I am love', a spaceship (with me in it, so I can manifest), and a dragon (a reminder that I have it inside me to do tough things).

Last week, I got my seventh tattoo, which speaks of transformation. It's a deer with antlers and signifies transformation. Usually, people get a butterfly to show how they have changed, but I wanted something unusual. Bucks shed their old antlers each year and regrow larger, stronger ones. This annual cycle mirrors personal rebirth, the necessity of letting go of the past, and the power to adapt and evolve through life's changing seasons. I feel like I have become a different person in the past 3 years, and this tattoo was my way of acknowledging my own growth.

Now, every time I see it in the mirror, I am reminded of how much I have changed since the beginning of this year, and I love it. I am so much more now. If you read this and felt like getting a tattoo, maybe that's your sign that you shouldn't overthink. Go for it. Just make sure it has a story.