We’re excited to have Crystal Kirgiss as one of our NYWC speakers. Check out more information HERE.
Behold the mighty Sharpie marker.
Great for signage (NO RUNNING IN THE SANCTUARY), great for declarations of personal ownership during group travel (“Students, be sure to label all your personal belongings and clothing items.”), and great for tattooing your students in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (a post-modern post-Levitical loophole – the ink washes off with baby-wipes).
I started Sharpie-tatting kids more than a decade ago. Thousands of tats later, I can attest to this truth: there are few better strategies for getting up close and personal with adolescents – even those you don’t yet know – especially guys. In no other context would it be appropriate for me to sit so close to a middle school guy, making intentional eye contact, cradling his forearm in my palm, and asking questions about his life, his family, and his friends.
Sharpie tattoos provide a safe space for conversation (or silence in some cases), close face-to-face connection, safe and healthy touch, and in my case (being somewhat old-ish) multigenerational relationship.
Sharpie tattoos are perfect for retreats, camps, pre- and post-youth group free time, and special events.
Here are some tips on setting up your own Sharpie tattoo parlor.
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- Use traditional Sharpies – not the extra-wide (messy) or extra-fine (painful). Keep extras on hand.
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- If you’re at camp where kids are slathered in sunscreen, have baby wipes on hand to clean off the tat surface. Ink won’t stick to greasy skin, and the sunscreen will gunk up your Sharpie.
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- Stick to black for basic and quick tattoos. Add color if you want to extend your one-on-one time with students.
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- Have specific and limited tat surfaces. I do forearms, upper arms, calves, and ankles.
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- Have a set menu for kids to choose from. I created a banner with my tattoo options that includes just 8 images (cross, anchor, arrow, flower, oar, Celtic trinity knot, tree, sun), some sample words in two different font styles (love, hope, faith, joy, brave, strength, saved, etc. in block and cursive), and a few language options (“love” in Greek and Hebrew, and a full medieval runic alphabet). Even with this menu, some kids will be stuck on their choice. Without the menu, you’ll spend your entire night waiting for one kid to decide what tattoo they want.
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- Allow a small amount of leeway in tattoo options. I’ll tattoo kids’ names, school names, and specific ministry-related terms. But after that, I politely say “no” in order to keep things under control.
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- Ask your artistic students to come up with additional tattoo ideas or to help you give tattoos.
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- Don’t force the conversation. Some kids really just need to sit in silence and watch someone draw on their arm.
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- Don’t be afraid to press the conversation. This might be your best chance to spend a few minutes with a kid. Don’t squander it. If things are going well, slow down your tatting. Pause between letters. Keep re-engaging eye-contact. Sharpie tattoos are fun. They’re also strategic.
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- Limit the tatting schedule to maintain its “wow” factor. At summer camps, I give tats for 1-2 hours each afternoon. During special events, I give tats during specific breaks.
Crystal Kirgiss, PhD, has worked with students for 30 years. She writes for YouthWalk magazine, has written for many specialty Bible editions, and is the author or coauthor of many books, including In Search of Adolescence: A New Look at an Old Idea. Crystal lectures at Purdue University on the history of adolescence, and she’s a frequent speaker for students and adults.
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