Tattoo's do not have to be symbolic or meaningful to you. There are websites and forums devoted to showing off other people's tattoo's, so maybe you could 'steal' an image you like the idea of, and edit it to your tastes to make it more individual. Many tattooists offer a custom drawing service where you can tell them what you want and they will draw them out for you if you can't draw yourself. Otherwise, the best way to decide is to go to several tattooists, and look at their books/portfolios. Other than what they have on the wall, they often have books filled with examples of the work they have done on people in the past. You can take inspiration from these images. I would recommend that you look at these books anyway, as they will show you how good the tattoo artist is in practice.

Also, keep this in the back of your mind: is this tattoo design something I will regret twenty years from now? On a TV show about tattoos, I saw a young woman get a tattoo of Tweety Bird on her butt. I'm sure once she gets past thirty that the phrase "what was I THINKING???" will pass through her mind frequently.

Personally I wouldn't get a tatoo but if you have your mind set, think about .... A design you will like when you have to be a professionall 20,30,40 something Also think about the cut of clothes you wear- theres nothing worse than a back tatoo when half of it is cut off by your jeans- it looks scruffy. If i had to have a tatoo I would get a nice discrete heart on my hip

I would say that if you really want one then go for one which is small and discrete. Imagine finding a wedding dress to suit if you've got a tattoo on the top of your arm, shoulder or back, or you get to a position in work where you are only able to wear long sleeved shirts because of your tattoo. Avoid boyfriends name for obvious reasons! And think how it might look if you put weight on or lose weight or when you are a bit older, unimaginable at 18 but you will get older, trust me! My brother had one but was too sore to go back to have it finished, he now has a half coloured/half uncoloured lady on his arm!!

I have two tattoos and still love them years after getting them. While I love tattoos and encourage anyone who wants one to go for it, I have to tell you that you have to wait until you know for certain what you want. I wanted a new tattoo for over a year before I finally "just knew" the flowers on my foot would be perfect. I'd advise against "flash" (the images on tattoo shops' walls) and tell you to look on the web for things that interest you (flowers, animals, symbols, etc) and then to talk to your friends and a tattoo artist before you commit to anything. Decide on a design and then sit with it for a month. Tattoos are painful and expensive to get and even more of both to have them removed so you want to be very certain of what you want.