I think it's bullshit. Unless you're saying 'Ahhh just gimme whatever.' you're directing the tattooist what to do, style, color, etc. All they're doing is realizing your vision. It should go without saying that a tattoo belongs entirely to the person it's on.
"Van Gogh painted alone and in despair and in madness and sold one picture in his entire life. Millions struggled alone, unrecognized, and struggled as heroically as any famous hero. Was it worthless? I knew it wasn't."