Tattoo Time!

Some people hate them. Some people don't care. Some people like them, but only if they are small and in places that are easily covered up. Some people like them, but only if they have a deep meaning. Some people love them. Some people get a few, some people get a few hundred.

My tattoos are a strange collection. Some of them have 'deep' meanings to me, but some of them are purely visual. Many people assume that each and every tattoo has to have a strictly symbolic, straight forward meaning to them, but the truth of the matter is that I've always been the most inspired artistically through visual stimulation.

I think this is why I have never really gotten hung up on the lifelong commitment aspect of getting inked- there are many, many things about me that will change through my life, and I already feel like a walking canvas as it is. Many people are horrified at the idea of old ladies sporting old sleeves and chest pieces, but to me they show a story. I am more than happy to be that lady in the future! (Although I will definitely not be the only one.)

So I thought I'd share my tattoos with you, and why I got them.

First Tattoo: Roses on chest
Inspiration: Half visual, half symbolic

I got my roses when I was nineteen years old because I became fascinated with the idea that I could see things about other people, reflections of what they feel inside, on their bodies. Around

my friends, I am not a shy person. In public is a completely different story. The anxiety makes me feel like everybody is picking me apart (which I know is silly but can't help but shake it sometimes) and I loved the idea of being able to walk around as quiet as I pleased while still saying something. It's funny to think about it now, but I remember just thinking about how important all the little aspects were to this tattoo that other people would bash for being lame or corny: music notes and hearts surrounding a rose with sticky vines. But I've always been mesmerized by beauty in nature (flowers, landscapes, outer space,) and love the look of roses. So the roses were the visual aspect that I adored for the tattoo while the notes and hearts were the symbolic- music and love.

Second Tattoo: "Starry Night" quarter sleeve
Inspiration: Completely visual

Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night has inspired me artistically for years. I am a BIG 'swirl' person, I love them in all sorts of designs, and the sky in that painting is THE highlight for me. I wanted to see beautiful swirls and bright colors on my own skin, which is very pale. But instead of having a cluster of houses below the sky, I changed it to create the perfect "place" of my own artistic ambition. I mentioned the nature love before, so I swapped the buildings for grass and a very simple tree. I also threw some glow bugs in there because I loved the contrast of color.

Third Tattoo: Eye of Horus, back of neck
Inspiration: Spiritually symbolic

This is a matching tattoo that I have with my husband's sister and one of my best friends Jamie. She has the right eye, and I have the left, which fits us perfectly. In lieu of pages and pages of passionate verse as to why I have this symbol tattooed on me, I'll just keep it very simple and short and say that it completely represents how I feel about myself in this world spiritually. Strange, because it's smaller, but it was one of the most painful. Which kind of makes it even better in the end. :)

Fourth Tattoo: Ohm, left hand
Inspiration: Duel symbolism

So half of the inspiration behind this tattoo is within the symbol itself. (That's another set of pages and pages that I'll save you on and just say that it was the one that I wanted.) But the symbolism behind the location is why this is one of my favorite tattoos. In my heart, when I thought of this ohm tattoo I wanted, I envisioned it on my hand. Hand tattoos are not exactly professional workplace friendly, so at first I wanted to hold off because even though I didn't have a job at the time, my whole 'author' fantasy could either never come true or take years and years to even come close. Then it took me about one day to settle on the fact that my dream for being a writer is big enough that I will not allow myself to make a Plan B. I took the plunge and did it to show myself that I really do believe that I will see my books on the shelf one day.

Fifth Tattoo: Butterfly, left forearm
Inspiration: All visual

This one is really quite simple. Butterflies are intricate and gorgeous and I appreciate how they look so much. The variety of shape, design, and color are inspirational in themselves and I wanted a realistic butterfly tattoo to show my love.


There they are! As far as pain goes, starting with the least painful I'd say it was the butterfly, Starry Night, the ohm, then the eye, and the chest as most painful. Pain is only physical though and none of it was ever bad enough to make the artist stop working.

Till next time, peeps! :D