I got my first tattoo back in June. I'm VERY pleased with the work. But as many know, tattoos are like potato chips, and one just isn't enough. I have a fair number of piercings as well, and will be getting more. After all, what fun is a blank canvas?
At A Glance Author Kaysie Contact newtgirl@gmail.com When It just happened Artist Greg Drake Studio Splash of Color Location East Lansing, MI After thinking long and hard, I've decided to take the plunge and get a visible tattoo. My first tattoo is on my calf, and is very large. But it's just for me. It's my personal statement to myself, and no one else needs to see it.
But with that being done, I began to wonder "why don't I advertise my statement?" That is, why have all my tattoos hidden where no one else will see them? I love my tattoos, and I don't feel like I NEED others to see them for them to be important. But again, what fun is a blank canvas? I felt that if I got a tattoo that was symbolic to me, but still had meaning to others, and put it in a visible place, that would allow me to more project an image of who I am, and what I stand for.
So I made the appointment to get a celtic tree on the back of my neck. I originally was going to do it on my wrist, but with my line of work, I thought that might be TOO visible (hey, we've all got to be slaves to the man to get by). But with the back of my neck, it's easily hidden by my hair, but easily seen if I want it to be. Also, I know that I will never be separated from my tat. Demented as it sounds, you can lose an arm and live, but I'll never survive without my neck.
Now I know the celtic tree of life is pretty cliche, and a lot of people have one (namely 'sorostitutes'). I love the symbolism behind it, but didn't know if I wanted one. I don't aim to be part of the crowd. I don't do things because others do them. But after getting my first tat (a custom piece with a flag and bagpipes), I figured 'what the hell'. It's representative of who I am, and I want everyone to know. I will have plenty of custom work, and I've customized this one to reflect myself.
So at 1pm (after some shenanigans (Sorry Greg!!) and a quick trip to the potty), I bowed my head and allowed Greg Drake to work his magic on my canvas. The tat itself went pretty quickly. It felt like less than an hour, but Greg assured me it was more like an hour and a half. I allowed Greg to use his artistic vision to create the kind of look he wanted. I wanted the tree, and I wanted it to be green. Anything else he did was his vision. It turned out quite beautifully. He mixed a custom color for me, added some depth with some blended colors and tree-bark shapes, and left his mark for all to see.
So, as of today, I'm proud to admit that I have tattooed my neck. I will show off my beautiful artwork to anyone who wants to see (including the girls in moosejaw buying rock-climbing shoes). I'm not ashamed to know that others can see my tattoo, and will judge me accordingly. If the fail to see the beauty that lies behind others' art, that's not my problem. If they feel they can judge me by the color I put in my skin, that's not my problem. If they think I'm a 'bad person' because I have tattoos, they're seriously misguided, and that's not my problem.
If anyone else is worried about visible tattoos, or tattoos in general, my general feelings are that if you really want it, you'll never be happy until you get it. I was asked the other day why I 'did this to my body'. Why is a hard question to answer. I don't do it to be different. I don't do it to stand out. I don't do it to please others. I do it because it's an expression of myself. I would go crazy if I lived in a blank white house with blank white walls. So I don't want my body to be a blank white canvas. I want to express my creativity, my attitude problem, my overwhelming drive to do what I do, I want to express that on the outside. Some people paint, make sculptures, rubberband balls, I like tattoos and steel.
So, if you see a green tree walking around campus on the body of a short chubby chick, that's me. Feel free to say hi, and add your two cents on why we do what we do.