Fierce in Seattle: Tattooed and Crunchy
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A blogumn by Kelli Bielema
Relationships don’t last forever, but tattoos…
“It’s a mile to your first, and a minute to your second.” This is the wisdom my tattoo artist shared with me upon completion of my first inking. That was a good indication of what would be an intermittent thought of how to mark my second rendezvous with the needle. What will the next body art I create be?
My lower back tattoo (yes, ahem, a tramp stamp) was not something I merely picked out of a catalog at a late night studio, but rather a Chinese symbol (yeah, how original) that meant laughter. I was certain to research it heavily to be confident that my new body bumper sticker would not translate to “monkey dildo” or “Satan’s wet nurse.” Laughter was a saving grace at that period of my life as I had gone through a break-up that riddled me into anxiety and what my therapist referred to as a “depressive episode.” No kidding. It goes without saying that laughter was a much needed tool in that dark time. I wanted my tat to be something meaningful to me, but not too dramatic. In theatre school there was a graduate student with a tattoo of the comedy/tragedy masks on his left inner thigh. I remember him saying “every time I look at that, I think of my art.” I also remember thinking that every time he sees it is every day on the crapper. Ew.
I have yet to make that second appointment in the 7 years or so since my inaugural bitch license plate. My last couple of years in LA, I never gave it much thought. Living in Seattle, I am surrounded by badass mo-fos with full sleeves, or random smatterings all over their limbs and yikes, even their faces all did up! I gotta say, it’s influencing me a bit to get back in that chair, or up on the slab, if you will. Oh, I have plans for that little bit of laughter above my ass. Living in Seattle clearly needs to be drilled into the flesh. Fear not that I will adorn the Space Needle on my bicep or an evergreen on my calf. But the calligraphy of my laughter may branch into cherry blossoms, a sign of things in bloom, and always growing…
I have one tattoo on my upper back. It’s my mother’s name spelled vertically. I love it. And after getting the one, I absolutely want to get more, but I have no idea what else I’d want permanently on my body and where.
One thing I do know for sure: I don’t want a tattoo anywhere it will sag quickly. No boobs, no thighs, no belly. My weight changes often enough that ever-stretchy tattoos would be my plight.
I have one tattoo on my upper back. It’s my mother’s name spelled vertically. I love it. And after getting the one, I absolutely want to get more, but I have no idea what else I’d want permanently on my body and where.
One thing I do know for sure: I don’t want a tattoo anywhere it will sag quickly. No boobs, no thighs, no belly. My weight changes often enough that ever-stretchy tattoos would be my plight.
I feel terrible for not having a tattoo, b/c I think I was the only one on the Derby Dolls and maybe the only in my hipster neighborhood that doesn’t have one. I have a hard time with commitment. Though was thinking of getting “etc” on the back of my neck when I had long dreads. Don’t know if I would do it with long hair. Hmm, more thinking…
When I got mine (a modern line drawing of a dove on my shoulder), my gruff, biker tattoo artist couldn’t wait to get my stupid 18 year old wimpy little ass out of there…not because I cried, but because it was the next step up from a butterfly on my ankle. I am, however, still happy about my decision. I got it so I could remember to always seek inner peace before all else…a difficult thing for me TO remember. I needed it. And I still do. I see it in the mirror when I need it most, and that was the point.
People told me I would want more after that one, but I haven’t found anything as important as that in the past 10 years…but I’m open.
When I got mine (a modern line drawing of a dove on my shoulder), my gruff, biker tattoo artist couldn’t wait to get my stupid 18 year old wimpy little ass out of there…not because I cried, but because it was the next step up from a butterfly on my ankle. I am, however, still happy about my decision. I got it so I could remember to always seek inner peace before all else…a difficult thing for me TO remember. I needed it. And I still do. I see it in the mirror when I need it most, and that was the point.
People told me I would want more after that one, but I haven’t found anything as important as that in the past 10 years…but I’m open.
It’s been almost 10 years since my first, and only tattoo. I babbled about getting a tattoo for probably 10 years before I got it and my lovely roommates got me a gift certificate for my 30th bithday (maybe to shut me up already…) My mark is wonderful basic tribal turtle with a spiral inside that my husband designed for me, so even though it’s that over-used tribal theme thing, I know that no-one else has my tattoo.
That tat has so much good intention and generosity behind it, I don’t think a follow up inking would mean as much. Even tho I occassionally flirt with getting a kitty silhouette on my arm (crazy cat lady), I just always find something else to do with my moolah and time. So, even tho I have never met anyone else with just one tattoo, it is possible to only have one, if you only want one.
It’s been almost 10 years since my first, and only tattoo. I babbled about getting a tattoo for probably 10 years before I got it and my lovely roommates got me a gift certificate for my 30th bithday (maybe to shut me up already…) My mark is wonderful basic tribal turtle with a spiral inside that my husband designed for me, so even though it’s that over-used tribal theme thing, I know that no-one else has my tattoo.
That tat has so much good intention and generosity behind it, I don’t think a follow up inking would mean as much. Even tho I occassionally flirt with getting a kitty silhouette on my arm (crazy cat lady), I just always find something else to do with my moolah and time. So, even tho I have never met anyone else with just one tattoo, it is possible to only have one, if you only want one.
The first comment from the Redheaded Stepchild reminded me of this:
http://www.zippyvideos.com/1631730182119646/tattoo_-_snl/
Pretty sad………….!!!
The first comment from the Redheaded Stepchild reminded me of this:
http://www.zippyvideos.com/1631730182119646/tattoo_-_snl/
Pretty sad………….!!!
That SNL video was hilarious. Though, I’m sure a lot people WISH that there was a tattoo remover that was that inexpensive and convenient — even if it did burn really badly.