Topic awaiting preservation: That tattoo (Page 1 of 1)

Hmmm... some time ago, I was talking about a tattoo.
Here it is, finished, took me a good twelve hours, split into 3 hours sessions, over almost a year due to my tattoo artist getting to be a star
(got a phone call in summer saying "I am moving to London tomorrow, let's postpone).

Thought I'd reconnect with the past and would sort out all the things I mentionned here and left unfinished, so here is one:



And no, that small resolution mobile phone pic doesn't pay justice to the real thing, but it's the only pic I can show until I get my hands on a real cam.

Ouch... looks like you've ventured across some sensitive areas. Looks cool, I think I see a dragon; yes?

Supposedly celtic snake yeah, the head is on my shoulder. The snake mainly symbolizes life in Celctic mythology, as far as I know,
although some people may question this one as being a "tribal turned into a celtic".

In 3d, the color is a flashy cobalt blue, and what's amazing is that it reconnects in various positions. I mean, if I raise my arm,
it's a coherent whole. Arm down, it still is a coherent whole. And so on.

And about the pain, well... I discovered I can take some amounts of pain without raising an eyebrow. Seeing this, the tattooer pushed my limits a little more on each session,
probably just because he was getting used to my absence of reaction.
The last time, I bled quite a lot during the process.

Still, I love those tattooing sessions, it has some magic to it, something hard to explain.
I've had some people ask me "why not a temporary tattoo?" or questions of that kind,
another of my favorites being "why no narcosys?". Or an acquaintance, who "couldn't have his tattoo finished because he has a redhead type of skin"

Nothing wrong with them asking, but how could I get them to understand the motivations?
"You know, I loved the pain because it actually is part of what makes it worth"...

The question is, what and why.

What did you get the tattoo for?

And why?

I personally have no tattoos.

WebShaman | The keenest sorrow (and greatest truth) is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.
- Sophocles

I think the answers merge into something like... Identity and art.

Identity: I am assessing a choice of my own, a choice marked in my skin forever, which symbolizes values of a high importance to me.
This directly relates to the history of tattoo, and similar tribal rituals, which were a way to the individual to "prove his worth",
or "enter the adult age". Think american natives on this one.

Why now? Because this point in my life is a major turn, and this painting reflects an inner and outer change, I am fixing my inner "game"
and am deeply proud of myself and my achievments so far. Technically speaking, I've been an adult for some time,
but my mind and soul are now truly openning.

Hence the twists of the snake of life crossing his own path, and symbolizing interactions of lifeforms over a lifeline.

I am not trying to "prove my worth" or that my skin is tough here, I am merely assessing my own identity and beliefs.
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The taboo: doesn't exist for young generations, exists and is prevalent for old generations, is not a concern, nor "one more reason".
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The pain: I think it's really, really important when you get your body modified in a drastic way, to be deeply involved in the process.
And standing the pain, feeling the transformation, is a great helper in accepting it.

Picture yourself watching your pink skin, getting a narcosys, then waking up to discover that "thing" grafted to your skin.
Think of the difficulty to adapt to your "new body" in such circumstancies.
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All of these are elements of a well-planned tattooing session: if you have to do it, do it right, and respect and praise it as an art form,
your body being the media.

A final note for people who want to get a tattoo: consider the choice of getting the tattoo something important, treat it
with the due respect and consideration.
And do not neglect the idea that you might want to get your whole body tattooed if the experience is satisfactory: picture it as a whole
from the start, and choose a "style" which will suit you.

There's nothing worse than having a anchor on the shoulder, a heart on the bum, etc. A patchwork tattoo. It's painfully ugly
and meaningless and you'll feel that lack of meaning for the rest of your life.