My Tattoo Progress Photos & Story - which uncovers a tip about relationships

The Tattoo Chronicles: Personal Stories and Shared Experiences - PART 2

On the drawing table of the tattooist are all the reference images I brought in for my full arm piece.

Find Part 1 here, on a beautiful reflection I consider before getting inked.

I'm sitting in the tattoo chair, arm out on a rest. The tattooist wipes away excess ink that sits on top of my skin after each line. He is working on the outside of my upper arm, a fleshy area that's more tolerable for a tattoo. As he moves to the underside, the needle feels scratchier, more cutting.

To distract myself from the pain, I watch people come in and discuss their tattoo ideas with the artists. I recognise the internal call to express something so profoundly that it begs integration with your being, bringing you here to discuss what that deep feeling represents in drawn lines.

Tattoo: an internal call of expression so profound it begs integration with your physical being.

Outlines can look a little odd, but see how it comes together in the final photo

When you ask a tattooist to design something unique, you provide your vision. The tattooist's design emerges partly from your description and partly from their experiences, style, and skill set.

As a result, it will be different from what you envision. You have to hand the reigns over and allow their version of it, for it is only in collaboration that this comes to life.

The shading begins over the freshly cut lines.

What will appear on your skin forever requires surrender to someone else's brushstrokes and unique talent. You have to surrender to the design being not what is in your head but an interpretation of that. You have to embrace the process of coming together with someone else to create a part of yourself, trusting someone with a permanent change to your body.

Tattoo: an answering of deep emotional expression

For my tattoo, I brought reference images. The tattooist sketched a few ideas, and we agreed on an outline he would go and finalise. Then comes the day of needles, ink, and soul. The final design is transferred to a special ink that is pressed onto the skin for placement agreement. The guns are inked, and that dream becomes a reality.

Another day , another part of the arm piece; hand area today.

Tattoo artists are extraordinary; the recipient has a significant say in their art whom it becomes a permanent part of.

A couple of hours into my whole-day session, the excitement wears off, and deep pain sets in as the tattoo continues no longer on fresh skin, but now freshly cut skin. Sitting in that kind of pain, there are moments when your brain questions your sanity and whether you felt this strongly about wanting this. 

The tattooist asks how I am doing, and we talk about pain. He shares stories of those who say it didn't hurt or like the pain. We agree it's incredibly painful. He tells me how he imagines packing the pain into suitcases, taking them to a dock, loading them on a boat and watching it sail away. This mental strategy helps a little, so I do it repeatedly.

After what feels like an eternity, I'm finished (for today, this will be a multi-day arm piece). The clean-up is excruciating, as the raw skin is sprayed and wiped clean of dots of blood and smeared ink. As he applies an antiseptic cream, it feels like nails through sunburn. 

This is the third day on my arm; you can see the handpiece done now.

When I first had a piece designed and watched it unfold differently from my imagination, I feared regret. It took days to see the necessary perspective: surrender & collaboration. I couldn't draw what I wanted and tattoo it on myself. I had to hand over part of the process.

Sitting in the chair today, I think about that same surrender in relationships. Living my life with someone isn't about choosing how things will be every step of the way. Our intertwined lives require negotiation and surrender to create an outcome together. 

Getting a tattoo is a journey of collaboration and surrender. Go in with open eyes; understand the tattooist's style to imagine how things might change with their input. In the design process, you'll have your say, but the final strokes are beyond your control, even though they become part of you. Brave, eh?

Have a tattoo, how did you manage the tattoo process, thoughts and feelings?

The full arm was done over many days, which were spread out over about 6 months.

Note; I talked about the pain a lot in this article. I didn’t want to shy away from something you have to be prepared for in getting a tattoo. But I don’t want to scare people off altogether. It is a moment in time that if it is done to answer an internal call, know that the call comes with the bravery to get through this.

If you're struggling to decide if you should get a tattoo, know that you have the answer inside of you. Sit with saying you will get it done and see if that feels expansive or contracting. Then, for a few days sit with deciding not to get it done. Which of these felt expansive or contracting?

Another tip is to give it time. If it still calls you in 12 months’ time, there might be something to it. Or does time lessen the pull to it?

If you missed Part 1, click here for; Before getting a tattoo, I reflect on this beautiful question.

My Thank You Gift for Subscribers is a poetry book; as soon as you subscribe, you will receive the link to download it in your welcome email.

Will there be a part 3? I think so. Something about how getting a tattoo is like to be a writer is bubbling up. Stay tuned.