I had always said I would never get a tattoo. I had always told my tattooed friends that I had the ability to get completely naked, while they were claustrophobic-ally stuck behind their tattoo forever.
OK, maybe I was also a bit scared to commit to the artwork. I mean, what if I changed my mind?
But a friend of ours convinced me that a tattoo is not about your whole life, it’s about one milestone in your life. It’s about recognizing who you are at a distinct moment in time. I suppose in that way it’s kind of like sticking a stake in the ground. (It reminded me a bit of when I went to do this.)
Then I went and wrote a book. A book in which the sole purpose was to give me (and consequently others) permission to hear my own artistic voice and not just hear it, but trust it, believe in it, follow it where it wanted to take me.
There are times (almost daily I’ll have you know) where I have sudden lapses into fear, and I think, surely I must be out of my mind to listen to what is calling within me. To attempt big things. To rebel against convention to give my soul some breathing room. And so I decided it would be nice to have the ever present reminder close that though there is indeed freedom granted to me from a bigger Someone, if I don’t free myself to travel where I need to travel, then I will remain enslaved.
As I was looking for a way to celebrate my artistic voice and my book contract and my daily choice of self-evoked freedom, I came across these words that one of my favorite artists, Sabrina Ward Harrison, wrote in a personal message to me on the inside front cover of her book in 2008. The word “free” was really important to me then because it was my first time at picking a word for my year. Seeing Sabrina’s words made me realize how far I have come, and how much truth there is to that statement, “Free Yourself.” And I knew instantly I must celebrate my book contract with my first tattoo.
You can watch a short video here.
And so I did it. Quickly. Because I think you can over-think these sorts of things, and my soul was screaming yes, and I’m learning to listen to that. My favorite part is that the red is colored outside the lines.
The artist I used was Gage at Beauty from Pain. He did Tony’s tattoo as well, and I highly recommend him.
(The above photo is of a painting he altered.)
A side story to getting my tattoo is that my kids and Tony went with me to get it and while Gage was creating the stencil, my youngest son choked on a piece of hard candy and then puked it out. Gage helped me clean up puke off myself and my son and the floor without even balking. I told him if the tattoo wasn’t enough to bond us for life, the puking definitely was. Never a dull moment.
If you have tattoos, I want to see them. Stories behind them? I want to hear them. Leave links or stories in the comments please!
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
I love that you did this. I’ve wanted a tattoo for years now. I’ve been writing down my ideas, and as I watch my life unfold the tattoos take on new meanings, and link up in strange and amazing ways. Aside from not being able to afford to get a tattoo just yet, I am also watching and waiting, almost for the story to finish, before I get the tattoo. I want to see how it ends, because it usually just gets better and better. Who knows? It’ll probably never finish, but keep evolving. But it’s definitely magic to see it happening.
I looooooove your tattoo! I love how you said it marks a milestone in your life at a distinct point… that’s what mine was for me. Also having got my first one in October last year – I was an avid cutter for years -my tattoo marked five years of freedom since the last time I’d run a blade through my flesh. It was, above many many things, a replacement for the scars I’d left years earlier – and in declaring that on my skin, I hope that healing in my heart follows suit. And although it is not merely the ink that brings restoration, it speaks deeply to me every day knowing that I’ve overcome – not in my strength, but the strength that was demonstrated as Jesus had His blood shed… on the Cross.
Distinct. Moments.
Check it out here: http://havemyword.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/inked-and-inching-towards-the-ideal/
what a story you have. love all the symbolism that comes with your ink.
It’s gorgeous! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it!
You are inspiring me to finally get over my fear and get one as well.
I have an idea of one..but not sure all the way!
Yours is absolutely the coolest!
you’ll know when it’s time, and then go do it!
I have 2 tattoos. I got the first one with my sister before I moved across the country. A simple heart with a little red outline inside on my inside left wrist. (She is left handed- and hers is on her right as I am right-handed!)
The second I got when I was 40- a ribbon anklet hanging very low on my right ankle- the writing inside the ribbon says, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself thru love.” and the ribbon is tied in the back with “Gal 5:6″ in it. A heart hangs down on my foot that has the word “Faith” in it. This is my favorite scripture- and I got it because I could.
Man, Galatians is so good. Faith expressing itself through love. yes.
I love your tattoo! It’s so awesome! I attached a link to my most recent tattoo(I have 5 total). I got it to represent Faith(the cross), Hope(the anchor), Love(the heart). Also the anchor represents being anchored in Christ. The two I got before that are ones I was inspired by 2 of Craig’s messages. One says “kaleo” meaning “to this you were called” which is on my right. The other is on my left wrist and says “Remember Accept Trust” meaning remember what God has done, accept what God is doing, and trust what God will do. This one was from Craig’s series, Habakkuk. I can’t wait to get more! I love tattoos!
Opps I thought the website would attach to my comment. So here’s the link to my anchor tattoo, http://on.fb.me/AoapPC.
Pretty!
Go you! I love your tattoo. Such a perfect, powerful message. And what a way to commemorate this time in your life!
I have three tattoos but I just realized that I’ve only blogged about the most recent one, likely because I got the first one 10 years ago pre-blogging. Here’s the link to tattoo #3: http://www.leighkramer.com/blog/2011/08/etching-truth.html
I’ll be curious to see if you end up getting any more ink!
sounds like you weren’t able to stop at one. i’ve heard that’s typical. My husband was planning his second before he got his first. i figure i’ll know when if and when it’s time.
CONGRATULATIONS on your first tattoo and what an awesome one it is too! I got my first tatt when I turned 50 and I love it! I wouldn’t definitely get another. I blogged about it here – http://artbyserena.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-got-inked.html
love that you got it at 50!
I really connected with this; it’s my first time with a word for the year, and it’s this: “FREEDOM”!!! Let it ring! So can you imagine how much reading this was a “YES” for me! Just the whole aroma of it… You know what I mean. (Minus the puke, LOL!) The word’s been showing up for me already, so much, I can’t believe it’s only 18 days into the year. Freedom is everywhere, calling to me. When I start my blog (eventually!) it’ll all be in there. I don’t know how you do it, tips please? You have 4 kids and you homeschool and write and do all this; I have 3 kids and I homeschool and am finally getting back into my art and writing again, so I’m not into a pattern. How do you do all this?
oh, there is freedom to be found even in the puking.
i feel like i answer the question “how do you do all this?” in my e-Book, Tomorrow Dreams Today. Here’s the link so you can read more about it: http://www.messycanvas.com/tomorrows-dreams-today-e-book/
Or if you want the summed up version, I do what my friend Teresa taught me or what Anne Lamott taught me in Bird by Bird…I take baby steps.
I love that freedom is calling to you!
I will read it, Mandy! Thank you! Those baby steps, yes, they are big ones!
I have one tattoo that I got when I was 18 and a freshman in college. It is a dolphin and a rose. At the time I was a major MARBIE—which is short for Marine Biology major, it was shortened to MARB and we were all called Marbie’s. In other words, a gigantic dolphin hugger. And I had a little extra money in the bank, freedom to do what I wanted and off I went. My mom went with me. She has two butterflies.
Over the years I sometimes forget I have it. It is on my right ankle. Some of it has faded and I wonder about touching it up. Part of me sometimes wonders why I have it, but part of me realizes that it is part of who I am—the tiny segment of my life at one time.
I have dreams for about three more. I want the Appalachian Trail and Florida Trail emblems for my two thru-hikes and then I want a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle—because I am in love with sea turtles and Ridley is my trail name.
Yours is beautiful!
your dolphin is a perfect example of the point my friend was trying to get across. it tells a story. your story. it tells of your history. of where you’ve come from. each part is important and leads us to our next. love your other ideas as well!
That is gorgeous! I got a tattoo at 21, but it is quite a bit smaller than yours! Love the ink
hey mandy! its brook sloat. I have the word Hope written on my left wrist, and scrolled under it is a bright blue boat anchor. my mother and my 2 sisters and I, all have the same tattoo. We got it all together to honor the amazing life of my stepfather. He passed away 2 years ago, and would have hated the fact we even got a tattoo!! but the boat anchor has great meaning of many wonderful summers on the lake with him, (behind blue eyes) was his boats name, which is the blue color, his eyes were also blue, and the word hope was what my mom picked. Hope that she would make it through another day without him. I love it, and I love and miss him. constant reminder of his love for us too.
I’ve seen a lot of ‘fanciful’ looking tattoos, but this one is by far my favourite; and for that alone, I’ve just updated my FB status in honour of you and your tattoo (”,)
I used to be against tattoos because I was told that God abhors them. Then when I found out the truth on that, I was still reluctant because I love my skin lol and I wanna still love it in 30 years (I’m 22 at the mo) haha. But wow! Maybe it’s the poetry in this post, maybe it’s even the story behind this tattoo…
and maybe, just maybe..it’s the red colouring (I love the red colouring!) –because sticking my own “stake” in the ground seems exactly what ‘freedom for art’ offers this spirit of mine. And this, in itself, makes all the difference 30 years from now. . .
as always, thank you Mandy
I’ve got one. I got it when I was 40, plus a few years. My son was getting one for his 18th birthday and I went with him. And because I’d always wanted one, I got one, too. And yes. It is a moment. Not my whole life. And I like that you’ve called this your “first” tattoo…leaving space for more. And the red outside the lines is beautiful.
I turned 40 in December 2011 and gifted myself with a big, loud, purple & black star on my right inner wrist. Thinking about my next one now:)
I got my first tattoo for my 19th birthday after a whole year of knowing what I wanted but not wanting to make a silly and very permanent decision. And so, my mom and older brother took me to get tatted up with a tree on the inside of my ankle. Of corse people ask me what the symbolism behind it all is, and sometimes I want to keep it to myself – but most the time I willingly share my heart. A tree because I love them, because He calls us to be one in the first psalm. And a heart in between the tree’s root and trunk because it’s only from a place of love that life is produced.
My second tattoo was more of a whim – I decided on it in about a day. And sometimes I think of the ways I’d change it, but mostly I love it. It simply says, “city not forsaken” in my own wandering handwriting. He calls me this, this time in Isaiah 62, and I’m happy to have the reminder to claim, walk it, mostly importantly ask the Holy Spirit to help me believe it everyday.
Hannah – my tattoo on my left wrist says “Sought After” from the same verse in Isaiah 62.
AWESOME! So cool to know that someone else has words from Isaiah 62 tattooed on them. 
My tattoo is a reminder that God is always pursuing me, and I am always sought after, no matter how I feel at the time.
Laurie, that’s awesome! I love that whole chapter. I finally uploaded a couple pictures to my blog, if you want to see them! http://hannahfrann.blogspot.com/2012/01/psalm-1-isaiah-62.html
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