Surprisingly enough, I recently grew a pair and got my first tattoo. Just so you know, I am not one of those people who believe in getting tattoos for the sole purpose of “decoration”. If something is permanently going on my body, it’s going to mean something.
About four or five months ago, I was on iTunes searching for new music to download. I came across a song by Christina Aguilera that was beautiful… I couldn’t tell you the name of it right now (I get distracted easily and forgot to download it), but the lyrics were about “spreading your wings”. Immediately after hearing the chorus, an image of my tattoo popped into my head. I spent those few months drawing, erasing, re-drawing, and researching until I was perfectly happy with my idea. Three days ago, my boyfriend, my dad, and I went to USA Tattoo in Colonial Heights to get it. I was so nervous I thought I was going to be sick! I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but I am absolutely horrified of needles… so bad that I pass out in the doctor’s office when they even mention sticking me with one. But I put my big girl panties on and climbed onto the chair after the tattoo artist put the stencil on me. While he was prepping everything, I asked him how bad it would hurt on a scale of 1 – 10… he told me a 13.
Two hours into the tattoo, we got to a point to where we could stop and take a smoke break. I was SO surprised at how almost painless it actually was. When we stepped outside, I told him, “You lied to me! It isn’t a thirteen.” He asked me what it was, and when I answered that it was about a five, he said “Good, I did my job.”
Well, after the break it wasn’t exactly a five anymore. He went back over the outline to make it “pop” and started the shading—I bet there is a permanent hand print on the chair where I was squeezing so hard. It definitely ended up being a thirteen, but it is completely worth it. :)
Alis Grave Nil is Latin for “Nothing is heavy to those who have wings”, and the sparrow represents freedom, loyalty, and safety. This tattoo is a celebration, you could say, for graduation and is a constant reminder that there is nothing I cannot accomplish as long as I don’t bind myself down. I am so overjoyed at how well it turned out, and I will definitely be sticking to this artist for my future work!
What is the meaning behind your tattoo(s)?
Song: Sparrows Over Birmingham by Josh Rouse
No comments:
Post a Comment