My Tattoos
My first Tattoo is on my right forearm. It is, as you can see above, a venn diagram. I really started learning about venn diagrams in college, and in psychology classes, and they really clicked with me: I really understood the way whatever subject was being discussed interacted with the various parts. I like this three circle diagram because, to me, it represents my family, me, Nathan, and Sam. We are each our own selves, our own circles, but we intersect, each with the other, and all of us in the middle, the core of ‘us’. we each have our own lives, but I have interests and time and such that I share with Nathan, and interests and time I share with Sam, and then we all share ‘familyness.’ (Yep I just made up that word). Also, it forms a triquetra, one of my favorite shapes.
My second tattoo, on my left forearm, is also a circular design, and it’s a Yin-Yang formed by two cats, a white cat and a black cat. When I found this design I knew I had to have it. Cats are so important to me, and I usually have two, and the last four we had are black or black and white. The Yin-Yang is important for me in my love of the philosophy of the East, the idea of balance, black and white, light and dark etc. is something I have thought a lot about it in my adulthood, as I have studied all kinds of philosophy, ancient and modern. And to find this one, formed of cats? Perfection.
Above are pictures of the tattoos right after they were done, by Holly at Steve’s Tattoo :
On Willy Street.
It hurt, but not too badly. Filling in the black parts of the cat Yin-Yang was the toughest part. Just a pricking sensation.
I thought long and hard about getting these tattoos. Do I really want to mark my body permanently? Are these really really really the designs I want? Yes, I was able to answer. They mean a lot to me, and I am so happy when I see them. I need to have them retouched, actually.
Will I get any more tattoos? I don’t know. Probably not. These two really mean a lot to me, I guess I could get a book or a tea cup, but honestly? I don’t feel a burning need to.
I love my tattoos. I think they are beautiful in their simplicity. I have always been drawn to black and white line images. And I feel like they express something about me.
How about you? Any tattoos, or stories about tattoos?
