My First Tattoo
Over the past few years, it’s been a secret dream of mine to get a tattoo. For some, a tattoo is an act of rebellion or a form of self-expression. Perhaps mine is an act of both, but more than anything, it was liberating.
I’ve struggled with the idea of “marking my skin” because I grew up in a household where tattoos were seen as a sign of delinquency. Despite this, I never embraced these values, but I’m not one to disappoint my parents, so I put the decision off for a long time. It wasn’t until a holiday event that I finally worked up the courage to go against my upbringing and do this for myself.
At that holiday event, I noticed my husband’s aunt got a nose piercing. I asked her if it was new or if it had always been there. She explained how she’d gotten the piercing over a conference weekend. When I asked her what made her get a piercing after so many years, she admitted how she’d always wanted one, but was worried about what her mother would say, so she never did it. I felt inspired, but also determined to not allow that amount of time to pass before doing something I wanted to do.
Over that time I started following several tattoo artists and I worked on finding a design I liked and committing to a placement. Although I was determined to get my tattoo, placement was still a struggle to settle on. Did I want this to be public or private?
I’m lucky I work in an office environment that does not discriminate people based on body art. My coworkers who had tattoos were also very supportive and assured me that they’d hardly experienced any issues with their tattoos and clients. When in doubt, they covered them up.
After some thought, I realized I wanted to be able to admire my artwork, so I chose to get my piece on my forearm.
When Vanessa Dong, a talented Vancouver tattoo artist I admire, finally opened her books, I jumped at the chance to get my first piece by her. She’s highly sought after and submissions are drawn at random. I was lucky to be chosen in my first round. I took it as a sign.
Leading up to the appointment, I was nervous at the thought of the pain. Vanessa was amazing though! Her touch wasn’t too hard and I barely noticed the discomfort. We talked the entire time and that definitely helped the time pass. I now understand how people say tattoos can be addictive. It doesn’t hurt as much as you think, so it makes it easier to get more. I already have plans for another one on my other arm.
When I finally revealed my body art to my family, I was still a little nervous. They were obviously shocked and disappointed. After stating their concerns, I countered with my own thoughts. We agreed to disagree and while it was a hard conversation to have, I was so in love with my body art that I knew I had done the right thing for myself.
Are you thinking of getting a tattoo? Where? Of what? By who? Let me know!
