Taking Action – My Tattoo Story

This past Saturday afternoon, Sarah (my sister) and I headed to Dearborn for my tattoo appointment! Backstory here, I’ve been talking to my sister, who has over a dozen tattoos herself at this point, about my idea for a family tattoo basically since we had Ben four years ago. My idea went from a feather/birds theme to our initials, to a floral theme. I ended up going with a design of birth month flowers for our kids and eucalyptus as that was one of the main florals at our wedding. I’m so unbelievably thrilled with how it turned out. I’m home now staring at my arm and reflecting on this entire tattoo process.

And, I’m genuinely feeling very satisfied with myself for finally going for it and getting it done. I’ll be honest, I tend to get an idea and I love talking about it with my friends or family but sometimes I’m slow to act on it – if I ever even do. For instance, I once talked my girlfriend’s ear off about a pair of jeans I wanted to buy and then it took me over 6 months to finally make the purchase! She still teases me about that. So, I look down at this tattoo on my forearm and not only do I love the meaning of it, but I also love the swell of pride I feel for taking action on an idea. It’s similar to how I feel now looking at this blog I’m creating. And how I’m feeling about our decision to move across the country next month.

I have to say thank you to my lovely tattoo artist and my sister for helping to make this happen. Ro, the artist, has actually done a tattoo for Sarah and her sister-in-law. She made the experience so easy, I have one other tattoo but that was done over 12 years ago. The technology is so different now – no more loud whirring tattoo guns, hers was battery operated and so quiet. 

The Actual Tattoo Process

She received my general ideas for my tattoo a few weeks prior to our appointment. Then she had a mock-up ready to go when we arrived. It was perfect, better than I could have imagined. It was pulled up on the computer so I could have made adjustments but I didn’t feel it was necessary. I then looked at 4 different sizes of the design and selected my preference. She printed it on paper to stencil it onto my arm. I don’t know what I expected – that she would work on the drawing while I was there? This experience was just so seamless – the whole tattoo process lasted about an hour. The actual tattooing, maybe 25 minutes. 

For anyone with no tattoos – there definitely was some discomfort with the actual tattooing but it was never unbearable. It felt like pressure and a repeated pinch. I should say, it also makes a huge difference with the location of a tattoo – I picked one of the least painful spots. If you are considering one – the forearm is a great spot, ribs or top of foot? Maybe not. My first tattoo is actually on the top of my foot and I remember it being pretty painful. I most definitely said while it was happening that I was never doing that again. Haha.

Ok, and obviously being in the medical field – I feel like I should say if you are getting a tattoo – find a reputable, licensed facility. Make sure you follow all after-care instructions and monitor for any signs of infection. You can always see your doctor if you have concerns. Ok – end obligatory medical statement.

In My Feelings

I do feel so incredibly fortunate to have such an amazing support system and I’m not just talking about with getting this new ink. In general, I think about all the ideas I have ever had and the group of people that without hesitation I turn to to share them with. This tattoo obviously being just one of them. My poor sister probably received 20+ screenshots of Pinterest pins of tattoos over the last few years. She responded with her honest opinion every time and I always felt supported by her . This year she gifted me the actual tattoo appointment under one condition – her offer expired December 2022. I laughed when I read the birthday card. But now, thinking about it just makes me really appreciative of that specific deadline. It encouraged action on my part.

Now, I’m thinking about the countless conversations I’ve had with my best friends, siblings, and parents about our move when that was merely an idea. I felt supported throughout that entire decision making process and I just feel so lucky for that.

So for me, this tattoo is not only a symbolic representation of my family but it’s also a reminder to myself that an idea can become reality. It’s a reminder that I have the ability to take action for myself on things both big and small. This little floral design is truly that empowering to me. Cheesy? Maybe, but I am here for it.

Thank you for being here, on this journey with me. I appreciate your support! As always, drop your email below if you would like to subscribe to new content on the blog.

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