A Woman's Story

                                     Vintage Images/Getty Images   Betty Broadbent 1930's

As many new projects go, there is always a time frame where adjustments need to be made, the target audience redefined, and / or the tone of voice tweaked. Two weeks into my project brings me to the point where I have rediscovered the direction that I would like to take this in. You see, I have been looking at a lot of websites and exploring the Ink culture via the internet and one thing I have discovered is that I am fascinated by the woman in the Ink culture. 

One of the first things I understood was that the tattooed models were really no different than the traditional fashion models. They are all gorgeous, in perfect physical shape, and young. All of a sudden I found myself becoming very self conscious of getting a tattoo. “Oh my god, I can’t show off my body art because people will see my old lady curves” is what I began telling myself. I began to feel unworthy of this beautiful art form. After a few meditative breaths, I was able to build my confidence back up to a shoulder canvas. Maybe my ankle or foot? Then the woman I know and love inside screamed out “What the hell are you doing? Get the damn tattoo on your ass and show the world.”  Ok, maybe I won’t be getting one on my ass right away, but I am over the self sabotage that plagued my mind for two and a half hours. 

When I went to the mall I noticed women with tattoos. Here in Edmonton there are a lot of people with tattoos. A lot. So there I was walking through the mall and saw a few women with tattoos. These women came in different sizes. They came in a variety of ages. But they all had something beautiful displayed on their skin. It was in this moment that I knew the direction of my project. It is to honor women of all shapes and sizes...the beauty of their art...their story...a woman’s story.

#women  #tattoos  #beauty  #womenover40  #ladies  #wildwomen #vintage

The Warriors Pose

While I was in University, I noticed my fellow classmate, Meghan, was very good at drawing. I eventually asked her if she wouldn't mind doing a rough sketch of an image that I had envisioned for a tattoo.  Being the great kid that she was (she is a young woman now), she said she wouldn’t mind at all. That was eight or ten years ago. Back then, I was a single mom going to school as a mature student. I’m still a single mom, and I still haven’t gotten the tattoo...but I still have the picture. At that time, I was healing from life's struggles and wanted a tattoo that would represent my strength, my transformation and my children. It wasn’t until years later that I would come to understand the full significance of this image that my subconscious had created. I have always been a magical kind of creature in the playful sense; small framed, curious, and mystic by nature. I came to realize the faerie who is in the Warrior Pose represented the inner strength I drew upon and that I would always be transforming. The waves of energy that are entering via the hind hand and exiting via the front hand represent the chi energy that flows through us. We become the expansion of that breath. As I mentioned in my other post, the butterflies represent my three children who are the catalyst for my personal transformation. Anyone who has a child understands very well how everything in your life changes once you have a child. Not only does this include lifestyle, but values and humility. 

Maybe twice through the years, I have come across this picture still hiding in the safe place I tucked away in.  I have often wondered when the time would come when it would finally become a fixed part of me. Then in September when I was tossing the idea around if this was the right time to get moving on this project, I just happened to come across the picture. I believe in signs of synchronicity. The decision was clear. 

I am thinking to have the faerie in black and grey tones and the butterflies in colour.

I have done some alterations to the original picture, and I am sure the person who will be the artist to place it upon me will also be offering his or her personal touch. But I would love to share with you all the picture that kept this dream alive. Thank you Meghan Taylor!

I would like to give a shout out to Meghan's work. Please check her out at HERE and HERE

#faerie  #fairy  #tattoo  #Inkart  #transformation  #momsloveink

The Hollywood Influence

Hollywood has always played a big part in being influential upon the culture of the North American people. I think it would even be safe to say, the people of the world.  The glamorous stars have mingled with politics, music and fashion since the first movie reel hit the theatre. The common folk always turn to their hero and heroins for inspiration and in many cases advise. And these Performers have a great understanding of how they can be an influence by using the media to convey their personal thoughts, ideals and agendas to the mass public. One of those people was Charlie Chaplin. Even today Charlie Chaplin's 1940 political satire film “The Great Dictator” can be seen all over the internet.  And singer-actress Judy Garland, from The Wizard of Oz, inspired young women to be true to themselves by saying, “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else”. Not only did Judy have a iconic role that would inspire creative thought for half a century, but she used her platform to send an empowering message.

Young women, particularly teenagers, have always looked to other successful females to be their role models. I’m sure it has been that way since the days of Cleopatra and it will continue to be so. Those in the position of being an influence yield a special power to say what is ok and what is not ok. And it is my opinion that some of these Hollywood female stars are sending the message that having a tattoo can be socially acceptable and in many cases quite classy. By having a respected role model openly show their tattoos proudly, it removes the stigma that only bad girls get tattoos.

For my example of a Hollywood singer and actress I will be using Demi Lovato for two reasons. One is because I used her as an example of “don’t drink and ink” gone wrong and need to make my karmic amends. And the second reason is because Demi is a great role model to a lot of people out there. She has been through many personal battles and has come out with her dignity and authenticity. Since that first tattoo, Demi has continued to get more tattoos that reflect her at a more thoughtful and mature level. I think she is a great example of, if you make a mistake you can correct it.

Having battled bulimia and cutting herself, Demi spent much of her younger years struggling with addiction and mental health issues. I think it shows her inner strength to rise above these battles she has had to fight through. So many people, quietly, silently, understand this dark night of the soul. And it is through the art of Ink that Demi chose to illustrate the internal plight of her soul through words of poetic gestures and illustrations of hope.

To stop the internal programming of cutting herself, Demi had the words Stay Strong tattooed on her wrists. In an interview with 20/20 she says, “The message is for me. It says ‘Stay Strong.’ So every day no matter if I’m putting on my shoes or putting on my makeup, I see it every day, to stay strong.”

On her right hand she has a cross tattoo which signifies her Christian faith.  On her one foot it says “Let Go &” and on the other foot “Let God”.  Then on her forearm is the word “ Faith” amongst a flock of 12 Black Birds.  When iHeartRadio asked why she had twelve birds, Demi answered, “I love the freedom that birds represent and I didn’t specifically have a huge reason why I got 12 of them. But one day, one of my friends that I was at Sober Living, I was living in her Sober Living house, and they asked, ‘So why’d you get … How many did you get?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve,’ and I was like, ‘Whoa, I didn’t mean to do that.’ But it’s like, it was kind of like a God thing, like I worked the 12 steps, so as I got that while I was in Sober Living, apparently it was really meant to be.”

On her shoulder she Inked the phrase “now I’m a warrior” which comes from her song “Warrior”.   And on her side she has the words “You make me beautiful” This side tattoo is an ongoing project for Demi. She has since added feathers, a dream catcher and smaller feathers.

Demi has an array of many other tattoos that represent the birthdays of her family members, reminders of those who have passed, and other forms of keeping her faith. And the famous lips tattoo has been converted into a beautiful rose upon her arm. I think as she matures so does the art upon her.

I think the really great message that Demi projects is that it doesn’t matter how famous or infamous a person is, we all still have our shit to deal with. And it is through the art of tattooing that she can see on a daily basis of where her strength comes from. It is her personal poetic reminder to stay strong. And I think it is a beautiful gift that she is authentic enough to share that with others.

Sources:

http://stealherstyle.net/demi-lovato/?post_type=tattoos

#DemiLovato #Hollywood #tattoos #rolemodels #Charliechaplin #performers #influence

Happy Valentines

Sending Hugs and Kisses...Happy Valentines Day

The Forest Awakens

I got my three little sparrows while on the grade eleven Spanish exchange program. The Spanish students had already stayed with us and it was our turn to go visit and stay in their homes. From what I remember, I wasn’t really serious about getting a tattoo there, but everyone was jumping on the bandwagon and getting really excited about it. Because I hadn’t planned on getting one, I decided to get something really small. I had always wanted a bird tattoo, so I decided to go with the sparrows because I really like them. Sparrows mean to come back home and to return to. I thought that was an interesting element.  I’ve always been interested in any kind of black bird.

So there we were in Spain and everyone was really getting into it and that created more excitement. I was one of the last people in the group to have it done. It was fun. Although it was a legit tattoo shop, it did feel a little bit sketchy. But the people we were with said it was the best in town, so we trusted them. The guy doing the tattooing was really nice. You have to be at least sixteen years old. I was seventeen. But it is funny because he didn’t even ask us for ID or our age.  It was really easy and took no time what so ever.  When he was doing it, I thought the whole time he was just doing the outline of the tattoo and then shading it, and so I thought ok this is starting to take a while and it's starting to kinda hurt now, but really it was only like a few minutes. And then he said, ok done. And I was like you’re done? I asked if he had just drawn the outlines, and he said no he was actually all done the tattoo. I thought that was crazy. I was so relieved and so happy. I really liked it. It was simple.

I thought by getting the three black birds it was a good start to what I ultimately wanted to have. I really like forest creatures a lot.  Eventually, I want my tattoo to be a forest with trees and different forest animals like a fox, a raccoon and other different animals. I would like it to be all intertwined together. 

So I really loved having my three sparrows and decided I was ready for more and I wanted to keep adding to it. That is when I decided to get the sun and moon tattoo. I wanted it to be intricate and connecting. So you can see that the three sparrows are flying beside the sun and moon. I wanted to make it all flow together and not be weird and disjointed. I like balance a lot. And I like the yin and yang symbols because they really resonate with me. The sun and moon together represent that. Two different elements and yet complete balance. I decided to get it done in black and white so that it would look faded and worn giving that ancient feeling to them. They turned out really well and I think It is a great beginning.     ~ Mikayla Kolody, Edmonton, AB. 

(commentary: Mikayla was on the same Spanish exchange program as my daughter Symarah. I thought it would be nice to have Mikayla’s post follow Symarahs so that it could expand on their adventure together)

Mikayla’s Shout Out: Mikayla is a university student and does not have a business to shout out to; therefore, she would like to send her shout out to Edmonton's Youth Empowerment & Support Services. By helping to empower our youth we are investing in everyone's future. 

Youth Empowerment & Support Services

   #sparrows, #tattoos, #girlswithtattoos, #sun, #moon, #Spain, #students

The Logo Picture

You are probably wondering why this humongous picture of a half naked woman with three butterflies on her back is my logo picture; because even this picture has a story. The woman represents strength and vulnerability. I see this in all women. And I see strength and vulnerability in all the people who are getting Ink put onto their bodies.  I’m thinking it takes a lot of inner strength to be inspired enough to sit through someone injecting ink into your skin  and yet at the same time it is opening a door of being vulnerable. I see this vulnerability in two forms. Let me explain...the first form is that you are putting your complete trust into a person (usually a stranger) who is creating a permanent image on your body. And the second is because, in most cases, this permanent image reflects a personal part of you that others can now see. 

The three butterflies on her back are a small piece of the picture of my upcoming tattoo. These three butterflies represent my two daughters and my son. They will be at a much smaller scale for my tattoo though. They are the catalyst of my personal transformation. The butterfly is the universal symbol of transformation. 

The blue surrounding the woman represents water, signifying an uncharted voyage, one that can be on the surface, or one that can dive to deep levels of understanding. Sometimes simplicity isn’t so simple. 

#tattoo #logo  #children  #butterfly  #strength  #vulnerability #transformation

Don’t Drink and Ink

It's not uncommon for a Hollywood movie to show a character who has been drinking all night to wake up in the morning with a new tattoo, and the character cannot remember where or when they got it. Not only is that not advisable, apparently it's not ethical. From all the tattoo shops and blogs that I have been reading, no respectable tattoo artist would work on a person who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. I’m sure part of the reason is the responsibility code, but another is because alcohol thins out the blood and you bleed a lot. Not only would that be a gross and a messy situation, but the ink would not set well either. 

Unfortunately I think this policy has been a live and learn lesson for some tattoo artists. Take the case of Demi Lovato and her red lip kiss tattoo. Back in 2011, young and drunk at the age of eighteen, Demi decided to get the red lips kiss tattooed to her forearm. But as the novelty of it wore off, Demi was not happy with this tattoo, saying it looked more like a vagina than a pair of kissing lips. Ouch. Slap shot to tattoo artist Ashley McMullen who gave her the tattoo. From what I have read the digs go back and forth. Demi says she was underage and drunk so it is Ashley's fault. Ashley says she gave her what she asked for and put up with her rudeness and no pay.  Honestly, to me, they look around the same age and I can only think that since Ashley was on the tour bus, they had to have been acquaintances. And I could imagine that Ashley would have been honored to put a tattoo on a famous young starlet.  But what do I know, well, one thing...getting drunk and tattooed doesn’t seem to go well for anybody. 

To make it up to Demi for using her as an example, on Monday I will feature her with the beautiful examples of her ‘well thought out’ tattoos and the meanings behind them. 

But in the meantime, check out these poor people who ignored the rule "Don't drink and ink". I think some of them could have just had the tattoo covered up with something much more appropriate or beautiful. But some of them would either have to have it removed, or live with it. Have a look. 

OMG...cringe worthy funny...

    

         

  

 

{Demi Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/demi-lovato-responds-to-tattoo-artist-after-drunk-ass-claims-2015304}

{Photo Sourcehttps://www.google.ca/search?q=drunken+tattoos&rlz=1C1CHWA_enCA623CA623&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=616&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjtitv6jYHSAhVGi7wKHYPMBZ0Q_AUIBigB#imgrc=IVmnaNO-MAlkhM:}

#tattoo, #drunk, #regrets, #yikes, #inked

My Daughter's First Tattoo

   One of the philosophies I have embraced pertaining to tattoos is that it is unwise to get a tattoo without putting much thought into it first. Tattoos are supposed to be for life. Because of this, I can appreciate the laws that enforce a person to be of eighteen years of age to get a tattoo. A person's interests and values change with maturity. In many cases, what a person though was cool or awesome as a teenager will not be the same as when he or she becomes an adult. 

   So when my seventeen year old daughter was packing to leave for her student exchange trip to Spain, she let it slip that she was going to get a tattoo. Of course my immediate response was, “um...no you’re not”.

   She insisted that in Spain she only had to be sixteen years old and that half of the girls going on this trip were getting tattoos. I then asked her what tattoo she wanted to get. She had replied that she did not know yet. After giving her my speech on the importance of putting some thought into your tattoo, I ended the conversation with that motherly look of authority  I had been practicing for seventeen years and said, “NO”. 

   The night before my daughter was scheduled to leave, she informed me that the teacher in charge had squashed any idea of them getting a tattoo. Apparently there would be hell to pay if any of them got a tattoo on this trip. The next day, my beautiful daughter boarded the plane to Spain. It would be three weeks before I would see her again. 

   Three weeks later, I was thrilled and relieved to have my daughter home safely. Once we got to the house she unpacked and came walking barefoot into the kitchen. My eyes immediately went to her ankle. 

   “What is that?” I asked.

   “A tattoo” she replied.

   I could see it was a word written in scribe. I asked what it said.

   “Familia. Family” she answered.

   I have to admit, being a writer, I was intrigued. “Why did you chose to have the word Family as your tattoo?” I asked.

   She replied, “Because while I was gone, one of the things I came to understand is that there is nothing more important than your family”.  I hugged my daughter and through a few tears, told her it was a beautiful tattoo and I was happy to have her home. 

SHOUT OUT: Symarah is a university student and does not have a personal business to give a shout out to. Therefore, Symarah would like her shout out to go to The Edmonton Humane Society to remind people of the importance of adopting an animal that needs a furever home. 

#family    #tattoos   #daughters   #mothers  #parenting

First Steps Forward

I would just like to be clear that I really have no background in the Ink Culture. I have no idea of the going costs of getting one, or of the before / after care. I just am very drawn into the beauty of the art. So a huge part of this journey for me is to educate myself to all the things there is to know about the basics of getting and having tattoos. Throughout this next month I will be gathering my research by meandering on line and by visiting tattoo shops and talking to people who have one.

As I have previously mentioned, I have been wanting to do this project for almost three years now. I guess the timing just wasn't right in the beginning, or maybe I just wasn't ready or prepared to do something like this. We all get really cool ideas in our head, but get snagged on following through. But you know, I'm not a young woman anymore. It wasn't until recently that I discovered  how introverted I had become, and at some point stopped living. When I realized this, I understood I had to make an important decision. Fade away or begin to live again. I chose to live. And I choose to live without regrets. I'm 50 now and just realized that to a 70 year old, I'm a youngster. There is a whole big world out there waiting for me to explore it. There are people to meet and places to go. And my canvas is still waiting to be painted.

I am  excited (and relieved) to announce that I have my website up and running now. This week has been like I've wielded a magic wand because so many things fell into place. I think Spirit has my back on this!

Hope you check out the Website and also, I always appreciate the LIKES on Face Book Page

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!