I am a new member of Team Tatted. This past weekend, I got a small rose tattoo on my wrist (surprise Mom and Dad, who I know are reading this article!). As someone who is very indecisive I felt like a badass that I had made this decision. Yes, it is pretty ironic that I had a harder time deciding on where I wanted to eat dinner that night than deciding if I wanted a tattoo. It was something I had been wanting for awhile, and I am so glad I went through it.
I showed a man named Brian, who was the ultimate hipster with a very impressive beard, a sketch of the rose, and a half hour later, I was walking out of the tattoo parlor with permanent ink.
It was empowering to be in control of my own body and to decorate it how I please. Women’s bodies are often heavily policed in society.
“Wear makeup, but not too much makeup.”
“Cover-up, but don’t be a prude.”
“Smile so you don’t have resting bitch face.”
“Don’t take up too much space in public.”
As women, we are told how to look, what’s acceptable to wear, to wear this but not that, to not take up too much space. Women’s bodies are often a topic of debate in Congress, putting regulations on what women can do with their own bodies.
Getting a tattoo reminded me that I’m allowed to exist and take up space, and as a woman, nobody has a right to tell me how I present my body. I’ll put ink on my skin if I want to. I am the only person who gets to say what I do with my body. This revelation was empowering.
Also, as a person who has anxiety and general nervousness, I feel a sense of calm whenever I look at my ink on my wrist and remember how I took control of the situation when I decided I wanted my tattoo. It’s a good reminder that unlike my tattoo, my worries and anxieties are not permanent. I am always in control of my own life, my own mind, and my own body.
I never would have guessed that a small rose tattoo would have such a profoundly positive impact.