So, I got a new tattoo. And it’s easily my favorite one I have, so let me tell you why.
Some of you may not know this, but it’s a pretty common practice for tattoo and piercing shops to have “flash” sales on Friday the 13ths. I was among the people who hadn’t known about this; that is, until my younger sister Zoe told me about it.
The first day after I got home for winter break from Winona State happened to align as Friday, December 13.
Earlier in the week, Twisted Tattoo Studio put out their rates for tattoos and piercings, as well as the pre-drawn tattoos they would be offering that day.
I also decided to get my second earlobe piercings right above the standard so I could maximize earring accessories… but that’s a story for a different day—literally.
Below, I listed the top three reasons I got this tattoo and why this one is so meaningful to me.
1. It represents support from family.
My dad’s parents have always been so incredibly supportive of my writing; although, I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been. As they packed up their Indiana lakehouse, we made one last visit to christen it goodbye. Unbeknownst to me, my grandparents had set aside a beautiful inkpot and corresponding fountain pen that had spent many years in the family.
I’ve also been a voracious reader (and writer)—see photo—so it made tears well up in my eyes when I opened this package. They reserved it for me because they know my heart and how much prose runs through it, so giving it to me was a way to say they know I’d put it to good use.
2. It’s one of my favorite things about myself.
If you know anything, and I mean anything about me, it’s that words are kinda my thing. When I was about seven, I thought I was penning the next great American novel when I shoddily sketched pictures and wrote a story called The Book of Life.
Unfortunately, Barnes and Noble hasn’t made an offer yet—I’m remaining hopeful, though!
Since then, I’ve spent every year of my life vigorously scribbling in whatever notebooks I could get my hands on. The best way I’ve found to express myself is through writing. And that’s something I don’t think will ever change, so it was a no-brainer to make it a permanent part of my body.
3. It’s who I aspire to be.
Despite all those mediocre made-up books I wrote (and stored far, far away), I’ve also kept quite a large stack of empty notebooks front and center. Some people may look at that and feel daunted, but not me. It’s because I know my life will continue to lead me down a path where in sharing other’s stories, I’m also writing my own.
Sure, the written word may be dwindling in terms of newspapers and I do most of my writing on a keyboard, but the sentiment of the pen being mightier than the sword is not lost on me as I pursue a life that will follow that mentality.
This tattoo, while it may not be the last one I get, will always be so much more than someone’s beautiful art. And that’s because it represents the art I want to continue to make, as long as I live and have words flowing through me like water… or ink.