My First Tattoo

Well, I suppose this post is way overdue being that I actually got the tattoo back in early May.

What I got:

I have been wanting to get a feather tattoo for about 5 years now but wanted to wait until I knew I had to have it. It got to the point where I was more anxious that I didn't have the tattoo and I knew then that it was time to get it.

The meaning:

When I was younger I used to collect feathers and the "adults" would always tell me not to pick them up because they were dirty and carried diseases. I collected them anyways (and never got a disease). I saw the beauty in them and never understood why they were viewed as dirty. This little tattoo is a constant reminder to me to not let others shape the way I view the world. It reminds me to appreciate the little things in life. It reminds me that while the whole world is looking for pearls to make them happy...I think the oysters are rather beautiful.

The Process:

placing the stencil

the first couple of lines (you can see me trying to not show pain on my face)

Getting there...

the back of the heel was pretty painful...luckily i had my sister with me

Done!

all healed....

I love how it turned out and thought Amber at Designs by Dana Tattoo did such an amazing job with the shading. I do need to go back and get one tiny area touched up at the tip of the feather in the dark area (It just didn't heal right) but that is just me being picky.

And to answer the infamous question, for those of you who don't have tattoos, yes it does hurt, pretty bad, but it is so worth it when you want the tattoo as badly as I did. (And of course I had to pick one of the most difficult spots to get my first one haha). Now I totally understand when they say you can't just get one tattoo. If I do get more in the future though, they will be well thought out, just like this one.

I love it.

photos via my lovely friend Ekaterina Katzarova