Identity, Musings

My first tattoo

by stickysituation

Hello friends of the Internet,

long time no update! And as you already know from the title of this post, this update is pretty significant; I got a tattoo! In this post I am going to share the meaning behind my tattoo and my overall experience.

This wasn’t a snap decision, it is something I have been thinking about for two years. I waited for so long because I wanted it to feel right, I wanted to feel ready. And maybe even more than that, I wanted to do it at a time in my life that was significant to me. After two months of living by myself in a foreign country, I notice change within myself. A part of me has matured a lot since first arriving and believe it or not, this is the first time in my life that I feel like an adult.

THE EXPERIENCE

What made the experience even more special is that I got to share it with my best friend, who was visiting me over the weekend. We had always talked about getting tattoos together, even pondered over tattoos to symbolise our friendship. So when she first brought up the idea to finally take the step and get a tattoo, I was instantly on board.

After that, everything just kind of fell into place. There was a tattoo convention in Brussels on the same weekend as her visit, so we contacted a tattoo artist we liked and made an appointment. She sent him a reference photo but I wasn’t really able to find one that matched my idea so I simply wrote this: “a one-line sunflower”. It was now up to him to draw up a sketch.

When we arrived, we were pretty nervous – in a good way. We sat down with the artist and he showed us his designs. When he finally showed mine, I felt instant a wave of relief. It was exactly what I had pictured in my mind. All of the anxiety I had about not liking the sketch faded away and a strange calm came over me. It sounds dramatic but this is something I rarely experience with my anxiety always crowding my mind.

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Around 20 minutes later, I was the proud owner of a one-line sunflower. It definitely wasn’t the worst pain I’ve experienced – of course I didn’t find it to be pleasant but it was tolerable. With the amount of people advising me against getting my first tattoo on my ribs because of the pain, I was expecting a lot worse. My best friend was next and another half an hour later we walked out of the convention, both of us with fresh ink on our bodies.

THE MEANING

Sunflowers have always been a big part of my life. I can’t pinpoint it exactly, all I know is that I have been fascinated by them for as long as I can remember and have always drawn inspiration from them. Whenever I see them, I feel this happiness radiating from them, it’s hard not to be infected by it. So, ever since childhood, I have always associated sunflowers with happiness.

I also feel like it symbolises my own growth throughout the years and the growth that is still to come. That is why it is entirely made up of one line – everything I was, everything I am and everything I will be is connected.

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34 thoughts on “My first tattoo”

  1. Both you and your friend have such beautiful tattoos! I love them, and the fact that they signify something to you, really makes it special, I love the idea of a sunflower tattoo, sunflowers have always been so significant, love this post basically!

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  2. Super cute tattoo! And it’s great that it has a meaning too! 🙂
    Hibiscus flowers mean to me the same thing sunflowers mean to you, which is why I plan on getting a hibiscus tattoo one day! I really love how yours turned out! 😀

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  5. I love that Fiona!! It suits you so perfectly, and the design is so delicate and pretty! The meaning behind it makes it so much better too xx

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  7. okay, one, I love both of your tattoos! So beautiful, and two, I love one line art. And, lastly, I love love the meaning behind that the one line is all entirely you. Beautiful. I’m so fascinated by tattoos that I wanted to be a tattoo artist when I was young, so this was such a great share. thank you. ❤

    Natalie | http://nataliesalchemy.wordpress.com

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  8. Wooooooo! Yayayay. This is so beautiful (welcome to the tattoo club) !! I got my first (proper) tattoo on my ribs and it really wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be. This is a beautiful story and what a lovely thing to share with your best friend! xx

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  9. I also got my first tattoo recently and was planning to make a post about it! My friend got her second one done the same time I was getting my first one done. This is all a weird sense of deja vu but I’m proud of you

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  10. Oh wow. I love it! I had never seen a one line piece before– so unique and lovely! The meaning behind it is beautiful, too. 🙂 My ex-bff and I also got our first tattoos together. They were in different spots with different meanings but it was still nice to have her there with me!

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  12. I absolutely love both of your tattoos, but especially yours! I think it looks so cute but obviously has a meaning to you as well and to share the experience with your best friend really makes it special. They say your first tattoo is like a gateway drug… any more tattoo ideas?! xx

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    1. Aww thank you, Hannah! We’ll see I guess… For now I think I’ll just be happy with the one, I’m not the kind of person to rush things, especially if they’re as permanent as a tattoo. That being said though, I’m always open to the possibility of getting another, it just has to feel like the right time. xx

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  16. Pingback: November Favourites – JUST HANNAH HERE

    1. Thank you Joana! And I didn’t know you had that many, tiny tattoos are the best! I’ve been told that getting tattoos is like an addiction after you get your first. Do you agree with that? So far I haven’t felt the need for another, or had any ideas I would want to make permanent on my body but we’ll see what the future brings.

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