Guess what? I'm getting a tattoo. It's my friend's 21st and she is planning on getting one, and since I have been dilly-dallying over the idea for many years now, I told her I'd get one too.
But you'll have it FOREVER
Yes, I know they hurt. Yes, I know they last forever. No, I don't really care what it's going to look like when I'm 70 because at that age I plan to be a fabulous aul wan like the ladies on Advanced Style.
I've been thinking about getting a tattoo since I was 16. Though my designs have changed through the years (16-year-old me favoured the now ubiquitous treble clef tattoo) the desire to have something permanently etched on my person has remained the same. When done right, I think tattoos can look so beautiful. And that's pretty much it. No heavy symbolism, no backstories - I'm getting a tattoo because I want something beautiful on my body.
What to get inked?
I'm not saying that tattoos shouldn't have symbolism - if your tattoo means a lot to you, great - but I don't have anything I particularly want to commemorate, and I'm not going to create meaning out of nothing. Imagine having to explain every time that my tattoo symbolises "freedom and independence" or something similarly cringey? No thanks. "I'm a writer, and it also looks really pretty," will do for me.
Advertised
So yes - I'm a writer, so I decided to get a quill, on the inside of my right forearm. I was unsure how to explain that I wanted an illustrated quill rather than a realistic looking feather, and then I remembered the album art of Arcade Fire's Funeral. While I don't want it to be exactly like the art here (I like Arcade Fire, but not THAT much) it's a good starting point.
My friend and I have consulted with an artist at Wildcat in Stephen's Green, which we heard was a good place to go, and we will be getting our tattoos sometime in the next two weeks. I'll let you all know how we get on in another post!
Over to you guys - what do you think? Would you get inked or run away from the needle?
