Tattoos don’t have to mean anything to be beautiful, but to me they’re milestones and memories as well as art. I remember reading a book once and seeing the sentiment “I wanna live an illustrated life,” and that notion really resonated with me. Tattoos are walking illustrations of our unique stories. Imagine living in a house with no decorations and calling it a home. To me tattoos are the decorations of my life, adding meaning and beauty with every step, and that’s why I love them.
I Just Wanted to be Like Oprah:
When I was about 18, I found out that Oprah had a mission statement. And because I’m the corniest bitch I know, it inspired me to make my own: To be a student of the world. To be curious. To empower myself to create, live mindfully, and stand in my truth. So on my left fingers I have the illustrated version of it, and I wanted them there so that I could always look down and remind myself of my purpose. There’s a book and pages flying away on my pinky, a dollar sign on my ring finger, a little meditating man on my middle finger, the sun/moon/candle on my index, and a question mark vine on my thumb. They’re in red ink, so they’re usually not noticeable enough for people to ask questions which I appreciate. Because although I love having meaningful tattoos, I hate when people ask what they mean because it forces me into a situation of vulnerability. But hey, I guess it’s a functional reminder to live in my truth at that point.
Here Comes the Sun doo-dooo-doo-dooo:
On my clavicle, I have the words here comes the sun, and then on my shoulder I have a sun. While the past couple of years have thankfully been pretty happy, my adolescent years were filled with depression. Usually the pattern was that I was more depressed in the winter time, and as the weather got warmer, my mood brightened with the sun. I got this one as a reminder to myself for the next time things may get dark that even when things are tough, they will pass. The seasons change, and things always get brighter.
The Rose Actually Looks Weird from the Back but That’s Besides the Point:
On my left side, I have the words long live the rose with a sketch of a rose mirroring the sun on my right. The words are from a Tupac poem, and the longer version reads “Long live the rose who grew from concrete when no one ever cared.” For me this one signifies a milestone and marks the end of my complicated childhood. While I was always safe and healthy and everything like that, I don’t think I got much in the way of emotional nourishment so I was never really happy. When I got this tattoo, I was in a place where I felt largely healed. I still don’t have a close relationship with my family, but I don’t harbor any resentment. So this tattoo marked the end of a chapter for me. It represents how far I’ve come, and I think getting it tied up the loose ends in a way that made it easier for me to embrace the future.
“If you can’t love yourself, how in the world are you gonna love somebody else?”:
This one is pretty simple. Americans usually wear wedding rings on their left hand that serve as a symbol of love and commitment. Similarly, on my right ring finger I got my initials tattooed, and I drew the S and the B in a way where they both look like hearts as a reminder to love and cherish myself.
Yes I’m a Little Dramatic:
Surprisingly, my face tattoo was my very first. Picture this: I’m 19, in the vibrant city of San Francisco, and I’ve just decided I don’t want to go back to college. Fueled by my entrepreneurial dreams, I had spent the summer passionately working on a business venture. Despite my hard work, the venture yielded no substantial results. As a last-ditch effort to anchor myself to this dream, I had the business logo I’d designed tattooed on my face (don’t worry it’s small). And, no, four years later I don’t regret it. This tattoo, for me, is a visceral reminder every time I look into the mirror to never abandon my dreams. On days when I have professional commitments or simply wish to avoid explaining myself, I cover it with makeup. Yet, deep down, I understand that if I have to cover it that day, it means I’m probably living in bad faith. It means I still haven’t done anything to get where I want to be because if I were an entrepreneur, I could show up as myself without repercussions. When I got it, I knew that I’m someone who quits when things get tough. I had read somewhere that, when trying to establish a habit, it’s essential to minimize resistance to make it easier to maintain. In a similar vein, I was determined to make quitting as hard as possible for myself.
Intriguing, tattoos are a paradox– a choice to display some of our most personal sentiments publicly. Initially I saw this as an unexpected downside. As a really private introvert, I hadn’t fully considered this when I first got my tattoos because my primary motivation was to document my memories for my own sake. However, with the passage of time, I see this contradiction as an opportunity to not only celebrate our own unique narratives but to embrace vulnerability.