So today I got my first tattoo. Yay me! My tattoo artist was very nice and fun, so if anyone’s in Toronto and looking to get a tattoo, I fully endorse Kelly at Tat-a-rama in Etobicoke. A picture of my tattoo is here. I got it on my left shoulderblade.
One thing I found that surprised me: everyone told me that being tattooed over bone hurts more than fleshy spots, so when she started over the shoulderblade and it stung but wasn’t agonising, I figured this would be not so bad. Then she hit the fleshy part of my shoulder. I don’t think I’ve ever been in so much pain in my entire life. So apparently I’m a freak that way.
Got a pic with it on you? I like the design! Is there a reason you chose that particular compound? (Sorry if it’s not actually a compound… chemistry is my worst subject.)
I have one tattoo on my wrist, it’s Sanskrit for ‘‘impermanent,’’ (anitya) and that pretty much sums up the most important guiding principle in my life. I really, really, REALLY love it. Eventually I plan to add ‘‘suffering’’ (dukkha) and ‘‘equanimity’’ (anatman) around my wrist to form a full circle, but I haven’t been able to find the Sanskrit for ‘‘equanimity’’, just in Pali. I’m thinking of just adding them in Pali on either side. I don’t know Sanskrit or Pali, but a lot of the original Buddhist terminology has survived in the original ancient languages, and I wanted to keep the tradition.
I don’t have of pic of it on me yet, I’ll be taking a few once the swelling goes down. The compound is caffeine, trimethylxanthine is the chemical name. I am a gamer and tech support geek, and coffee is my lifeblood. I’m also the woman with the coffee maker on her desk, so I keep most of the engineers going as well, hence the ‘enabler’.
What kind of alphabet does Sanskrit use? I definitely like your guiding principles.
Your tattoo sounds lovely. You’ll have to attach a pic at some point. Mine is about located over my left shoulderblade, is 3 inches wide, dark, dense, and required a fair few passes with the needle to make it dark enough. It hurt like hell and bled like stink.
A minor thought - I’m unsure about “equanimity” as a translation for “anatman”. I would have thought the translation would have been “soullessness” or “impermanence of self”.
[I enclose the wikipedia page (Anattā - Wikipedia)]. I only mention it as you’ll undoubtedly have people asking you the significance of these tattoos when you’ve completed the set.
I should probably point out that I’ve never experienced a whole lot of pain to begin with (never broke a bone or got stitches or had surgery), so my threshhold for comparison is not all that high. I also didn’t cry or scream or faint during or afterwards, although I did leave grooves in the back of the chair I was sitting in.
Agreed-it does hurt, but in a unique way. It feels like tiny razor blades going in and out of your skin repeatedly. I have one on my right shoulder blade, but will be adding soon. Congrats on your first!
M’lady, I’m a graphic designer plus I’ve designed a tattoo for a co-worker (she hasn’t gotten it inked yet, though), so PM me with your idea & I’ll see what I can do!
I just got one of mine re-inked on Friday and it felt as I remembered–it stings but then (at least for me) I sort of get into this zone where it’s almost soothing and I don’t experience it as pain or even discomfort.
Very impressive. Your artist is pretty durn talented. Those letters (and straight lines) would look like shit if the majority of tattoo artists tried to do that.
Yup, I was very impressed. This is also why it took over an hour to do. I will be thrilled with it as soon as I stop wincing every time I shift my shoulder.
