I have one resolution this year, and it’s to get a tattoo. I’ve waffled long enough.
Some progress I’ve already made over the past few years is to find the tattoo artist I want. This was no small task. Any time I saw anyone with a tattoo I liked, I’d ask where they’d gotten it done, and I kept a list. I have a preference for a non-male artist, though I was willing to be flexible on that; but also I want flowers, and a lot of times I’d be looking through an artist’s portfolio and it would be all, like, skulls and snakes and SpongeBob. It’s hard to tell from that how they’d do with the nice pretty flowers I wanted.
Then one of my co-workers came in with some new flower tattoos of exactly the sort I was looking for, and it turns out the artist SPECIALIZES in the realistic flower tattoos I like. And also she is so booked up, she is not even adding to her waiting list anymore. If, however, you are on her email list, she will email when she has cancellations; I don’t know how likely it is to get one of those appointments because I haven’t yet tried, because I’m not yet ready. I am still dithering. I am dithering about LOCATION and I am dithering about ART. I wonder if you would want to discuss this.
For LOCATION I am considering:
• side of calf
• upper arm / shoulder cap
For ART I am considering:
• rose
• peony
• tulip
The main issue for location is this: if I love having a tattoo and I want MORE of them, what I would want would be an entire bouquet on my upper arm and up/over/around the shoulder. But I don’t want to START with that, because that’s wildly ambitious and time-consuming and expensive for something I don’t even know if I’ll like. If I started with one single flower on my upper arm / shoulder cap, it would have to be with the ability to expand it into a bouquet, and that means compromising the design, both of the flower and of the bouquet.
So I could instead do one flower on the side of my calf. I don’t have any grand plans for the calf. And I have seen some cute tattoos where there’s, say, a tulip that starts at the ankle, like it’s growing out of your sock; I don’t know that I want that much whimsy, but it’s an option. Or I like the idea of a big rose or peony there, NOT seeming to grow out of the sock. And so the calf seems like the perfect solution—except that when I think of it, I feel some disappointment that it’s not my upper arm / shoulder cap.
I have to tell you that it only just now occurred to me as I was writing this that I have TWO shoulders/upper-arms. I could get a tattoo on ONE of them now, and then if I love it do the big grand project on the OTHER one. This changes everything: TWO arms! I have TWO!!
The main issue for the art is this: it’s hard to decide, when I love all the options. The rose is so classic it’s cliché, but that’s one of the things I like about it: it’s a TATTOO-tattoo. Plus, roses are the kind of thing where conceptually I roll my eyes, but then I see a real rose and you guys have you LOOKED AT A ROSE THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL. Peonies are also gorgeous, and have a similar vibe to a rose while not being a rose, and if I want whimsy I can add a darling round little peony bud. And I love tulips, and I’m predominantly Dutch so that’s pleasing too. A tulip is not as great as a bouquet-starter, but would be perfect for the side of the calf, especially with that nice stem; and I could do TWO tulips, which I think makes it a little less whimsical than just one straight tulip growing right up the calf.
Based on how I feel when I imagine deciding on each flower in turn, I think the most likely is peony on upper arm (ONE of my upper arms!) and second most likely is tulip(s) on calf. I would be very interested to hear YOUR tattoo thoughts—for my tattoos, of course, but even more for your own if you are planning one.
My 18 year old daughter just got a new kind of tattoo, that lasts for one year and then fades away! It’s called an Ephemeral Tattoo. It’s such a cool option for the new-to-tattoos, or those who think they might change their minds, or who don’t want to be committed for life! It’s a little limited to big cities now, not sure if that’s an option for you. Just search “ephemeral tattoo” if you’re interested!
The flower tattoo sounds beautiful!! I bet you will love it.
I would search up ideas you like. Then talk to the artist about your thoughts and get their input/advice. I’m sure they have tons of experience with starting small and building on it future.
I, too, have committed to getting a tattoo this year! I’ve kinda spun it as a way to celebrate/mark my 40th birthday but I think it’s a bit deeper than that, ANYWAY.
I have a few ideas of things I want, but then I think, “well you used to really love X, and now you don’t so what if you got a tattoo of Y, which you love now, but perhaps in 10 years you’ll think differently about that and now you have this permanent skin marking to remind you of how silly you were ten years ago.”
So, as you can see the process is going swimmingly.
I follow a LOT of tattoo artists on Instagram, and they trend flowers, watercolours, birds, and whimsy. I’m not sure where you’re located, but there are couple in North America, and the bulk of my favourites are in South Korea. My absolute favourite though just moved to LA from South Korea and my daughter and I are planning mother-daughter tattoos from her when she turns 18 in a year. I think I’m following you too on Insta maybe? If so, I’ll see if I can send you a few examples that have caught my eye in particular.
I’m leaning strongly towards my forearm, and including a bird that has the same name as my son, and a plant that has the same name as my daughter. My daughter is all-in on the idea of a bird perched on a plant as well, though likely not the same bird/plant combo as me.
Oh shoot, I guess it’s Twitter and Facebook where I’ve seen you on social media.
Wait, I think I’ve figured out how to share a link to a collection of birds done by one of my favourite artists… https://www.instagram.com/p/CiNZZpjL44Q/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Oh wow, those are all so beautiful, I feel like I suddenly understand the appeal of getting a tattoo about 100 times more than I did.
This artist is in China but this one reminded me of your description and might be good for inspiration?
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVIgz3HB7Dv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
I am loving the idea of a peony on the shoulder cap. In fact I just now googled “peony shoulder cap tattoo” images and I am in LOVE.
I used to work with someone with multiple
tattoos who would choose a design, then put the picture on his wall for a whole year. If he still likes the design after that time only then would he actually get the tattoo.
I’m going to tell you I have a tramp stamp of a Japanese character and let you guess how old I am. Ha! I actually do love to poke fun at what is still a meaningful tattoo even if horribly cliched at this point. My other tattoo is on the inside of my forearm and I love it so much. It’s three arrows signifying the three copies of the 21st chromosome my oldest was born with (“the lucky few” tattoo). The only thing I don’t like about it is that I chose more of a blocky chevron style arrow and I get asked a lot if it is military. Anyway, I love the location because I can see it, it’s a nice relatively flat and unchanging swath of flesh and it can be covered if need be (never happened, don’t anticipate it). My experience is that people very rarely get only one tattoo, I might even go so far as to predict you WILL want another one. Where artists are concerned, it depends how much you are wanting them to put a design you bring to them on your body versus being involved in the design process. Also in my experience they are usually quite friendly and willing to chat with you about what you want. Keep us posted, I’m so excited for you!
As a fellow club member, if I ever were to get a tattoo, the triple arrow is what I would get also. I’m imagining it very small, on my ring finger between the first and second knuckle. The lucky few indeed.
Are you a shorts wearer or sleeveless shirt wearer? I’d think about how much you want to show off or hide your tattoo to pick the spot. A shoulder can be easy if you want to keep the tattoo personal, just wear sleeved shirts. On the other hand if you want to show it off you have to embrace tank tops. Same with shorts and the calves.
I think this would be the determining factor for me.
I have a peony/wildflower tattoo on my shoulder cap and I love it. I went in with a vague idea, let the artist do her thing, and couldn’t be happier with the result.
I want you to get a realistic tulip, perhaps about three inches long, on the inside side of your left wrist.
I also want to know if you’ve considered a top of the foot tattoo.
Have you explored with high quality temporary tattoos? You can get some really really good temporary tattoos now. I went through a phase in my early 40s where I wore them regularly, and bc they were so my style, many of my friends did think they were real.
I have two small real tattoos, both acquired during college over 20 years ago. Did I know when I got my tattoos that they would fade/stretch? Yes! Do I STILL LOVE THEM? I do. They are such a nice reminder to me of who I was then. The are specific to my tastes but also semi generic. I personally would not want anything that felt too commercial like a logo or trademarked character, but I don’t mind those kind of tattoos on some kinds of people.
As soon as I got my second tattoo, I understood why people say once you start, it is hard to stop. But I went from being an undergrad student with few expenses and a good campus job to a grad student with more expenses and then to a wife and mom with more expenses and it never seemed to make sense, budget wise.
My husband and I said we’d get tattoos for an early anniversary, but then it never seemed like a good use of money, plus he has zero tattoos and was nervous about it. I wanted to get a tattoo to celebrate my children, and my idea was their three birth month flowers done either on/above a breast or maybe on my shoulder blade, or maybe the center of my back/lower neck but I prefer my own tattoos to be in places where I could easily see them.
I have no opinion on the location of other peoples’ tattoos.
I have some mild regret that I did not get a Nevertheless She Persisted tattoo when it was a huge thing in my city, but although I support the cause, I did not want words spoken by an awful man on my body. I would love some day to be part of a mass tattoo event.
Oooooo I LOVE the idea of a mass-tattooing event!!
The top-of-the-foot location doesn’t appeal (I’m pretty much always wearing socks), though I like it when I see it on others. For a long time I wanted the floral-vine-around-the-ankle tattoo a college classmate had.
A friend and I tried the long-lasting temporaries, and that was pretty fun. That’s how I learned that side-of-the-calf would be a pretty good choice for me—and also that I tend to sit with my LEFT calf more displayed, which is not something I would have known!
I got “just one” tattoo 9 years and 10 tattoos ago. SO.
Here is my advice— get the upper arm/shoulder tattoo (it sounds like what you actually WANT). Then, if you want to get a bouquet on your upper arm/shoulder… well! Good news! You have a second arm!
PS My newest tattoo is one I got last week. It is a uterus with text that reads “not all who wander are hysterical” (a comment on the treatment of women’s mental health through the years). I love it.
I got my first tattoo last year at age 54. It’s a mother/daughter one on my inner forearm. I was planning to go upper arm, because I’m a teacher and was kind of unsure if I wanted it to show all the time. But the tattoo artist said it might not sit well on the upper arm (age, fat – but she was very nice about it lol). And actually, I love being able to see it all the time. I’d like to get one with my son next.
I am also going to get a tattoo in 2023 I’ve wanted to for years mine is kind of boring it’s the gps coordinates of my favorite place on earth the lake where our former family cottage of 55 years was. I want my kids to know exactly where to scatter my ashes. my only problem is where to have it placed. i don’t want somewhere that will get saggy so i’m thinking my foot
I recently got a tattoo from a Very In Demand Tattooer and waited many months for my appointment. They contacted me at least twice to offer cancelation appointment spots so you might find it easier to get on the books than you thought. I didn’t like the waiting, it gave me time to worry and stuff.
I’m so excited about this resolution!! I like both of the ideas you put forward (two tulips on your calf or peony on your shoulder cap) equally well, so the only thing I could think of breaking the tie is how visible you want it to be, and which part of your body would make it more/less visible.
I don’t have any tattoos, nor do I think I’d get any, but I love them and especially love discussing other people’s tattoo ideas with them. Luckily most of my friend have multiple tattoos and are constantly getting new ones :) This summer one of my friends traveled to Canada (from California) to get a tattoo done by her favorite artist who is based there, which strikes me as a fun reason for a trip!
I hope you’ll keep us updated with this process if you’d like to (designs, whether you’re able to see the artist you like most, photos of it once it’s done, etc.). And Happy New Year!
Swistle, I love this.
I saw a thing once where a guy wanted a face tattoo, and the artist drew it on him with careful Sharpie, and said come back in a week if you’re still happy with it. Perhaps that could be something you think about, if it might help sway you to a definite yes or definite no on a particular design?
I’ve considered a few things over the years myself. Nothing calls to me that hard, but I’m thinking it might be something like how I never felt “ready” to have a kid. I just got pregnant and then adjusted, and that was being “ready”, lol. Perhaps this would be the same for me – if I picked something out of the 50 symbols that are meaningful to me and then got it, I’d feel like that was the right one.
I don’t want to add to your indecision but every time I want a new tattoo I go to inkbox.com and get a mockup of whatever I want to wear for a couple weeks. It’s fun and sometimes I get stuff just because it looks cool and enjoy it. But when I was considering a more visible tattoo it was nice to see what that looked like in practice.
So while you wait for the wait list, you could order some temporary ones and test out your ideas!
When I got my tattoo, I asked the artist what she thought would be a not-especially-sensitive location that I would see regularly but would be hidden by clothes (because I was like “this is a thing I’m doing just for me!”) and she suggested the front of my thigh. Getting it was barely uncomfortable (it was handpoked, & after the first couple I didn’t really feel it) and I have been very happy with the placement – I get to notice it and appreciate it every time I get changed.
Fun post/project!
Right from the start of your post I was thinking peony/shoulder cap! Fun that you seem to be leaning there, too. I love the examples Shawna linked to!
I don’t have any tattoos. Would have done a compass rose on my lower back (tramp stamp, hmm) in the ’90s Probably would be OK with still having that — I just never made it a priority. Now I’ve said I probably won’t get a tattoo unless one of my 2 kids wants to do one with me. My son probably won’t, but we’ll see about my younger kid!
I’m looking forward to your updates.
This is so fun! I only have one strong opinion. If you’re not Maori or some other culture that practices it, don’t get a face tattoo. But the rest are fair game, IMO.
I have two. One lower back from just after college that I regularly forget I have. It’s dolphins in a pisces symbol. It’s still kinda me and I don’t regret it. That would have been like 2001-ish. In 2019 I got a eastern tiger swallowtail on my forearm (for a while, I could regularly spot one when I looked put my window in spring. It’s less now. I’m sure people screwed that up with leaf raking or something). I still love it. I’m contemplating a monarch either on the same forearm or somewhere else. We get a lot of migratory monarchs in the fall and the kiddos and I will go out to watch them and I have some really good pictures.
Yay, Tattoos.
I’m not really any help here, as I am a lifelong waffler about this subject.
I did, however, just put a book on reserve at my local library: “Science ink : tattoos of the science obsessed.”
I have a friend who traveled several states away to get an appointment with this artist. She specializes in “embroidery” tattoos. https://www.instagram.com/fertattoo2406/?hl=en
These are so cool.
I have nary a tattoo but my husband is covered in them and is also a tattoo artist… I think if you find a good artist that is patient and really cares about how you want the tattoo to be/to feel on a daily basis/ his exposed or not you want it/ how much YOU want to be able to see it, they can take care of the actual drawing/design to fit the chosen body part. Kind of like thinking of the parts you can control versus the parts that you can rely on their expertise. Sometimes those guys who do the skulls and SpongeBobs are actually amazing at replicating what their customers have asked for! You should be looking more for a connection with your tattoo artist and a good one will be very honest about what they can do well and what they won’t attempt. My husband would also say that they are tattoo artists, not photocopiers and tattoos go on human skin, not paper and the happiest clients are those who can accept that and the art that results! The fact that you know someone who has a healed tattoo that you like is better in many cases than seeing a heavily photoshopped Instagram picture, so maybe try go with that artist if you can! A good tattoo artist will ideally meet you in person , actually assess your skin and the best place for the tattoo and then talk about the design. In my opinion, calf tattoos are ok but only if you don’t want to see it much it or for others to see it, because believe it or not we look up more often than down. A tattoo on the arm can be accentuated by complementary clothes and can really be part of the angle surrounding your face where people will be talking to you and looking at you. You will also be able to see it easily in most mirrors and get a real kick out of it. You can tell the artist you would like a standalone flower but that you would like the option to add a bouquet if you get addicted (highly likely). I love the idea of the flower bouquet on the arm. Flower tattoos always rock. Good luck Swistle, go for it!
I love thinking about and talking about tattoos! I have one on my inner left wrist, and I LOVE it – it’s small, but very visible, and I see it all the time and love it every time I see it. (It’s a fleur de lis to recognize/commemorate my time living in France.) For my next tattoo I think I want to get a constellation of the 3 zodiac signs for me/my husband/my kids, and put that on my ribcage. My hesitation is that I care 0% of about the zodiac (I can never even remember what my kids are!) but I love the idea of making a new/fake constellation just of our stars. Also I have to research artists with the right style and I have not done that ;-D
I got a tattoo this year. My husband hates tattoos and for years told me he’d divorce me if I got one. Two things changed this year – my father died and I became obsessed with getting a memorial tattoo; and I found out you can get an ultraviolet ink tattoo that is only visible under black light. (To be clear I would PREFER a normal tattoo but felt it is not the issue to ruin my marriage over.) Because if the viscosity of the ink the lines have to be fairly thick so my tattoo covers half the inner aspect of my left forearm. I got the outline of a woodpecker (his favorite bird) looking down at his initials. Six weeks out and it looks like a scar to the naked eye. I am extremely happy with it and it does help me with the grief.
Also the inner arm is a relatively painless place to be tattooed, just FYI.
*ahem*
There’s a daisy on my toe
it is not real, it does not grow
it’s just a tattoo of a flower
so I look neat
taking a shower
it’s on the second toe of my left foot
a stem and flower, but there’s no root
cuz that wouldn’t look good!
purdy daaaaaisy on my toe
my right foot loves my left foot so *mwah*
…anyone else learn this song at Girl Scout camp? It’s all I could think about reading this post.
yes! This was the only tattoo I wanted for decades but my sis in law has it and thus I never got it because it felt like copying? But I was bummed when we met decades ago and I realized that she had (inadvertently and only because I may be weird) ruined by nebulous tattoo plans.
Jump ahead and my 2022 resolution was to get a tattoo. And I did! I wasn’t sure if I’d like it and it was just for me so it’s on my inner hip (area covered by underwear, inside the hip bone) and it’s a book. Kind of boring and I don’t love, love the tattoo itself but for me it was the perfect way to experiment. Zero regrets.
For a future tattoo I would focus more on finding an artist i like and not just going to the local tattoo shop and handing them $100 and a vague idea. But it worked!
I am very excited for you to get a tattoo. What a fun resolution! Sometimes I think about getting a tattoo, but I am so undecided about everything. I did not know about the long lasting tattoos people have mentioned in the comments, but it might be fun to try.
I got my first tattoo a year and a half ago. It is so tiny (seven dots forming a constellation on my inner forearm), but I love it to pieces. Here are some things that I learned in the process:
1. Getting the tattoo felt a bit like a sunburn. I have heard that you can buy numbing cream that you apply prior to the tattoo which helps with the pain, especially on sensitive areas. It also helps to eat something first.
2. I knew what I wanted, but was still a bit stymied with questions about the EXACT size, placement, and color. If I were doing this again, I would write those answers down and review them prior to going into the shop.
3. I felt very self-conscious about the appointment. (I often feel like I am undeserving or uncool enough for experiences.) The folks in the shop were very warm and welcoming, and that helped a lot to get over my nerves. Now that I know what to expect, I would be much less nervous next time.
Your tattoo sounds wonderful! I hope the process of getting it is everything that you hope for.
I do not have or plan to have any tattoos. My sister, however, has many artistic and symbolic tattoos. Having listened to her over the years I would suggest talking to the tattoo artist and telling her your plan to start with one flower but possibly want an entire bouquet later. She may very well be able to develop a design that allows you to do the first flower without compromising the possible bouquet. Also, my sister has done henna a few times to try out an idea before committing to it. But, she’s an artist who has usually drawn her own design, so she has something to take to the henna artist and then to the tattoo artist.
Oh! I very much like the peony on one upper arm! That way if you like it you can go crazy with the other arm. And then you could STILL do the calf later. If you get one and like it, you WILL want more. I have 4 presently and am waffling over my arm. Hummingbird on right shoulder, 3 shamrocks on the back of my neck, butterfly on lower back (this is a memorial piece to my niece who passed away at age 7, and to be fair to me, it was before they were called tramp stamps, if they are even still called that). Then a couple years ago I took a huge leap and got a moon and heart on my inner forearm/lower wrist area. They are simple line drawings, and there are pink stars kind of spilling out of the moon into the heart. One half of the heart is mostly made up of stars. I always told my son I love him more than all the stars in the sky, and tell my daughter I love her to the moon and back, and a friend designed this tattoo for me.
Now I am waffling over the other forearm. I kind of want song lyrics. The song is by a band I have loved since 1992 and have seen 22 times over the years, and met 3/4 of the band. It’s my absolute favorite song by them, and the lyrics are personally extremely meaningful to me…. but……words. I’m just not sure about it. I also want a black cat tattoo on that inner wrist as well, so I’m unsure about doing two unrelated tattoos.
I have a hummingbird on my right arm too (upper arm, not shoulder, though)! I love it.
I vote peony on the upper arm. Because YOU HAVE TWO! Go for the bouquet on the other one later and the calf tulips after that. Maybe daffodils on the other calf if you get hooked?
If I were ever to get a tattoo, it would probably be something from one of the childhood books I still re-read every year.
I have six tattoos. I would say make sure to eat some carbohydrates before getting the tattoo, and have a snack and a drink with you – not just water, something for if your blood sugar wobbles. Afterwards, expect to feel not quite right, in the immune system way – sort of like you are getting better from a mild illness. It is an injury and you will need to rest and heal.
In terms of which flower, I suspect you would be interested to know that tulips traditionally signify rebirth and deep love, and peonies symbolise happiness, good fortune and happy marriage. Roses of course symbolise love, but yellow ones are for friendship and orange ones I’ve seen used to mean “you fascinate me”. If you can’t decide, these (to be fair completely made up) meanings might help you lean in one direction or another.
My personal favourite tattoo is one where I sent my artist a picture of a tea cup and saucer shape I liked, and said, “please can you design something with this and images from le petit prince?” It’s wonderful. No regrets.
Skulls and snakes and Spongebob, oh my! (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)
I have one 22-year-old tattoo, on my lower back, just above regular “tramp stamp” – terrible term – territory. It’s a full moon above an erupting volcano, which is related to the day I was born. I went to an artist known to me through some friends, and he was incredible. I told him what I wanted and where, and about what size, and he drew it out on tracing paper for me to give feedback (it was perfect) and then he used that template for the tattoo. This all happened in one appointment.
It wasn’t incredibly painful, more annoying than anything – EXCEPT when he went over the same area to darken it, or touched an area he had already filled in. Honestly though, the worst part was how horribly it itched while it was healing. IIRC, I used vitamin E oil to combat the itchiness.
I would love to have my tattoo freshened up, and I would love to get another one, but I’ve never made it a priority.
I agree with others that you should decide how visible you want your ink to be, and which body part is most conducive to that level of visibility.
I never expected this blog to turn towards one of my favourite subjects – flower tattoos!!
When I had my leg piece done, my artist replaced the peony in my design for an anemone as she thought the peony would look too busy (too many petals) and she was completely right. Food for thought!
I also have a fern on my inner bicep and I’d love to have it added to one day and have it spread up around my shoulder but it’ll have to wait until I’m done breastfeeding…
Ooh, this is a fun conversation! I got a tiny tattoo 13 years ago when my kids were little. It’s a symbol for each of them (shooting star for my perpetual motion daughter and a heart for my son who had heart surgery). I decided to get another to celebrate finishing grad school as a single mom but that was over 6 years ago and I haven’t managed it. I think I found the right artist recently so maybe it will happen before my kids are in grad school…