I've always loved tattoos. I know some people think of them as 'permanently damaging your body' and believe that you need to think about it for many months or even years before getting one done but I have a different view. The way I see it, life is way too short (as cliché as that is sounding) and I believe that if you find yourself loving a certain design and it means something to you, its your body and your right.
I personally am not the type of person that plans to get more tattoos than I already have (2) but I fully respect and admire people whom decide to get a number of tattoos.
My dad is 40 years old. He got his first tattoo when he was 19, his best friend had died in a shocking car accident. He happened to be an incredible artist and sketched daily. When he passed away, he left his sketch book to him. My dad decided to get 5 of his most meaningful and relative sketches tattooed on his arms. Since then, he has acquired two full sleeves and various other tattoos all over his body. (one of which I may add, says 'Zoe Forever'... just sayin') My dad
doesn't regret even one of his tattoos.
When I turned 16, I started thinking seriously about getting a tattoo. The thought kept encircling my mind for days on end and eventually I presented the idea to my mom. She wasn't too pleased but she eventually accepted it. I thought long and hard about what I wanted to get and where I wanted to get it.
'No Fear'.
I've always been someone that cares too much about what others think of me. Its the most terrible quality, it poisons your mind. I am also someone who believes strongly in rising gracefully when you fall. I decided to get 'No Fear' tattooed under my left breast/above my rib-cage. I chose these two powerful words so that I could (beware-cliché part coming) look at it when times are tough and essentially keep myself going and pick myself up. Another reason I chose it was to show remind myself not to fear what others think of me and not to always fear that I'm pleasing them.
I got it done at hands down the best tattoo parlour in Cape Town called 'Sins of Style'. I went in with my mom and we discussed the style and size and placement. I decided to get it where I did because I wanted it to be very discreet and in an intimate place for only me and people who get that close to me to be able to read.
I assumed the pain would be excruciating but luckily, I have my fathers genes. I hardly felt a thing and kind of enjoyed the pain (I'm not psychotic, promise?) I remember perfectly that moment of the tattoo artist, Tyler looking at me and holding the gun up and softly telling me to go and take a look. I walked across the parlour topless (suppose when its artsy it doesn't matter as much) and looked in the mirror-
I haven't looked back ever since. I don't see it all the time but when I do, I smile and think and feel all the things I wanted myself to.
I had been told 'Ink Fever' was something that occurs... I didn't believe it.
Two months after my first tattoo, my best friend Candice decided one day that she wanted one too but she had a very vague idea of what she wanted and she was at the stage where she could be easily persuaded in and out of brainstorming. I recommended the parlour I went to and luckily arrived when the artist perfect for the type of design she had in mind, had time. She spent a good hour telling them all of her ideas and they gave her the advice to take a half hour break, go smoke a cigarette and talk to me about it. So her and I were walking in Bree Street on a hot summers day (jeepers, I'm getting good at this cliché stuff) thinking about her tattoo. Candice's mind is like a spiral drawing painted by a 3 year old- its full of extraordinary ideas but it is never ending and therefore she is very indecisive.
Drag by drag, thought by thought.
She contemplated many long, meaningful sayings but after playing with each on our tongues we realised something that long just wasn't what she wanted.
Candice and I then thought of the way she likes to live her life.... without regrets and with appreciation of all small things. She then said in her loud wonderful laughing voice "Its just a fucking beautiful life!".
And just like that, we increased our pace and her mind was set.
As Candice was designing her tattoo with the assigned artist... it kicked in, 'Ink Fever' that is. I went and sat next to the tattoo artist who drew my first and explained that out of pure spontaneity and a strong gut feeling, I wanted to get my second tattoo. He naturally asked me what I wanted and I thought on the spot for about 2 minutes. I decided I (again) wanted it in a discreet place and I decided on behind my ear. I then had a thought. I would get the first name initials of the people I truly listened to (hence the ear placement) behind my ear. I started with P and L (P for my dad Pierre and L for my sister Louise as they live in Paris, far away from me and having them constantly with me would mean a lot to me) then I decided on a D for my mother Diana and lastly, I took a look at Candice and again, went with my gut feeling and told him the last letter I wanted was a C.
I cannot tell you how many people post-tattoo criticised me about that last letter; they kept saying "what if you're not friends" or "you're going to regret it". Usually, when someone knows something they did was wrong and receive such comments they would feel regret, well, I felt none.
I know that the friendship between her and I ending is a possibility but isn't everything? I obviously thought about this possibility when getting the tattoo and I decided within myself (take note haters) it was a point in my life that I decided getting her initial there was important and what I wanted and therefore in the years to come if our friendship ends, I can remind myself of that and think of it as a part of me.
To be honest, since the tattoo, we have had a falling out and it is the first thing I thought about when it was happening and to my relief- I didn't regret it or want to get it removed. I simply admired my reasoning.
DLPC. Thats my tattoo and I fucking love it. Every letter that is.
Since my tattoo, whenever I see someone who has one. I go up to them and ask why they got it and where they got it.
Obviously there are people who regret their tattoos; they get them when they are totally smashed at risky places and end up feeling like idiots in the morning. But if tattoos are thought of carefully and done well they can be true expressions of self and art. They are able to tell stories about peoples milestones in lives.
X Zo
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