Tattoos and Misfits

YOU have a Tattoo???? The emphasis on YOU?? This is the common phrase that is directed towards me when it is revealed that I do indeed have tattoos, 3 in fact and soon to be more. You see I don't fit the stereotypical "type" that would have a tattoo. I work a 9 to 5 job, dress relatively mainstream and have no motorcycle in sight. It really is puzzling that in today's day and age we still have preconceived notions on how and what people should look and act like.

All of my tattoos signify and represent a poignant turning point or event in my life. When I look at each one I am reminded of where I was and where I still need to progress to. The one that is most memorable is my tribal butterfly tattoo. You see this tattoo is a cover up. A cover up of a spontaneous instance of youthful misguided judgement. When I was 23 I decided on the nudging of a friend to get a tattoo; a Japanese character for truth. Because of my fear I only wanted to get it very small, tiny in fact. Over a small period of time this little character for truth turned into a distorted blob of black ink. Unbeknownst to me, I was not informed that your skin stretches over time and if the tattoo is too small it will distort. Here I was left with a smudge or mark to glorify my mistake in judgement.

Years later when I had matured from a naive girl into a more knowledgeable and evolved woman I was able to signify this with my tribal butterfly tattoo. What better way to represent this personal growth then a beautiful, colourful piece of body art. This piece of art shows that a mistake does not have to define you but can open up an opportunity to grow, learn, evolve and blossom into the person you are meant to be. Some chose to keep this pearls of wisdom internal but I chose to externalize them on my body, showing them if I chose or keeping them close for only my comfort. To the outside world my butterfly is just that a butterfly but to me it is my freedom, beauty, sexy growing mystique of being the woman I am and want to be.