For anyone that knows me, since I got my first tattoo, I’ve loved getting inked. Putting meaningful, beautiful art on my body has been a way for me to not only express myself, but also remind me of the things I love and value about myself. For me, tattoos are a beautiful representation of self and a way to keep grounded. While I was originally going to wait until September, my birth month, to get inked, back in June, amidst the chaos, I decided to go get a new tattoo.
I know what you’re probably thinking, “That’s totally unnecessary with everything going on right now.” While I totally agree, I went ahead and did it anyway. The tattoo I got was something I’d been wanting to get for a while and thought to myself, “We’re in a pandemic and we probably still will be in September. Why not just do it now?” And now, it is September, we’re still in a pandemic and I’ve got my ink.
The tattoo is an illustration by an artist I’d hired when I was writing a poetry book. I knew from the getgo that I really wanted to get one of the illustrations tattooed and had a good feeling about the one I chose. It is from a poem called “The Universe Inside” and is about the importance of realizing that there is a universe inside of us and we all shine bright. Since my first tattoo, I’ve always told my tattoo artist, Nirvana, to add her own touch, and this time, I told her to add her artistic touch — and mushrooms.
Given the pandemic, when I got to True Love Tattoos, the parlor I go to located in Fort Lauderdale, I was asked to initially wait in my car. Once asked to go inside, I awaited my artist and was asked to sign some tattoo paperwork along with COVID-19 paperwork to assure I had not been exposed to the virus or had any symptoms. Once we were ready to begin tattooing, I saw another tattoo artist spraying down her station with something that looked like a mini leaf blower, but filled with an antibacterial solution. With everyone wearing masks, social distancing and lots of sanitation, I felt comfortable getting a tattoo and knew this would be an experience for the books.
While getting my tattoo, Nirvana put on a Scooby-Doo movie and the time seemed to fly. When she was done, I was in awe of how beautiful the tattoo was and was grateful for the experience. Even though we’re still living in a pandemic, knowing just how responsible and meticulous True Love Tattoos is, I’d love to go in again and get another art piece inked.
