Dare to Dream discussion

I've decided to put this topic in the Dreams & Ambitions folder rather than Miscellaneous because I believe Tattoos very symbolic of a person's life and how they view the world and they can be a means of therapy.

Up until last year, I had absolutely no desire to have a tattoo. Then as I approached my 31st birthday, I suddenly wanted one. I just wanted one - something small that I could hide on my upper arm and it would be fun to show people and everything. I wanted to get a tattoo for my 31st Birthday but at that time my part-time job at Borders was coming to an end and I didn't dare spend the money. A few months later, after I had another part-time job at the movie theater and had moved into an apartment where I rent was less, I was able to get my first tattoo in May 2011.

My first tattoo was of Digger the burrowing owl from Legend of the Guardians (he is also my current goodreads profile picture). I was impressed with the whole process of getting a tattoo from choosing the design through healing, everything went so smoothly that I went back one week later and added a banner below my owl which comes from a Dean Koontz title "By The Light of the Moon".

Since then, I have added a lot of tattoos - Digger remains my very favorite, although he is now part of a larger scene featuring another owl from the movie and a Vincent Van Gogh Starry Starry Night background. I now have a total of six tattoos - I've had a lot more than six tattoo sessions but like Digger, many of the tattoos have become connected into a larger tattoo. Two of my tattoos (the largest ones) are located on each upper arm and I have four tattoos on my ankles - one on each side.

I will post pictures here. I don't currently have a camera that takes good pictures so the pictures are just the ones that the tattoo shop has taken, but I'll try to post more as I can.

Feel free to share your tattoo pictures and plans here & I'll do the same :-)

I am not the typical tattoo recipient- people look at me and don't expect me to be the type of person that would have tattoos. I can hide them well too :-)I never imagined I would have tattoos - I was raised in a very conservative religious environment where such things are forbidden. Tattoos have actually helped me feel more confident in the past year. I have no plans to get piercings of any kind, but the scary thing is I said the same thing about tattoos didn't I? Really though, I have no intention of getting piercing. I do however, have more ideas for tattoos. I'm just trying to pay down some debts first and then maybe I can get a tattoo as a reward.

In the Koontzland - Dean Koontz group, I posted earlier this year that my goal was only to get 4 new tattoos during 2012. We'll see how that goes. Currently, I have already gotten two new tattoos this year. They are both roses on my ankles. Of course I have decided not to count it as a new tattoo if it connects to an existing tattoo :-) so with that measurement, I might just be able to achieve my goal.

I have eight tattoos and I want more. :D Its been four or five years since my last one but money is a bit tight. Or so I keep telling myself. If I would quit buying books for a few months I would have enough for one, possibly two tattoos. I've considered expanding on a tattoo I already have, improving it. Only one of my tats show, and just barely at the base of my neck, just above the collar of my shirt. Maybe I ought to use that as a minor goal to get off my butt and do something...

i don't have any tattoos but i appreciate the artwork and would love to see pics if you guys post them

This is my Fringe Butterfly tattoo which I got last September:
[image error]
This tattoo is on my left inner arm just above the elbow.
It's based on this Fringe Glyph below. I will add a gold dots sometime.

A picture of my second biggest tattoo. The brown owl named "Digger" was my first tattoo and I just kept adding more during the summer of 2011.
[image error]
Note the Dean Koontz elements
1. "By the Light of the Moon" (Dean Koontz book title)
2. Lantern on a branch from the cover of "One Door Away From Heaven"

I though of getting a Made in Canada tattoo on my buttocks when I was younger but did not go through with it. I no longer have an interest on getting a tattoo for myself. I like them on others though.

You don't want that tattoo anymore? A popular one (to get on the same area you mentioned) in the US is one that says something like 100% USDA BEEF. I will find a picture and post :-)

here is one for you Marc-Antoine:

you might want to re-consider that butt tattoo - they look pretty cool :-)

The picture is not displaying...but no tattoos for me, I like to sit on my but, and I have a feeling that would be uncomfortable for the first little while after the tattoo.

gorgeous artwork dustin! did those large tattoos hurt like crazy or do you have a high tolerance for pain?

Ah see it now, again I like them on other people, lol.

i was referring to your tats dustin not the butt tattoo lol

Marc-Antoine, maybe you should think about getting something like this - I think it's very creative:

Rachel wrote: "gorgeous artwork dustin! did those large tattoos hurt like crazy or do you have a high tolerance for pain?"

I like pain. people say it's supposed to be really painful but for me it was very enjoyable. The only part that got bad was when it got to the bony part of my shoulder on the very top. Areas with more padding don't hurt as much - that's why the upper arm is usually recommended for a first tattoo.
My artist warned me against getting my ankles done, said it would really hurt but it was nothing. Although on the last one my foot kept falling asleep so that was wierd. still the most painful was the top of the shoulder with the background of the owls.

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Marc-Antoine, maybe you should think about getting something like this - I think it's very creative:
"

Unfortunately, she would have a beard and some hairy boobs on me.

Speaking of which, I am thinking of trying a hair removal service. I can not stand the hair on my back and it's hard to reach to shave it and shaving is so time consuming anyway...It's something I'm thinking of looking into.

Nora is in our group now and I know she has some tattoos that she would love to share :-) right Nora?

Yes & I will but not till tomorrow since I have to go to bed soon.

Okay... we will all await in anticipation :-) I have to go to sleep soon also, but this group is rather addicting.

This is my Andre tattoo.

Sullis a Celtic Goddess

The elf on my back. I slept through this tattoo.

This is the pic the Andre tattoo was done from.
I have more tattoos but I have to find them online... lol

Nora aka Diva wrote: "
The elf on my back. I slept through this tattoo."


How do you sleep through someone jabbing your skin with needles lol? you must have a high tolerance for pain. You have some amazing tattoos.

Where's Athena and her owl? She must be one you still have to find :-)

Here they are...

Rachel wrote: "How do you sleep through someone jabbing your skin with needles lol? you must have a high tolerance for pain. You have s..."

Aww, thank you & yes I have a very high pain tolerance level. How did I sleep through that? easy, I was laying down to begin with so I just closed my eyes and tada I was out. Poor tattoo artist woke me once because I was snoring. oops. lmao.

I like those Goddess Tattoos :-) Where is Athena on your body? Is that your thigh? Sullis is on your arm and your son is on your other arm and the elf is on your back.... just curious about Athena.

Athena is on my left calf kinda wrapping over the sides of it. What you see behind my leg is my right foot. I sit weird. lol

Oh, that's your foot :-)

Where exactly is the "calf"? - I am not very good with anatomy - I can only picture a baby cow.

back of lower leg lol

Your calf what is below the knee, well everything but the direct front of that because that's the shin.

Okay, I don't have any tattoos on my calves yet then - I just checked. My tattoos are just above the ankle but they are on the sides so is "ankle' the right description of that location?

if it's below the muscle- i would say ankle.

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Okay, I don't have any tattoos on my calves yet then - I just checked. My tattoos are just above the ankle but they are on the sides so is "ankle' the right description of that location?"

The ankle is the part that bends above your foot. It is rather boney.

hope that helps.

I'm a very visual person so the Maxim picture does help clarify things.

So the Calf looks like it covers the side of the leg as well as the back. If I understand correctly, the tattoos I currently have are ankle tattoos and a tattoo that I would like to get would be on my calve.

The tattoo I would really like to get is based on a photograph and it's of two owls. I want to get permission from the photographer first before I pursue it any further.

Yes, that's right. I added the lines and words in paint just for you.

Wow! Thanks :-)

So the thigh really has a lot of space for a tattoo (as can be seen in the picture above). I have been thinking of getting tattoos in this area on the side and front of my thigh, above the knee.

I would think this area wouldn't hurt too much because it is padded like the upper arm area. Does anyone have any tattoos on their thigh area and would like to share pictures and/or experience?

yw, I'm nice like that.

Nora aka Diva wrote: "yw, I'm nice like that."

I guess so :-) very helpful & thoughtful. I've been wondering these things my entire life - I've been so confused.

So my shin (apparently that is the right word for the front of my leg) is very bony with no padding on the very front & inner edge - is this normal? I think I may be deformed.

Yes, that is the shin and yes that is perfectly normal. Even relatively fat people will have little "padding" over the shin.

Oh that is comforting news. I have been thinking I am abnormal for a long time - when I was little I had to get stitches on the front of my leg - apparently this is the shin (not to be confused with chin) because I kept running into things and there is like no padding.
Is this why in sports they have these things called Shin Guards? So many things are starting to click now.

Last year, I learned I was a mutant... it helped when I watched X-Men First Class because I felt like I belonged with the group.

Well you might still be abnormal but not because of your shins. Perhaps it would best if you just wore shin guards all the time?

I will keep that in mind :-)

Dustin, any area that is relatively 'thin' in padding, or has a higher concentration of nerve endings will hurt more. Something else to take into consideration, is that not every tattoo artist is the same. My first tattoo was on my lower back, the flat area just above the hips, and I barely felt it. I also have a larger tat on my upper back, between my shoulder blades, and the artist was quite heavy handed. I'm not sure, but I think he might also have been a little high at the time. But that particular tat has been the only one that I would consider painful; I was damn near in tears. Another tattoo of mine which is placed quite close to a...sensitve area, wasn't too bad, until the needle would run over a certain spot(those pesky nerve endings). Then it was a moment of tingling lightning shooting from my...ahem, pelvis, to my chest. LOL.

Another tip, or bit of info, is if you're going to get something that wraps around your ankle( or other limb), stretch the session out a bit. I got my left ankle done in one night, with heavy shading, and it swelled up for two weeks. I had a straight up kankle, and at the time I wore tall boots every day.

One's level of pain tolerance makes a difference too. The one on my back is actually over my shoulder blade. I am not a "well padded" person but I slept through the tattoo anyway. lol