Ink

[femmegirrl]

No. I did not want to put this under the body modification section. Its more than modification, ink is my private Idaho. when things seem to lose touch or I can no longer emotionally handle things, the one thing that i can control is my own body.
Yes I have my sam, whom I love with all my heart and soul, and whom God has blessed me with. But still I need the ink. I have 9, with plans for several more.
But tell me, for those who are tattooed, for those of us who are inked, why did you do it?
Not just because you wanted a rose, but WHY?
((I always have loved the stories that live behind the ink))

[femmsational]

No. I did not want to put this under the body modification section. Its more than modification, ink is my private Idaho. when things seem to lose touch or I can no longer emotionally handle things, the one thing that i can control is my own body.
Yes I have my sam, whom I love with all my heart and soul, and whom God has blessed me with. But still I need the ink. I have 9, with plans for several more.
But tell me, for those who are tattooed, for those of us who are inked, why did you do it?
Not just because you wanted a rose, but WHY?
((I always have loved the stories that live behind the ink))

Hey tonya One of my favorite topics. All my ink is important to me. I was ink free until I turned 35....then I got addicted I have 5 at this point and each one means a LOT to me.
Why did I do it? good question. I lived 35 years of my life, trying to keep all my thoughts and feelings and emotions separate from my mind. Something snapped on my birthday. It was almost like I made a decision to get to know myself. Once that decision was made I started realizing that I actually had strong feelings and opinions and that I liked them. I went through my past and certain things stood out for me. It was those things that I felt so strongly about I suddenly needed to keep them with me always. I figured what better way than to get them as a work of art on my body.

Daddy and I have plans for a few more and I already have that itch. We also went and got my arm band fixed the other day. It was great but it definitley wasn't as spiritual as when you get a new piece.

For me it's more than just the actual art work...it's the process. It's almost a cleansing act for me. While I'm getting the work done I go into this space...it's really hard to explain but I'm SURE you know what I'm talking about.


Thanks for the thread tonya!

Brutal's inked babygirl,
Julie

[Words]

I only have two small tats, both of which I had done to mark a particular turning point in my life, so I guess you could say that for me, they're symbolic rather than decorative. The first I had done when I was still married to a bio male and decided, during a trip abroad - alone - to come out as a lesbian, the other once I'd left him, and which I later had modified from the double female symbol to the female symbol plus the female symbol combined with the male symbol, my way of honoring my relationship with a TG butch (photo in my gallery) and, I guess, coming out, officially, as a femme.

Would I like to have more done? Sure, but I won't. I'm not that keen on the overall effect on the body of multiple tats, and two, for me, is more than enough...That said, I do still have a desire, a very strong desire, to have my body marked, again, for symbolic reasons, which is why as well as having TBB pierce it, which Hy's done, twice, I'm looking forward to Hys one day doing a branding (W/we've discussed it several times but haven't, as yet, been able to come up with a suitable design or location). Hy's already given me a couple of cuttings, but they're very tiny and fairly faint and I think both of U/us would like something a little more permanent.

One thing I would add here. I love needless - the more, and deeper, the better - but, unlike some people whose posts I've read here, I didn't experience any kind of 'high' from having my tats done professionally. I wonder though, if, say TBB were to decide to give me a tat,then perhaps my reactions would be different, given the different situation. I guess the question is, how important, exactly, is context?

Words

[femmegirrl]

thank you both for responding!
For me, I did the designs out myself for the majority of my own tattoos, my first was a rose when I was 16, it was done by a friend with a bottle of india ink and a needle. When I turned 18, I went to a shop and had it touched up and added a heart to the design. I wanted to get tattooed from the age of 10, I have always been drawn to ink, ever since I can remeber..ink is actually what inspired me to major in fine arts when I went to college, and I want to become a tattoo artist, my goal is to apprentice after I move to wva, and then maybe eventually open my own shop.
I have :
1, rose and heart design
2. cat and tribal design
3. lizard and butterfly design
4. star and infinity symbol
5. tribalized bat
6. butch femme star
7. peacock
8. large rose including 2 lotus flowers and a chinese symbol for love
9. 3 stars, the largest engulfed with flames inside...this is my most recent, only a couple of weeks old, and done when Daddi was last here...

[femmegirrl]

julie,
I know very well the space that you are talking about...it is one of the reasons why I plan to have a partial backpiece done, shoulder to shoulder, but only halfway down my back, I dont want to go all the way to small of my back because the tribalized bat is my lower back centerpiece, and I plan to have daddis girrl either over or under the bat, i dont want it all to run together..
i have the backpiece started of course, with the rose and heart on one side and the lizard and butterfly on the other side, now i need to bring them together, using an ankh and an array of stars and other symbolism..

[Kyssme]

i'm getting tattooed tomorrow ... the first of two sessions, it should take about three hours the artist said. i'm getting psyched already. i can feel that head-space creeping up on me.

[TxHarleyBoi]

I agree with the spiritual aspect of getting new ink. I have 4 pieces at present with plans for 3 more (and then I say I am done). It is such an indescribable feeling to get new ink. It is definitely spiritual, it is definitely art but for me it is also transcendant of any other 'thing' in this world - I get anxious when I feel like I have to wait, yet the planning is almost meditative...
Anyway, have a beautiful day!

[femmegirrl]

words
the effects of being inked certainly do affect peeps diffrently. for me, there is such a sense of euphoria, of calmness, of resolve that the only way to compare it is that when you get deep into sub-space, you hit a plane (well, I do anyway) where there is like a weight of your shoulders and you just ARE. wow, Im not explaining this very well...
Being pierced for me is far more painful, you dont get to enjoy the pain in the same way as being inked, its just like BAM!
I think the branding is a fantastic idea, but I think Im too wussy for that, Daddi can cut me if Hy chooses, but I know Hy wont, but that is because some time ago I wasnt very good to myself and I think Hy is afraid of cutting me triggering those things that I try not to think about, (no I did not try to kill myself..but I am a cutter), at any rate perhaps if TBB did it, there would be a diffrence in how you felt, perhaps not. But I enjoyed hearing about the 2 that you have, thats what I am looking for, the stories behind the design...
thank you for sharing, both you and julie....
tonya

[femmegirrl]

i'm getting tattooed tomorrow ... the first of two sessions, it should take about three hours the artist said. i'm getting psyched already. i can feel that head-space creeping up on me.

you lucky lucky girrl!!!
i envy you!!!

what are you getting done?!

[femmegirrl]

I agree with the spiritual aspect of getting new ink. I have 4 pieces at present with plans for 3 more (and then I say I am done). It is such an indescribable feeling to get new ink. It is definitely spiritual, it is definitely art but for me it is also transcendant of any other 'thing' in this world - I get anxious when I feel like I have to wait, yet the planning is almost meditative...
Anyway, have a beautiful day!

I totally get the spiritual aspect!
what are the ones that you have now and what are you planning on getting?
you have a great day too!

[Kyssme]

you lucky lucky girrl!!!
i envy you!!!

what are you getting done?!

i gave the artist an idea of what i was thinking of ... then she got creative for me. it would not do the design justice if i were to try to explain it. i'll post pics, i promise!! the grays, blacks and outlines will be done tomorrow.

[WickedTips]

Wow.. all I can say Is I totally agree with that something snapped and I found that my body was a canvas. It would show pictures I carry in my heart and mind.. this all at 40 !!! yeeehaaw !! I currently have 10 pieces large and small.. my favorite is tho my kids names on my shoulder written in ribbons made into a torch. hearts and flames. I'm now adding my newest name to hook on to her mothers name is my darling new grandbaby.. am sure as kids make more I will be adding othr names too!
I also find great release with the pain part. funnie how makes me feel.
So anyone wanta come over and go with for our next one??? hhhhmm I also need a blue moon fixed up.. lookin like a tired moon these days LOLOL
So lets INK and run neekad !! hehehe ! lizzie < -- giggles at crybabys at tat shop

[femmegirrl]

i gave the artist an idea of what i was thinking of ... then she got creative for me. it would not do the design justice if i were to try to explain it. i'll post pics, i promise!! the grays, blacks and outlines will be done tomorrow.

yeah! ill be waiting!!

[ladyJkitty]

I enjoy being inked myself. I have 5 and had them all done for one reason or another... My favorite so far is the one I had done for my grandkids.

[femmegirrl]

Wow.. all I can say Is I totally agree with that something snapped and I found that my body was a canvas. It would show pictures I carry in my heart and mind.. this all at 40 !!! yeeehaaw !! I currently have 10 pieces large and small.. my favorite is tho my kids names on my shoulder written in ribbons made into a torch. hearts and flames. I'm now adding my newest name to hook on to her mothers name is my darling new grandbaby.. am sure as kids make more I will be adding othr names too!
I also find great release with the pain part. funnie how makes me feel.
So anyone wanta come over and go with for our next one??? hhhhmm I also need a blue moon fixed up.. lookin like a tired moon these days LOLOL
So lets INK and run neekad !! hehehe ! lizzie < -- giggles at crybabys at tat shop

lol..I laugh at the crybabies too! come on, you are getting INKED, of course there is pain! when I went to get my stars a couple weeks ago, there was a girl getting a small cross on her ankle, and I do mean small, and pretty basic, nothing too fancy, just black with no color, maybe 1 inch across and 2 inches down, and I thought she was going to pass out, she keep hollering "ouch! ouch! ouch!" and "oh my god this hurts soo bad!"

[MagicBesos]

I believe I was 19 or so when I got my first tattoo, and I really cringe at even calling it a tattoo. I was at a point in my life where I was trying to overcome a drug addiction only to find myself becoming addicted to alcohol. Anyhow, long story short, a friend of mine who had just gotten out of jail just got some new tools and wanted to try them out. Of course at the time I was pretty wasted and picked this God awful bear wearing sunglasses, smoking a joint and grabbing his balls. I still have the damn thing on my upper arm! I want to cover it up, and part of me doesn't, part of me wants to remember that time in my life where everything was so screwed up. There are times when I look at it in the mirror after a shower and I thank my higher power that I am still alive today.

I have 5 tattoo's including that damn bear.

1. The Bear
2. Black hole sun on the outside of my right ankle, with a tribal band that wraps all the way around.
3. I have my Aquarius sign intertwined with the Gemini sign in the middle of my lower back (This one will for sure be covered, long story)
4. Kanji symbol for Power/Strength on the inside of my right forearm. I got this symbol to remind myself of the strength I had to quit my addictions, but I also got it to remind myself that I am a much stronger person when I let myself love and be loved in return. Strength in mind, body, soul & spirit.
5. Kanji symbol for Love on the inside of my left forearm. I didn't get this until I was able to accept the fact that I need love in my life, and that I found the love of my life. Love of the mind, body, soul & spirit.

I will be getting more, and they will all have a meaning behind them. Not just because it was the fashionable thing to do at the time.

[femmegirrl]

I believe I was 19 or so when I got my first tattoo, and I really cringe at even calling it a tattoo. I was at a point in my life where I was trying to overcome a drug addiction only to find myself becoming addicted to alcohol. Anyhow, long story short, a friend of mine who had just gotten out of jail just got some new tools and wanted to try them out. Of course at the time I was pretty wasted and picked this God awful bear wearing sunglasses, smoking a joint and grabbing his balls. I still have the damn thing on my upper arm! I want to cover it up, and part of me doesn't, part of me wants to remember that time in my life where everything was so screwed up. There are times when I look at it in the mirror after a shower and I thank my higher power that I am still alive today.

I have 5 tattoo's including that damn bear.

1. The Bear
2. Black hole sun on the outside of my right ankle, with a tribal band that wraps all the way around.
3. I have my Aquarius sign intertwined with the Gemini sign in the middle of my lower back (This one will for sure be covered, long story)
4. Kanji symbol for Power/Strength on the inside of my right forearm. I got this symbol to remind myself of the strength I had to quit my addictions, but I also got it to remind myself that I am a much stronger person when I let myself love and be loved in return. Strength in mind, body, soul & spirit.
5. Kanji symbol for Love on the inside of my left forearm. I didn't get this until I was able to accept the fact that I need love in my life, and that I found the love of my life. Love of the mind, body, soul & spirit.

I will be getting more, and they will all have a meaning behind them. Not just because it was the fashionable thing to do at the time.

thank you for sharing your story.
my prayers are with you and your lady, its a good thing to face your demons and to overcome them....but to remeber where you were, so you dont fall back there again...
and so it is with my stars, they remind me to hope for the future....

[FabuDiva]

i was never much of a cat person...always had dogs growing up. (trust me...this story is gonna get to tattoos...just lemme do the backstory...lol) when i was first living on my own i craved a companion but the landlord forbade it...i tried for years...kept sneaking in hamsters-but they were too small and one got aggressive and i had to give them away. then i snuck in guinea pigs...but it turned out the 2 females i bought...were actually a male and a female...and i had a preggo pig...which i also gave away. finally...after 3 yrs of faithfully paying my rent...i asked again. she agreed to let me have ONE cat. i went out and adopted 2 (teehee...everything i do is excessive) adult females from the pound. one was a beautiful silver shaded persian (photos are in my old gallery) and the other was a massive bombay. she was gorgeous. i fell in love with her from the first time i laid eyes on her. she was so sleek and had such thick fur...she felt like a teddy bear. her eyes were golden...she was so regal and majestic looking. her fur was completely black. so black it shone reddish when the light hit her right. she didn't have a spot of white on her. i decided to name her Luna. she was my grrl. it was like she and i had a connection. she knew what i was thinking...she loved me...she tried to protect me on more than one occasion when i was being abused by a former boifriend. she saved my life when a wire underneath my refrigerator set fire...she woke me up and took me to it so i could put it out.

2yrs later, she got really sick. she was in the animal hospital for a couple of weeks. her liver had quit working, she was jaundiced...there was a risky surgery they could do...but she wasn't likely to pull through it. i looked into her eyes on one of my daily visits and i knew she was ready to go. i asked them right then to help her. i held her while they injected her. i could feel her leave her body...i feel her spirit near me all the time. a few months later i went to a tattoo artist and asked them to help me design a large moon. (she was a big grrl, afterall...nearly 20lbs) he designed a crescent moon with a shadow of an eye and a shadow of a smile. it's done in green and black and purple. i've never been prouder of something in my life.

thanks for letting me tell my ink story
-erin

[femmegirrl]

i was never much of a cat person...always had dogs growing up. (trust me...this story is gonna get to tattoos...just lemme do the backstory...lol) when i was first living on my own i craved a companion but the landlord forbade it...i tried for years...kept sneaking in hamsters-but they were too small and one got aggressive and i had to give them away. then i snuck in guinea pigs...but it turned out the 2 females i bought...were actually a male and a female...and i had a preggo pig...which i also gave away. finally...after 3 yrs of faithfully paying my rent...i asked again. she agreed to let me have ONE cat. i went out and adopted 2 (teehee...everything i do is excessive) adult females from the pound. one was a beautiful silver shaded persian (photos are in my old gallery) and the other was a massive bombay. she was gorgeous. i fell in love with her from the first time i laid eyes on her. she was so sleek and had such thick fur...she felt like a teddy bear. her eyes were golden...she was so regal and majestic looking. her fur was completely black. so black it shone reddish when the light hit her right. she didn't have a spot of white on her. i decided to name her Luna. she was my grrl. it was like she and i had a connection. she knew what i was thinking...she loved me...she tried to protect me on more than one occasion when i was being abused by a former boifriend. she saved my life when a wire underneath my refrigerator set fire...she woke me up and took me to it so i could put it out.

2yrs later, she got really sick. she was in the animal hospital for a couple of weeks. her liver had quit working, she was jaundiced...there was a risky surgery they could do...but she wasn't likely to pull through it. i looked into her eyes on one of my daily visits and i knew she was ready to go. i asked them right then to help her. i held her while they injected her. i could feel her leave her body...i feel her spirit near me all the time. a few months later i went to a tattoo artist and asked them to help me design a large moon. (she was a big grrl, afterall...nearly 20lbs) he designed a crescent moon with a shadow of an eye and a shadow of a smile. it's done in green and black and purple. i've never been prouder of something in my life.

thanks for letting me tell my ink story
-erin

((((((erin)))))) and ((((luna)))))
thank you for sharing that story and blessings for you and your girrl.....

[femmegirrl]

im on my way to get ready for work, but please keep the stories coming! everyone have a great day!!!

[Kyssme]

i got the first half of my latest and greatest tattoo ... pics are up in my gallery.

the meaning behind it is simple- i am a Daddy's girl. even when i don't have a Daddy, it's who i am.

[femmegirrl]

kyssme....thats fucking awesome!!! i love it!!!!!!!!!!!

[Serene]

I always wanted a tattoo, but I seemed to forever live my life according to others expectations. By the time I had come out to myself...I was ready for that first permanent artistic expression, yet still need a push...an inspiration, if you will.

It came in the form of an elderly client I have. She's 73 and the funniest lady I know. Her husband passed away some 5 years ago and she was living in that big house alone, maintaining it, until we decided she should get herself some freedom with a condominum (elevator and all!). One summer day she came into my office, wearing shorts, when I noticed a small angel tattooed on the side of her ankle. I commented on it, and she stated that it was a present to herself for her 65th birthday. Incredulous, I asked her, "So you got your first tattoo at 65???" She just grinned at me and winked.

I made my appointment that very same day.~

[femmegirrl]

ah what a cool story!

[aine]

i got the first half of my latest and greatest tattoo ... pics are up in my gallery.

the meaning behind it is simple- i am a Daddy's girl. even when i don't have a Daddy, it's who i am.

That is going to be absolutely beautiful!!! And I can so relate with you on the Daddy's grrl part I havent quite figured out what I want to get tattood to express that part of me yet, though.

[aine]

No. I did not want to put this under the body modification section. Its more than modification, ink is my private Idaho. when things seem to lose touch or I can no longer emotionally handle things, the one thing that i can control is my own body.
Yes I have my sam, whom I love with all my heart and soul, and whom God has blessed me with. But still I need the ink. I have 9, with plans for several more.
But tell me, for those who are tattooed, for those of us who are inked, why did you do it?
Not just because you wanted a rose, but WHY?
((I always have loved the stories that live behind the ink))

I will definately be back to post my stories behind my ink...great thread!!!

[Kyssme]

kyssme....thats fucking awesome!!! i love it!!!!!!!!!!!

thanks, sweetie!

[Kyssme]

That is going to be absolutely beautiful!!! And I can so relate with you on the Daddy's grrl part I havent quite figured out what I want to get tattood to express that part of me yet, though.

thank you! i have wanted a 'Daddy's girl' design for quite a while- i'm so happy with it!!

[BrutalDyke]

My babygirl has "Daddy's Girl" inked on the small of her back. She got it waaaaaaaaaaaay before her and I ever met but that's just proof yet again of Fate.

Well that and the fact that she truly is a Daddy's Girl......in EVERY sense of the word. Now, I'm her Daddy and she's my girl. Yep yep, I do love fate.


Her ever loving Daddy, for life.
Brute

[femmegirrl]

aine...
still waiting for your stories!

[akadyke]

so yesterday, i read everyone else posts and thought what a great thread. so today, i decided that i will post. i have three tattoos as of today. i have been looking around for a new tat person to do some more work for me so its taken a bit more time.

my current art- my first was done on my left wrist, it is small, like a penny. it is two flowers (burnt red) and black vines for stems. this meant a lot to me and still does, it shows to me that i have a little feminity in me. my second, is on the back of my neck, in chinese which stands for poetry, is rainbowed, and has a fountain pen going through it. this one also means a lot to me, i write, i am gay, and its always going to be me.this one is about 4x3. the third, is on my right shoulder, and its a tribal frog with bright green eyes, about the size of 3x3 gauze. frogs mean a lot to me, and it was important to me to get one placed on my body. this is it for now.

thank you for starting this, this is wonderful.

a.

[femmegirrl]

thank you for sharing akadyke...
i like the idea of the chinese symbol....that sounds very cool!