#Blurred the stuff I'm not ready to commit to lol

[ashe-hallow]

Got frustrated with World Anvil, so now I’m putting together a series bible

[thoughtsonhurtandcomfort]

I've been wanting to get a tattoo for quite some time. I plan to find a place that accepts cash because I kinda have to hide it from someone. Also, I have deep hyperfixations, so I'm terrified as soon as I get it I'll instantly regret it. How did you sit with yours/decide it was time to commit? Appreciate it.

For starters I didn't rush into it...i've casually wanted tattoos for years but it wasn't a priority or i didn't feel ready...then one day my friend asked me to go to a nerdy flash sale an artist was holding, just as support while she got her first tattoo. I literally decided in the car on the way there that fuck it, I was gonna get one too. It's one of the most spontaneous things I've ever done which felt like a big step on a personal level, LOL.

I can also hyperfixate and get anxious about things, I definitely considered that I might regret it, but I didn't. Maybe I was just finally ready, maybe it was because it was a scary transitional point in my life at the time and getting Mjolnir on my thigh permanently felt like the LEAST scary thing going on. At least that was one thing I could control. For me it felt right, maybe a time will come for you when it feels right. Or when you just say "fuck it".

And, well. It helps that I'm a little bit of a "comforting nihilism" type. People go on about how tattoos are permanent but actually NOTHING is permanent! Life is short and weird and scary and I've decided that I want pretty pictures on my skin to be part of it. It helped when I let go of the notion of everything having to Mean Something, too. It's ok to just...get something because it looks neat.

I do have one that I ""regret"" but not really. I got this little flowery design on the side of my stomach like, two or three days before everything started shutting down last March. The guy that did them does beautiful black&white work but isn't so great at color, and there were some missed spots and places where the color kinda blurs with the outline. It's messy and imperfect and because of lockdown I never got a chance to go back and have it touched up. Maybe someday I will, or maybe I'll have things added to it to fancy it up. Or maybe I'll just keep it as is to remind me of a year that was messy and imperfect.

Once I got the first one I was hooked and it felt like, well, why not get more, I love this. If I had the money I'd have three times as many. Other people I know got one and were done. The biggest 'commitment' so far was the flowers on my shoulder blade i mentioned in a previous post. That was my first scheduled appointment for a custom piece that was a few hundred dollars, not just a walk-in pick an image off a sheet. That one took extra research, a lot of thought, saving, and working up the nerve to call. The very opposite of spontaneous. So worth it though. :)

Some things that you can do to just get comfortable with the idea before you jump:

-follow tattoo artists on instagram! it can give you a sense of what you like and honestly it's just fun to see what other people get.

-watch youtube videos. i watched some where artists talked about the industry & their styles and stuff

-go with a friend who is getting a tattoo done so you can get a feel for the environment, equipment, etc.

-research is your best friend, whether it's learning about the process itself or reading reviews to find out who in your area is reputable.

Sorry this got so rambly. :') I'm far from an expert, all I can give you is my point of view from my limited experience. But I hope it helps!! Don't push yourself or rush. I think if it's something you want to do, you'll know. Being nervous is normal but if you're stressing a ton over it it's okay to wait. My aunt got her first tattoo at 60!

Whatever you choose I hope it brings you joy!