Ever since I was about 13-14 years old I was so fascinated by body modification. I looked in awe at people who had piercings and tattoos and wanted to know the stories behind them. I didn't think that about 9 years later that I would have piercings, gauges and some ink. I got every piece in the timespan of about 3,5 years.
When I was 16 years old I finally got my first piercing, a septum, together with my one of my best friends (
Valérie from Moonlit Stories to be exact). I was so frightened and nervous and in the end it was nothing. I still have it today and I really don't want to put it out since it's so easy to hide.
My journey to modifying my skin with ink started two and a half years later. I knew what I wanted exactly since I was 16 but the placement was changeable depending on pictures I saw on the internet. I researched and researched website about hygiene in shops, how ink was put into your skin, how deep and what the most important things to think about where. Placement was absolutely one of them. You have to be entirely sure about what you're getting, otherwise... don't get it done. You'll regret it later.
I got all my tattoos at the same shop until now and all by the same person. Philippe from Inkglorious Tattoo & Gallery is a wonderful tattoo artist that reassures you and is just a fun person in general. After all the pieces of ink he has put on my body and on my husband's body he has become a friend.
The day of my first tattoo I was incredibly nervous, I felt my heart beating in my throat as I was waiting until my drawing was ready but the moment he put that stencil on my sternum of that old school anchor, all my nerves disappeared. The sternum is, according to my tattoo artist, one of the most painful places and he has seen many faint or throw up while tattooing in that spot but I actually thought it was okay. Not pleasant but bearable.
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| Combined with my third piece of ink thanks to my tattoo artist Philippe at inglorious tattoo & gallery |
The result was finished in two sittings.
I wanted the anchor because it stand for hope and determination or resolution. Two things that are very important to me. I always want to have hope, even in the darkest of times. I choose my sternum since it was easy to hide. Not everyone walks around all day with their stomach exposed.
Just 6 or 7 months later I had my second appointment for my second piece of ink. Quite a big piece on my thigh of the all seeing eye with old school roses and flowers. I don't have a particular idea behind this one for myself or my life but I liked the all seeing eye.
After that second piece I waited about a year to go back for the third one. This time I went a bit smaller and got a rudder just below my neck and dead in the center. I choose the rudder because it went well with the anchor to be honest and I love sailor tattoos, also since my husband is a dockworker at the port of Ghent.
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| Taking pictures of your own back is really hard... :( |
My fourth and for now final piece of ink I got for my husband, I didn't want to include any names or dates or really show that it was for him but it was the whole idea behind it for me personally. The key stands for my husband, since he will always have the way into my heart.
This one hurt a lot more than my three other tattoos, mostly around the ankle. I had a serious case of the cankles afterwards, you could see my ankle anymore because of the swelling the day after. I went down after about a week putting my leg up in the air from the moment I sat down on my sofa at night and even sleeping with my leg in the air.
My journey isn't finished at all, I already have a new appointment waiting for me on the 27th of September.
Do you have any tattoos or would you consider getting one?
