I was in my bed, sleeping soundly. When all of a sudden my friends were carrying me off into their car. I kept asking, “Where are we going” I started to panic a little. I then realized we are pulling up to a tattoo parlor. Before I knew it they were forcing me to get a tattoo. I was devastated because now I had a permanent mark on me for life. I heard a noise and then I woke up from my disturbing dream. I have to tell you that I am 56 years old and I had this dream when I was 17 years old. To this day everyone in my life knows that I would never get a Tattoo. I really don’t know where the fear comes from other then what was drilled into me by parents. A Tattoo was out of the question, forever!
I really loved doing my research about Tattoos and Tattoo art.The best way to figure out why you have a fear is to gain knowledge. Charles Darwin wrote, “There was no country in the world that did not practice tattooing or some other form of permanent body decoration.” Tattooing can be followed all the way to 3300 BCE on mummified bodies.(wellcomecollection.org) There are a lot of historians and scientist that have their opinions of how tattooing got started. They believe that when there was an injury they would put clay colored sand on the injury. After the injury healed there would be a permanent mark left. We have Archaeologist that have excavated tombs. These sarcophagus’s have tattoos or coloring on all different areas of the body. These drawings could represent your station or royalty. The Vikings, Native Americans, Greeks, Romans and many other cultures have utilized a permanent form of body decoration throughout time.
Growing up we knew that if we wanted to get a tattoo we would have to hide it from our parents. I had a few friends who planned a covert mission to get a tattoo and how they were going to keep it from their parents. Not me, no I am never going to put a permanent mark on my body. Tattoo art has started to grow more into the mainstream of society. It used to be an unspoken rule, if you get a tattoo, make sure you put it someplace that you can cover it when you are at work. Many jobs would not hire you if you had tattoos for example a tattooed arm sleeve. When I first started dating my husband he said to me, “I have to ask you a big question, are you ok with me having a tattoo?” My answer was, “Absolutely, as long as you never ask me to get one. lol” Some of you might be asking why would my boyfriend at the time even ask me that question? In the Jewish religion according to the old Hebrew Bible, tattoos are forbidden. So as a Jewish individual you grow up with the unspoken word that you will never get a tattoo. In history if you were Jewish and were tattooed, you could not be buried in a Jewish Cemetery. Following the Holocaust, it was added that Jews would never let anyone tattoo them again. Jews were tattooed with a number on their forearm when they were shipped to the concentration camps. Being a Jewish person and not getting a tattoo became more then just religious. This was another reason confirming why I would never get a tattoo that would break the unspoken rule. Just for a side note, I love my husband’s tattoos. I always loved a guy who was a little bit of a rebel and when he got his tattoo, it was breaking from tradition. I guess I was attracted to a rebel because I was absolutely a rebel myself. I was always trying to step away from my comfort zone and creating a little bit of a stir or surprise.
Symbols, pictures and words have been used to represent a club, group or even when someone enters adulthood. I remember years ago when I would visit Las Vegas there were tattoo parlors in certain hotels. The store front was all windows so that you could watch the works of art being created on the individual. I was absolutely mesmerized by how these individuals were allowing this permanent mark to be placed on them. There are even some fun television shows that focus on tattoo art, like the reality TV show “Ink Master.” The art that these tattooist create are phenomenal. I guess you can assume by now I am obsessed with watching people get tattoos. In the past year I have had a new obsession surface. I started to get Henna Tattoos, just so I could feel what it was like to mark ones skin this way. The Henna is painless and only lasts for two weeks, so this was right up my alley. Both times I got a Hamsa placed on my forearm by the Henna artist. I even had a Henna Party with my girlfriends. Once the Henna would fade away, I was left with a yearning for the Hamsa that was once on my arm.
In the progression of this piece, I am sure you have gathered that I was working my way up to getting a tattoo. I think this went on for about a year. I mean how could I go against my religion and the history of the Holocaust? I didn’t want to be considered a bad Jew. I became realistic through my research. The idea that the bible says no tattoos, slowly has fallen to the waist side with many Jewish people. Heck, most Israeli’s are tattooed many places on their bodies and they are much more religious then I am. I struggled with the Holocaust number tattoo and that I didn’t want to negate the pain and suffering that my people had gone through. I have to tell you that the struggle was real.
I recently sailed on the first Cruise Line to have Tattoo Artists on their ship, Virgin Voyages. The Scarlet Lady to be exact. My husband asked me, “Do you want to get a tattoo for our Anniversary on the ship?” I was scared to say Yes, but I said yes. My journey truly didn’t begin until I actually was in the tattoo parlor called Squid Ink(such a great name for a cruise tattoo place). We had to wait in a long line to make our appointments to get a tattoo. Yes, there were that many people who wanted to get a tattoo on a cruise ship. I have to be honest, I was slightly agitated the day of my appointment. I kept looking at my bare forearm and trying to remember what it looks like before I alter it for life. Of course you basically have to sign your life away before you get the actual tattoo, I sat in the chair as my heart was pounding and the little voice on my shoulder saying, “What the actual Fuck are you doing?” I decided to flick that negative tiny voice off my shoulder. My tattoo artists’s name was Johnny Rodriquez from Alicante, Spain. Virgin Voyages brings in artists from all over the world to create the lasting memories for the cruise passengers. I thought it was so Badass that my artist was from Spain. I mean it makes for a great story doesn’t it? The whole process of getting a tattoo is quit fascinating when you are the one getting the tattoo. The sterile process, the concern of pain and the anticipation of the needle. I will be honest, I chose to get my tattoo on the forearm and well let’s just say it hurt like a mother. I loved that my husband took a video of my work being done because I could not watch at all. I will admit I felt like I was in labor with the breathing techniques that I had to use to get through the pain. Within 30 minutes my tattoo was complete. Johnny, wanted to make sure that I loved it and I could feel that he was proud of his work.
This is the part of the story where I am going to get a little deep about the Tattoo Process. The title of this piece is “Tattoos speak a unique language.” I believe that tattoos have a lot to do with our mental health and our life stories. I want to acknowledge the connection that one feels with their tattoo artist. Each piece of art that they create is leaving a piece of themselves with the client. Johnny from Spain will always be a part of my life and memories. The pride that each artist takes in their work needs to be noted. They are such perfectionists and you can feel their desire to make you happy. The tattoo that I chose was a Hamsa with a blue evil eye in the center as a form of protection to keep evil and bad things away from me. I wanted to somehow in my own mind take the tattooed numbers that were placed on my people in the Holocaust and turn a tattoo into a form of protection and a remembrance that evil can be conquered. This is my way of honoring the horrors that those number tattoos were created for and letting the world know that we will never allow this to happen again. I feel tearful as I write this because I can only imagine the horrors and I don’t want to ever forget.
My tattoo was finished and all I kept saying is, “oh I love it, I love it, I absolutely love it, thank you.” It really is me and everyone that I show says that to me. It was now my husband’s turn to enhance his already existing tattoo. While he was busy I was talking to the other people getting tattoos and watching the process. I then started to talk to a man and told him that it was my first tattoo. He said something so profound to me, “You will get addicted. It is a way to tell your life story through the body art that you have.” Of course I sat with his words and my mind was rushing with thoughts. I see people with tattoos but I have never asked what does that art mean or why did you get that. I asked this man and he showed me his tattoo of Steamboat Willy at the helm of a ship. He said he is a boat Captain and he loves Disney, hence the tattoo’s meaning to him. A lady was getting a tattoo in her husband’s handwriting saying, “You are Loved.” I really was starting to get the deeper meaning of the Language that a Tattoo Speaks. In life we have so many ups and downs that we go through. We love and we have loss. This is where a tattoo can help with our Mental Health by celebrating the good, memorable, happy and sad times with art. The body becomes a tapestry that you can tell your life’s story through pictures. Many have pictures of loved ones they have lost, tattooed and this makes them feel like their loved ones are still with them. Places you have been, things you have conquered, coped with or even words of wisdom and positivity are inked as a reminder of who you are and where you have been.
I never imagined that me getting a tattoo would create such an epiphany in my life and gain insight into the importance of tattoos and one’s mental health. We express and cope with our feelings in many different forms and now I want to add tattooing to that list.
Mental Health and Ways that you can help yourself.
Seeing a medical professional Support Groups
Therapy Medication Therapy
Coping Mechanisms Journaling ETC…………………………………..
Exercise Getting A Tattoo
I love my Tattoo Journey and realizing how Tattoos Speak a Unique Language for each individual. If my piece doesn’t make you want to run out and get a tattoo then I hope I was able to educate you and that I gave you some insight into how tattoos are more then a picture that is placed on someone’s body with a needle and ink. Oh Tattoos are so much more then that. I hope you start to ask people to share what the meanings of their tattoos are. Ask to hear the Unique Language that they Speak. Their is also a power and a form of self empowerment when you share the meaning of your art with others. Have I created the urge for you to want to go get a tattoo? Yes, Maybe, No?
I would love for you to go to my Instagram, Podcast, Facebook, TikTok, Youtube or Linkedin and tell be about the Unique Language that your tattoos speak to you and how they tell your life story, I would be honored to listen.
POSITIVE THOUGHTS CREATE POSITIVE ENERGY
GO OUT AND EXPLORE ALL THE WIDE OPEN SPACES IN YOUR WORLD
LISTEN AND EVOLVE WITH ME on my Podcast
CIAO
ILISE
