Visceral Ink
Recently I’ve been challenging myself to wait for delayed gratification as opposed to instant satisfaction. Objects provide me with dopamine rushes with a side of instant gratification but experiences are much more memorable, long-lasting and edifying. Traveling, trying new cuisines and wilderness hikes are all examples of how to satiate our minds with experiences. On my 23rd birthday, I got a tattoo at Black Heart Tattoo in the Mission district of San Francisco. Tattoos are a psychologically charged process. The pain of the tattoo needles on my skin separates me from my thoughts and emotions, allowing me to enter a meditative state.
I chose a flower with a semicolon through it. All of my tattoos are a reminder of coping mechanisms and challenging events in my life. The semicolon represents healing from mental health issues and the importance of survival. After placing the outline of the tattoo, the artist had me lie down on my side as he began outlining the image. While he is tattooing me, drunk punk rock plays as if it is fighting to be heard. Looking up at the ceiling, I notice the myriad of posters and stickers that appear to have been there since the '90s. One poster quotes Hunter S. Thompson, “Too weird to live, and too rare to die.”
Body art isn’t just for me. It’s also part of a physical narrative that I’ve curated over time. Each tattoo I’ve gotten is like a paragraph in a memoir that can be shared with others. Tattoos also remind me of the ways in which I aspire to act in the future. The word “wise” is tattooed on my right forearm and “mind” is on my left. I acquired this tattoo just before my 20th birthday. Since then tattoos have been hard to stay away from.
So what makes a permanent drawing on your skin more meaningful than a luxurious cashmere sweater? A piece of clothing is ephemeral while a tattoo is sustained across the lifespan. Fleeting satisfaction arises from most material purchases but tattoos remind me of my strength, psychological aspirations and past versions of myself. Tattoos equate to a language that only the inked can understand. On a lighter note, I have seen some awful pieces, which appear to be just as memorable as a poorly made cup of tea. Tattoos require time to heal. The recipient has to take care of their tattoo until it has gone through several stages of recovery. A tattoo is not only a piece of art, it’s also a wound, which requires washing and moisturizing in order to look clean. The healing process adds to the overall experience.
If I had to choose between a tattoo, a new iPhone or a trip to Thailand, I certainly wouldn’t pick the phone. I was raised to appreciate experiences. When I was a kid my grandparents didn’t believe in Christmas presents so every year they took me, my brother and cousins to Mexico or Costa Rica. I learned a lot about other cultures from these vacations. I have 8 tattoos and I’ve visited almost 20 countries. I have ample meaning in my life as a result.