Warning: this is going to be one of those poorly written "conversation" style pieces, so if that bothers you, I'd probably stop reading now. I'm not entirely sure why I feel compelled to warn you all...in all honesty it's probably insecurity derived from a pressure I often times place on myself to write something "beautiful" every time my fingers hit the keyboard. It's something I'm working on.
Another warning: this is likely to end up being quite lengthy.
This is currently my back, the photo taken RIGHT after we finished the session. It's actually a cover up of a really horrible quality tramp-stamp I got for my 16th birthday, which is quite a few years ago now. While the original tattoo meant a ton to me, and it was an amazing experience, I was ready to cover it. I got a piece started on my thigh (Which I will probably end up discussing as well at some point) and the more and more work that gets completed on my thigh, the worse it made the crooked, a-symmetrical, scarred, poorly executed original piece look. And it bothered me because I've always struggled a bit with self confidence in my appearance, and at one point my tattoo was the only thing I really liked about the way I looked. So realizing more and more how much of a bad quality tattoo it was, was quite bothersome. I'd been wanting to cover it for over a year, however the original piece was pretty messed up and pretty DARK and I wanted to cover it with something meaningful to me, so working with my artist to come up with a design I liked, that could actually work, was really a lengthy process.
Here's a photo of the original tattoo, for good measure. In all it's crooked glory. This photo actually makes it look considerably less terrible than it was in person. |
But why, then, do you ask, did I choose a tree-woman? Well, there are a lot of reasons, and it's a twist and a combination of a hell of a lot of different things and different symbols.
First, trees are highly symbolic in literature, which is something I have quite a huge passion for (if you couldn't tell by the fact that I'm a super nerd and started a blog that no one is likely to read, for fun) and in literature trees are typically symbolic of wisdom and strength, which I feel like is kindof a given. Now, the tree is going up my spine because my "backbone" is based on what I hope to be strength, not just physically, but also strength of character and strength in myself, and the pursuit of wisdom. Also in literature, trees that are flowering or very full with leaves are symbolic of wisdom, however you will notice that my tree is bare. This is because true wisdom is to know that you know nothing. It isn't finished yet, but in the final product, she will be holding a single flower in her hand, symbolic of the knowledge that I do possess, but it being nothing in comparison to what would be a full tree of flowers. She will also be holding her own flower. Symbolic of introspection and the importance of examining yourself and your beliefs, knowing where they come from and knowing who you are and why you are the way you are.
Another reason why I chose a tree is because trees (and other flowers and plants as well) combine all of the elements into a single product. Fire, from the sun, earth, wind, and water all coming together to produce something beautiful, similar to the way that we as humans are a product of the entire universe, and that we all carry the infinity of the universe inside of us at all times.
Yet another reason for the choice of a tree being simply all of the symbolism and importance behind the Tree of Life. It would take me an entire other post to explain the importance of the Tree of Life and all of the different origins of the symbol and interpretations, which maybe I will do another day, but for now if you're interested, here is a link which does a fairly decent job of exploring one of the more common interpretations.
And finally, trees are also in many different religions. In the Christian bible, trees composed the Garden of Eden, and are often times symbolic of God's promise of immortality in the afterlife.
But you may notice that the tree is not just a tree, but has the shape of a female. The inspiration behind this stems from a few things, the first being the story of The Giving Tree. I'm going to assume that most of you are familiar with the story, in which the tree acts as a sentient being who gave away all she had to offer asking for nothing in return. This story teaches about being charitable without keeping score (remember how the tree never asks for anything in return or reminds the boy of how much she has given him). This story also, in my opinion, pays homage to maternal selflessness which is something that receiving from my own mother, has shaped me into the person I am today.
But more than that, the female is symbolic of Mother Nature, and reminds that the "Holy Spirit" whoever and whatever he or she may be, is evident in all living things and that all life is precious.
If you look closely you'll also notice that the roots on the rock taper off into a triangle shape, which was no accident. In sacred geometry, the triangle is considered the most stable shape and is often times called the "Triad" or "Trinity of Life" which is substance, intellect, and the force that drives the two. The birds, which I elected not to cover up, are level with the roots of the tree, "feeding" off of this stability and information. The birds, which are leftover from a previous tattoo, are made of music notes because music is something that has always been so, so important to me.
And then, finally, the [unfinished] galaxy swirl in the background. Symbolic of the infinity of the universe, it reminds me of a quote from my favorite philosopher, if you will, Alan Watts, which reads "you are but an aperture through which the universe is experiencing itself."
The tattoo isn't finished quite yet, and there will be a few more tiny additions that I will likely discuss when it is finished and healed completely, however I just wanted to share this with you guys because it's something I'm quite excited about actually.
So many people choose to just get inked...and others, YOU, put so much thought into the piece you choose which makes it a meaningful beautiful work of art.
ReplyDelete