Here's the details: It's on my left wrist. It cost me $80, Red Rocket's minimum. It didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would and I pretty much have no tolerance for pain. On the physical pain scale I'd rank it between getting my gums deep cleaned and middle school. Its like really sharp pinches, and it's worse when they go over your veins and stuff, but its not completely unbearable. I'm not running back to get another one, but that's partly because I'm broke, partly because I don't have anything else meaningful that I want on my body at the moment, and partly because yeah, it did hurt.
My grandmother passed away 1o years ago this summer. Although I only knew her for 8 short years, she was a major part of my life, and to this day I believe she has had more influence on me than anyone else in my family (other than maybe my parents). My grandmother was a teacher, an artist and an all around wonderful person. Only recently did I find out that she suffered from Bipolar disorder, which only reinforced my aspiration to become a clinical psychologist, psychiatrist, or art therapist, and work with people with Asperger's Syndrome and Bipolar Disorder.
I remember very vividly a day when my grandmother came to visit. I couldn't have been more than six years old, and I was not psyched to spend all day in a museum with my mom and grandma. I, of course, whined and fidgeted around the whole time until my grandmother offered to take me to the gift shop. There I found a coloring book by Keith Haring, a New York City graffiti artist. His simplistic cartoon figures reminded me of the Nickelodeon guy who slips on the banana peel (making the "splat" logo). My grandma bought me the coloring book, and continued to mail me things that were related to Keith Haring. This was the first day I was ever remotely interested in art, not as an activity, but as something to be appreciated. Although I have chosen to not pursue a career in art, it is still something I love to do and appreciate, and is a major aspect of my life.
My tattoo is Keith Haring' s "Radiant Baby," which was basically his calling card, or signature in some cases. The version of "Radiant Baby" that I have has wings (obviously), and represents a sort of hybrid of my grandmother and myself; she is the angel, and I am the baby.
