As many of you already know, I got a brand new tattoo last week. Inspired by one of their “space cube” flash pieces, I got this funky little Borg cube from Wildfirepunch. This is a very special piece for a number of reasons.
- This is my tenth tattoo. In the past five years, I’ve had many different experiences with a total of six different tattoo artists, and I noticed a huge difference between my first and my tenth. For my first tattoo, I walked into a male owned space where the artists specialized in traditional style tattoos. Big, muscular men were getting tattooed by said artists (my husband being one of them). And here I was, wearing glittery makeup and a dress, not a single tattoo anywhere on me, and nervous as hell because of a) the realization that it was finally happening, and b) my social anxiety disorder. I did not feel like I belonged in that space. Cut to last week when I entered a female owned studio, filled with female and non-binary artists specializing in a wide range of styles. I already had tattoos, a history of good experiences with other artists, and despite the recurring social anxiety, I felt confident and comfortable walking into that space. I certainly belong in that world now.
- On my left arm, I have two spooky tattoos from Sebastian C.S. Until last week, I had nothing on my right. Since I write horror and science fiction, my plan is to have a horror arm and a sci-fi arm. This Borg cube is the first step towards getting the sci-fi arm of my dreams. And as a storyteller, I love getting tattoos because it tells my story. I take what I think, feel, and love, and put it on display for the world to see.
- My appointment was originally supposed to take place before the most recent lockdown. Fortunately, that worked out as I would have had to have cancelled the appointment anyway. That was the day my Grandpa passed away. This tattoo suddenly became much more important for me to get. It’s because Grandpa played a crucial role in getting me hooked on Star Trek. The first Star Trek episode I ever saw was at my grandparent’s place – an episode of TNG, to be exact. And when I wanted to watch TOS, it was my grandparents who leant me their old VHS tapes. And, most importantly, Grandpa and I both agreed that DS9 is one of the best Star Treks. Although I didn’t plan on having this become a memorial tattoo when I booked the appointment, I know that whenever I look at this little Borg cube, I’ll think of Grandpa.
