February 6, 2022
Editor: Mary Murphy
Artist: Sydney Payton
Sabrina: I first began saving tattoos onto my outrageously cluttered Pinterest boards (I have 1,797 pins at the moment and I am in no way ashamed) during my Freshman year of high school — when the thought of getting a tattoo first appeared in the back of my mind. It was pushed a bit closer to the forefront, though, when my mom spontaneously got a cute cartoon whale tattoo on her wrist. Then, as a 17 year-old with an August birthday, I went to a tattoo shop with one of my best friends and watched as she got a flower inked onto her ribcage. At that moment, the decision was made: I would get a tattoo once I turned 18.
Carolyn: I remember being a teenager and watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians for the first time when I heard Kim’s recognizable line, discouraging me from getting a tattoo because she compared tattoos to “putting bumper stickers on a Bentley.” However, now 4 tattoos later and more already planned, I have seemingly ignored the iconic line that I used to live by.
Carolyn: My first tattoo happened in a very chaotic fashion, similar to the person I am today. I approached my friend Elliot one day and he drew a flower that I would get tattooed on my body. Elliot surprised me with a sentimental design of the Lily of the Valley, which is the birth flower for the month of May. I currently have the tattoo sitting atop my right rib cage. Now, sometimes I glance at it and laugh knowing it was the result of a silly senior scavenger hunt in high school.
Sabrina: I decided to follow suit after my mom by first getting a whale tattoo similar to the one she has. My mom’s maiden name is Whalen, and she grew up with a whale-shaped pool (which is what her tattoo is modeled after). I am absolutely in love with this tattoo because it has helped me in so many ways that I never could have foreseen — from acting as a reminder that my mom is always there for me to changing the way that I see myself (I used to be very self-conscious of my arms, but now I focus on the inked art that is there instead).
Carolyn: For my second tattoo, I put all of my faith in my friend, Christina, who took up the hobby of tattooing right before the pandemic, all the while making her way through art school. Christina hand-drew the tattoo, a vine with some flowers, based on the Pinterest board inspiration that I had sent to her a week prior. From the moment I sat down in the leather chair to the moment I stepped outside with my fresh second skin covering, I knew that this was going to be the most memorable piece. Many thought I was crazy to entrust my friend to both design and tattoo me, but it gave me a sense of pride. I’m proud that I get to see Christina’s journey as she navigates art school and works at an all-female tattoo shop in Detroit. Today she has amassed 7,000+ followers on @color.by.letter instagram and constantly has a full book of appointments.
Sabrina: As my dad and I were sitting in our living room, he turned to me and asked if I would like to go get a tattoo with him (the answer was an enthusiastic “yes, of course”). And so began the contemplation of what second tattoo to get. It was an easy decision, though. My dad played football in college and his jersey number was “87”, so he decided that he would get that number tattooed in block numbers. Wanting to have a similar tattoo to him, I decided to also get his football number, but written out in cursive letters on my ribcage. The lettering of the tattoo is quite big, so as to ensure that it will not become illegible if the ink spreads out over time. While my artist was tattooing me, she said “Wow, you’re a badass, this is a painful spot.” Honestly, that is one of the best compliments I’ve ever received. I personally believe that tattoos are worth the pain that they cause in the moment, because they are something that will last forever. One of my favorite things about tattoos is the way that they are an art form that literally becomes a part of you. I grew up being told that I cannot change the way I look, but that is not entirely true, since my tattoos are a permanent element of my appearance that I got to choose.
Carolyn: After another year-long hiatus from tattooing, my camp co-counselors and I decided to get tattoos on a whim this past summer. I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to get, I just knew that I wanted the tattoo to make me smile. It started off as a joke about getting :) tattooed on my hip, but suddenly I was in the chair with the needle buzzing, getting tattooed. I then looked down at my infamous “i love you say it back” sweatshirt that I constantly wear. I decided to get the phrase, which I consider to be my life motto, tattooed on my wrist in order to meet the shop’s $100 minimum requirement. With that, I ran out of the shop freshly covered in another set of second skin.
Sabrina: As I sit here in a black sweatshirt that says “i’ll go if you go,” I cannot help but smile, since I recognize the quote that Carolyn has tattooed on her wrist. One of my favorite brands is Lonely Ghost, which has so many cute sweatshirts with unique quotes, all surrounding loving those around you. That’s another element of tattoos that I adore: they allow people to connect with one another, since they share things about those around us that we wouldn’t otherwise know. My third tattoo is a small turtle on my ankle, and it, like my other two, is for a family member. When I was younger, my mom and I would travel to Florida to visit my grandparents. We would often spend time going to a nature center, buying turtle food, and feeding the wild turtles that lived in the pond. My grandma has always loved turtles, and my memories of those days increased my love for the turtles too.
Sabrina: My three tattoos all symbolize the people I came from, and as I think about tattoos I might get in the future, I know that I want to get one that represents who I am as an individual. The problem is, however, I am not quite positive who that is yet, let alone what image I could get to represent it. Maybe a hibiscus flower on my hip, since I love the nature and environment that surrounds those colorful flowers. Perhaps a lyric from my favorite Lumineers song, or maybe a pastel-colored slice of watermelon, since my birthday is apparently National Watermelon Day. . .
Carolyn: While it has only been a few months since I got my recent additions, I can’t help but think about what’s next. I want my next one to be something that represents my life's influences. I feel as though it could be my grandma’s signature, or something for my goldendoodle, Blueberry, or a friendship tattoo with my best friend, Nina. Regardless, I know that no matter what, my next tattoo will be a colorful expression of my greatest influences, and I look forward to sitting in Christina’s chair once again.
