What does one do when shops in England are opened? Run to Primark? Grab a deal in Marks and Spencers? Nope. You book yourself in for a new tattoo. Obviously!
I’d been scrolling on The Black Economy on Facebook and came across some beautiful prints being sold by a member. After clicking on her Instagram, it turned out, not only did she create beautiful prints but she was also a tattoo artist! Obviously, this led me down a whole rabbit hole and the next thing you know, I was enquiring about getting myself booked in! I had to wait an entire month for a date that worked with me and it felt like the longest month EVER!
This wasn’t my first tattoo. I have many. But this is my first one in over 13 years. The first tattoo I’d have had since becoming a mum. In some ways this made it all feel somewhat strange. A bit of me finding myself again. Remembering who I was before being known as so and so’s mum in the playground. In a way this tattoo was as much about reclaiming myself as it was scratching an itch for some new ink.
The Tattoo Studio and Tattoo Artist
The tattooist I chose, Zipporah (became slightly obsessed with) is based in South London in a studio called Delilah’s Dagger Tattoo Studio. So pretty far from where I’m based but I knew it would be worth the journey. The studio is an all female affair and I knew from looking at their website that it was somewhere I was going to feel comfortable in.
To make the trip into London even more worthwhile, I’d decided to kill two birds with one stone and get my septum pierced too. I very nearly got two tattoos in one sitting just to really maximise on my time but the second tattoo I wanted was too large to have done in the time frame we had.
Why I chose this particular tattoo
I went for a beautiful line drawing in Zipporah’s Flash Sale. If you follow my Pinterest boards, you may have seen I’ve been adding loads of Black inspired tattoo drawings for some time. The line drawing I chose instantly called to me and was in a style I’d not even considered but strangely enough, instantly felt like the best fit. It was a total ‘aha’ moment.
I really am proud of my heritage and had been looking at tattoos that would reflect that pride. I was looking at flags, maps of Africa, women in headscarves with their chins held up high. So many different things. This woman who now adorns my arm, she was just perfect.
Did it hurt?
I won’t lie, it hurt a bit. But no more so than plucking your eyebrows or having a wax. I think since having kids, I compare everything against the pain of childbirth and this didn’t even come close. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being childbirth, the discomfort of a tattoo probably rated at about a 2. In fact, the discomfort of getting my septum pierced on the way home from getting the tattoo scored higher, at maybe a 5, though the pain lasted all of 5 seconds.
What did the kids think?
I wondered if the eldest daughter would think I was having a bit of a mid life crisis. But she surprised me in saying that it looked amazing and that I was actually pretty badass. She didn’t use the word badass, but I’ve had to translate it into something I could remember. I’m trying to teach the girls that it’s good to be able to express yourself and that it’s not all about fitting in with those around you. It turns out, they’re actually listening and weren’t even a little thrown by the new piercing or tattoo. As it should be, really.
Would you get more tattoos?
Yup. I’ve got a date with one of my besties to get a new one very soon and I’ve got an idea for a larger piece that I need to find a way to put into words soon! It’s true what they say about body art being addictive for sure.
