INKING YOUR SOUL...

It is tough to find perfect tattoos with meaning. You probably want something permanent on your body to have a specific or deeper meaning, but how do you choose a tattoo that will still be relevant in 5, 10 or 15 years?

Tattoo-lovers say it is a holistic, spiritual, emotional, mental and physical experience that is permanent at every level. Tattoos are extremely personal, and while they might seem modern, cool and trendy, they mean much more than a shape or symbol.

“People get tattoos for an aesthetic reason and don’t realize there are often centuries-old stories behind the imagery,” says author Trend Aitken Smith, 44, long time body art fanatic and editor of the industry bible Tattoo Master.

Personally I would have never thought I would get even one single tattoo. Now I have 7 inked on my body forever and I don’t regret a single one of them. In 5, 10 or 15 years time they will remind me what I went through during specific times of my life and that each "event" shaped me into the person I have become.

Funnily enough, I never planned any of these in advance, but each time I went through a life event that burnt through my soul, a design so relevant it's actually scary, just crossed my path as if sent! They are all there to celebrate what I went through - not in a negative way, but to remind myself that I'm OK and stronger.

My first tattoo was inspired by the movie “Into the Wild”, a true story about Chris McCandless, an American hiker and traveler who was also known as "Alexander Supertramp". He went on a quest thinking he would experience true happiness when alone in the wild. Unfortunately he realized too late, while dying alone in Alaska, that to be truly happy, you need to share it with the people you love. Thus his quote “Happiness can only be shared with the people you love”.

I will never forget my second tattoo. It was my 21st birthday, and was given a voucher for a tattoo as a gift. The meaning and placement of this tattoo was prompted during a very difficult time in my life when I tried to cope with issues by self-harm: cutting myself on my left wrist. I stopped with that a few months before my 21st birthday and fortunately the wounds had healed, but left some scars. I accidentally stumbled upon an image which had a very deep meaning to me… "BEAUTIFUL MISTAKES" and had this tattooed on my left wrist to cover the scars. At that time, it was exactly how I saw my past ... a beautiful mistake! If I had not gone through the issues and drama that I did, I would not be the strong person I am today.

One of the coolest experiences of my life was when I traveled to Thailand a few years ago. Here they still practice the art of traditional bamboo tattoos, and I simply had to have one!

I had always wanted a cherry blossom tattoo, therefore it was so absolutely appropriate to get it done there and then!

I had a rough idea of what I wanted and tried to explain it to the artist. The owner had to do some serious translation as the artist couldn't understand or speak much English. Fortunately my idea didn't get lost in translation! This guy was so talented that he drew his own design from scratch!

Earlier this year I decided to extend the tattoo somewhat. Obviously it wasn't possible to head back to Thailand for that (I wish), so a local artist and I designed something to combine the two, even though the styles are completely different. I love it!

Something so different and special!

Life can throw you so many curve balls that sometimes you just can’t deal with it all...

One of my very close friends became seriously ill. We couldn’t grasp how somebody of our age could have so much physical pain that he had to use alcohol and other substances just to get through the day.

His passing away was a huge shock and in that moment changed how I see and experience life. That life can sometimes be just one big fuck up. “SO IT GOES”. That was it... you never know what can happen to you at any given time of your life. It saddens me that you have to go through life with that mind set, but if you don’t, then you my friend, are living in denial!

I went through a very tough time after the breakup of an eight year relationship. I thought it was the end of my life and that I would never be able to live without this person.

So another tattoo "happened"... The tattoo is a ECG where my heart beat flat-lines, symbolizing the end of the relationship. The semicolon started as a mental health support group for people that suffer from depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies. I chose the semicolon and NOT the full stop... and my heart started beating again... LIVE LIFE!

The newest addition is extremely close to my heart...

Music is my be and end all, my passion and my sanity. While hospitalized, I received an unsettling message one day that sent my anxiety levels through the roof. Armed with ear phones and a long playlist, I grabbed my diary and vented my emotions by writing while listening to some tunes. The next thing I know I am buying new music, creating new playlists, watching a bunch of YouTube videos and discovering new bands. And there it was… I forgot about all the negativity and anxiety and was happy and content. Music just made everything better.

And now I realize, and it's actually ironic, that some of my tattoos are so interlinked that it is scary. I self-harmed myself again, but the funny thing is I did it around my tattoo not to damage it. I finally had to make the decision whether or not I want to go into another cycle of self destruction or work out my shit. I have decided to fight!

You choose your tattoos for a reason.

I love each and every one of them, and will never regret having them!!!