My First Tattoo

I recently made a little risk. Sparked by a little creativity and something else I can't really explain, I decided to get a tattoo. I wanted to share with you my experience because it was really exciting and also as a bit of advice for other tattoo virgins thinking about getting inked!

Why?

I'm not one to believe that an individual's actions or choices need to be justified to anyone else. So if you want to get a tattoo, why not? For me, it was as simple as wanting a cool piece of art on my body.

What does it mean?

My tattoo was inspired by my love for the Shakespearian drama Hamlet (nerdy, I know). For me, it reveals the power of the mind and infinite possibilities of the imagination. Also how cool is it that hundreds of years later we can pick up Hamlet and find meaning within it for our own life, revealing the power of the theatre.

"Oh God, I could be bound in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams." Act 2, Scene 2

Did it hurt?

Yes. I didn't expect it to hurt as much as it did, but I'm not sure if it was just because I'm a wuss or I had trouble staying relaxed and my heart rate stable. I was able to stay still though, but I was actually quite shocked at the pain. Obviously it depends on where you get your tattoo as well - I got mine on the inside of my arm.

How did I choose an artist/shop?

I got my tattoo done at LDF in Newtown by artist Jimmy Memento. Basically, I had driven past the LDF shop in Marrickville almost everyday for years on the way to school. When I started thinking about getting a tattoo I started following the shop's instagram account to get an idea of artists I liked, particularly as I had an idea but was open to ideas and artistic interpretation. I think the best way of finding an artist is to look on instagram. There are so many fantastic tattoo artists posting their work and it's easy to find other artists by searching hashtags and through posts by the stores themselves.

Jimmy's Instagram
LDF Instagram

Another piece of advice - I wasn't really sure how to make an appointment with an artist so check out their website or call the shop to ask what the process is. The artist I chose holds consult days where I got to discuss my design and book an appointment. Some artists are in high demand so you may have to wait a while, but it's definitely worth it!

Overall I am so so happy having got my first tattoo done. It hurt so much but I was also ridiculously excited and happy about the whole experience!

Let me know if you have any other questions :)

xx Cat

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