I got a tattoo!
Last month, I turned forty, and to celebrate, my best friend bought me a new tattoo! I haven’t had one in 10 years, but it was such a great experience, and I LOVE the results so far, so I thought I’d share my experience just in case you’re considering taking the leap!
The first thing I did was choose what style I wanted. I’m very into gardening and LOVE flowers, so I decided I wanted something botanical and maybe a little colorful. We found an artist on Instagram who lives in Paris, whose style I love. Next, my friend worked magic and tracked down a local Orlando artist who could emulate that fine line/watercolor style I loved. I researched, checked out reviews for the tattoo shop she worked at (all incredible!), and decided to reach out.
I didn’t give her many specifics; I just sent her the style I liked and committed to a location on my body. I decided that I was established enough in my career path that I was no longer worried about visible tattoos, and I decided to get it on my forearm. She asked if I wanted any particular colors or flowers, and I said I was open to any color scheme. She took a few days and sent me back a sketch:
I loved it. She asked for a $50 deposit (which went towards the total cost of my tattoo), and I made the appointment!
The day of, I was a little nervous. I have a few tattoos already, but it’s been a number of years since I had one, and I’m not sure if you’re aware, but…they hurt. It ended up being way better than I imagined! She set me down in a chair and printed out the sketch on transfer paper. We decided what size it should be and what position I wanted it to be in on my arm.
She did a transfer and got to work. She traced the design and filled it all in. It only took a few hours, and I was all done! For aftercare, they put a saran wrap-like covering over it that was like a second skin. I was supposed to leave it on for a day or two to let it stay protected as it heals. Here are some photos of the process and what it looks like.
