else

Hi all. So, so freaking glad I found you guys.
I'm a downtown, 45-year-old who got my first tattoo earlier this week. It was a reward for staying clean (oh, the joys of crack cocaine: took my marriage, every cent I had ever saved, my home and for a long time, my health) for three years, and I've been planning it about that long.
I think it would be fair to say that I'm hooked. I'm starting to plan my next tat as a reward after I lose some of the weight my medication (see health problems, above) put on me.
After thinking my life was over a few years ago and clawing myself back out of the black hole I was in, my simple new tattoo ("courage" on my forearm) makes me happy every single time I look at it.
Anyway, glad to be here.

@else how did I miss this?! So stoked for you!

Update: It totally worked!
I was a little worried that I would get a leg tattoo and still hate my legs...
But I've spent pretty much every waking moment since I got my raven-girl staring at my leg (and pictures of my leg) with absolute adoration.
I <3 my leg!! Yay!!
Also - I figured out the probable reason *why* I've been persistently dreaming about leg tattoos. My motor nerves are dying but my sensory nerves are fine. However, because of the motor damage my sensory nerves are freaking out pretty much all the time and I have a constant pins and needles/sunburn feeling from my ankles to my knees. It's much worse at night (like a toothache I imagine, worse when there's nothing else to think about).
Anyway, as soon as he started I realized that the sensation was just a notch stronger than what I've been feeling all the time anyway.
And - I learned to trust my tattooer. I had gone in initially telling him "I don't really care, do whatever you want". And then we had talked about a few things and kind of nailed down an idea or two. When I came in to get the tattoo the drawing he showed me wasn't what we had talked about at all and my initial thought was to cancel altogether. But then I thought on it for a minute and recalled that I had told him that he pretty much had free reign to do what he wanted so I went with it even though it wasn't what I had expected it to be. And it is AWESOME! Better than I ever imagined and I couldn't be more pleased with the thing.
And now I want more ;)

I have a HUGE list of people I'd like to be tattooed by!
Honestly, I'm more interested in getting good tattoos that I like to look at than any particular imagery. The things I love in real life are more art nouveau and illustration... but from looking at a lot of tattoos I'm finding that I don't particularly care for "realism". I do like clean sharp lines and strong colors.
I'm a traveling speech therapist - which means that I go for ~3 months at a time *somewhere* to work. I've been working a lot in Texas lately. I'm taking about a month off after next week, and I'm not really sure where I'll be after that, but if I'm back in Texas I plan on making a trip to Austin.
- - - Updated - - -
:) LOL! @Graeme I've considered the squid pants! Really I have!
Realistically though, I think that because of my work status it would be hard... I don't know where I'm going to be more than 3 or 4 months ahead ever.
I'm probably going to go for more of a mish-mash. A high quality mish-mash I hope.

Hi! First, I want to say that I really appreciate this forum. I've been intensively lurking here for a few weeks now and I love how sincere and respectful (most of) the posts/posters are. It seems to be a rare thing in forums like these for people to be genuinely helpful, nice, and laid back :)
So, Thanks to all of you who are here and contributing in such helpful ways.
I have this disorder which is causing the motor nerves in my legs to die off. This, of course, means that the muscles in my legs are working less and less and less... and it hurts.
For the past 2 or 3 years, as it's been getting noticeably worse, I've been HATING my legs. They let me down. They are betraying me by failing and by robbing me of my ability to do the things I used to love to do and the things I dreamed of someday doing.
A few months ago I started dreaming about getting more tattoos. (I have two now. Old. Not the best quality maybe but I love them anyway :))
I am planning now to start tattooing my legs. Sort of a "value-added" idea I guess. Over time they're becoming less functional, but maybe more beautiful? Definitely MINE.
And... total bonus... instead of feeling self conscious about people watching the way I walk I can choose to believe that they're admiring my tattoos!
So. That's it. That's why I'm here. I am excited to start.

Phase one of "project squidpants" is complete! :-)
"Raven Steals the Sun" - done in ~4 hours tonight by Levi Hatch at Think Ink Tattoos in Norman Oklahoma.
Completely and totally in love with it - it wasn't exactly what we had talked about and it took me a minute to come around to his vision after he showed me the drawing. Now, the more I look at it the more I love it.

Heading to prison again.
J/K.
I am in no rush. I just have some time and have an opportunity with a very talanted professional artist/friend.
I also recently left the USMC for a number of years and feel free again but, was in a recent near fatal accident and should not be here typing this. I guess I want to live and dont want to miss it.
The schedule is only for 3 months - 6-7 sessions for now to finish work that never was complete.

Last night had my entire lower leg(knee down) and foot colored....I should have known better as when I had the outline done I could barley stand for the next 4 days. Today I am sporting a very fat foot, a calf that I do not recognize and a saweet cankle.

welp, that one's tiny, so here's a link to a really big picture of it.
computers hate me today.
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/dp42d

Austin Texas,
ROCK OF AGES TATTOO - AUSTIN, TEXAS

I am super happy for you that you got a great tattoo and that it did what it needed to do. We can't choose our bodies, but we can make them more beautiful with tattoos.

@else I love your story. The raven and the sun is beautiful. continue getting tattooed, and share with us! I feel better and better about my looks the more tattoos I get. It looks like it was meant to be there. Your tattoo is a beauty and I cant wait to see more out of you!

What a great tattoo. I'm happy it's all working out for you!

Update: It totally worked!
I was a little worried that I would get a leg tattoo and still hate my legs...
But I've spent pretty much every waking moment since I got my raven-girl staring at my leg (and pictures of my leg) with absolute adoration.
I <3 my leg!! Yay!!
Also - I figured out the probable reason *why* I've been persistently dreaming about leg tattoos. My motor nerves are dying but my sensory nerves are fine. However, because of the motor damage my sensory nerves are freaking out pretty much all the time and I have a constant pins and needles/sunburn feeling from my ankles to my knees. It's much worse at night (like a toothache I imagine, worse when there's nothing else to think about).
Anyway, as soon as he started I realized that the sensation was just a notch stronger than what I've been feeling all the time anyway.
And - I learned to trust my tattooer. I had gone in initially telling him "I don't really care, do whatever you want". And then we had talked about a few things and kind of nailed down an idea or two. When I came in to get the tattoo the drawing he showed me wasn't what we had talked about at all and my initial thought was to cancel altogether. But then I thought on it for a minute and recalled that I had told him that he pretty much had free reign to do what he wanted so I went with it even though it wasn't what I had expected it to be. And it is AWESOME! Better than I ever imagined and I couldn't be more pleased with the thing.
And now I want more ;)

Update: It totally worked!
I was a little worried that I would get a leg tattoo and still hate my legs...
But I've spent pretty much every waking moment since I got my raven-girl staring at my leg (and pictures of my leg) with absolute adoration.
I <3 my leg!! Yay!!
Also - I figured out the probable reason *why* I've been persistently dreaming about leg tattoos. My motor nerves are dying but my sensory nerves are fine. However, because of the motor damage my sensory nerves are freaking out pretty much all the time and I have a constant pins and needles/sunburn feeling from my ankles to my knees. It's much worse at night (like a toothache I imagine, worse when there's nothing else to think about).
Anyway, as soon as he started I realized that the sensation was just a notch stronger than what I've been feeling all the time anyway.
And - I learned to trust my tattooer. I had gone in initially telling him "I don't really care, do whatever you want". And then we had talked about a few things and kind of nailed down an idea or two. When I came in to get the tattoo the drawing he showed me wasn't what we had talked about at all and my initial thought was to cancel altogether. But then I thought on it for a minute and recalled that I had told him that he pretty much had free reign to do what he wanted so I went with it even though it wasn't what I had expected it to be. And it is AWESOME! Better than I ever imagined and I couldn't be more pleased with the thing.
And now I want more ;)

Update: It totally worked!
I was a little worried that I would get a leg tattoo and still hate my legs...
But I've spent pretty much every waking moment since I got my raven-girl staring at my leg (and pictures of my leg) with absolute adoration.
I <3 my leg!! Yay!!
Also - I figured out the probable reason *why* I've been persistently dreaming about leg tattoos. My motor nerves are dying but my sensory nerves are fine. However, because of the motor damage my sensory nerves are freaking out pretty much all the time and I have a constant pins and needles/sunburn feeling from my ankles to my knees. It's much worse at night (like a toothache I imagine, worse when there's nothing else to think about).
Anyway, as soon as he started I realized that the sensation was just a notch stronger than what I've been feeling all the time anyway.
And - I learned to trust my tattooer. I had gone in initially telling him "I don't really care, do whatever you want". And then we had talked about a few things and kind of nailed down an idea or two. When I came in to get the tattoo the drawing he showed me wasn't what we had talked about at all and my initial thought was to cancel altogether. But then I thought on it for a minute and recalled that I had told him that he pretty much had free reign to do what he wanted so I went with it even though it wasn't what I had expected it to be. And it is AWESOME! Better than I ever imagined and I couldn't be more pleased with the thing.
And now I want more ;)

Update: It totally worked!
I was a little worried that I would get a leg tattoo and still hate my legs...
But I've spent pretty much every waking moment since I got my raven-girl staring at my leg (and pictures of my leg) with absolute adoration.
I <3 my leg!! Yay!!
Also - I figured out the probable reason *why* I've been persistently dreaming about leg tattoos. My motor nerves are dying but my sensory nerves are fine. However, because of the motor damage my sensory nerves are freaking out pretty much all the time and I have a constant pins and needles/sunburn feeling from my ankles to my knees. It's much worse at night (like a toothache I imagine, worse when there's nothing else to think about).
Anyway, as soon as he started I realized that the sensation was just a notch stronger than what I've been feeling all the time anyway.
And - I learned to trust my tattooer. I had gone in initially telling him "I don't really care, do whatever you want". And then we had talked about a few things and kind of nailed down an idea or two. When I came in to get the tattoo the drawing he showed me wasn't what we had talked about at all and my initial thought was to cancel altogether. But then I thought on it for a minute and recalled that I had told him that he pretty much had free reign to do what he wanted so I went with it even though it wasn't what I had expected it to be. And it is AWESOME! Better than I ever imagined and I couldn't be more pleased with the thing.
And now I want more ;)

Update: It totally worked!
I was a little worried that I would get a leg tattoo and still hate my legs...
But I've spent pretty much every waking moment since I got my raven-girl staring at my leg (and pictures of my leg) with absolute adoration.
I <3 my leg!! Yay!!
Also - I figured out the probable reason *why* I've been persistently dreaming about leg tattoos. My motor nerves are dying but my sensory nerves are fine. However, because of the motor damage my sensory nerves are freaking out pretty much all the time and I have a constant pins and needles/sunburn feeling from my ankles to my knees. It's much worse at night (like a toothache I imagine, worse when there's nothing else to think about).
Anyway, as soon as he started I realized that the sensation was just a notch stronger than what I've been feeling all the time anyway.
And - I learned to trust my tattooer. I had gone in initially telling him "I don't really care, do whatever you want". And then we had talked about a few things and kind of nailed down an idea or two. When I came in to get the tattoo the drawing he showed me wasn't what we had talked about at all and my initial thought was to cancel altogether. But then I thought on it for a minute and recalled that I had told him that he pretty much had free reign to do what he wanted so I went with it even though it wasn't what I had expected it to be. And it is AWESOME! Better than I ever imagined and I couldn't be more pleased with the thing.
And now I want more ;)

for what its worth i do not claim to have invented that particular pose.
it is
http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs15/i/2007/290/7/b/Tiger_Gold_by_xiaobaosg.jpg
very
http://www.gemegg.com/images/stocks/large/1044.jpg
very
http://www.freetattoodesigns.org/images/japanese-tiger-tattoos.jpg
common
http://www.coldskin.nl/images/flash/image/1159991363.jpg
in japanese tattooing
The Art of the Japanese Tattoo | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Awesome! A great start to the squidpants, and I especially like it because my sleeve is based around the same story of the raven stealing the sun.

Phase one of "project squidpants" is complete! :-)
"Raven Steals the Sun" - done in ~4 hours tonight by Levi Hatch at Think Ink Tattoos in Norman Oklahoma.
Completely and totally in love with it - it wasn't exactly what we had talked about and it took me a minute to come around to his vision after he showed me the drawing. Now, the more I look at it the more I love it.

Phase one of "project squidpants" is complete! :-)
"Raven Steals the Sun" - done in ~4 hours tonight by Levi Hatch at Think Ink Tattoos in Norman Oklahoma.
Completely and totally in love with it - it wasn't exactly what we had talked about and it took me a minute to come around to his vision after he showed me the drawing. Now, the more I look at it the more I love it.

The obvious Parkinson's symptoms made me sad.
I work with a lot of folks with Parkinson's and it's a super tough disease. I'm sorry that ANYONE has to go through that. :(

Well, I was excited to post my tattoo, but the stuff posted here already is some serious shit. Hopefully I can still hang with you big dogs...
Proud to wear this piece from Josh Cruse, JP Cruse Professional Tattooing, Wichita, Kansas

Todd Noble