Another tattoo completion post! I have long dreamed of solidifying my love of reading, particularly fantasy and adventure, in some external way. I worked up some images and drawings that inspired the final design.

In the past few years, I’ve also been on a body reclamation journey – learning to celebrate over disparage and find peace and control.

This finished tattoo is my cozy liberation, if such a thing exists.

In my brain, she is the Celtic goddess Brigid (or Bríg), the Morrígan, and a dash of the fairy queen Titania. She’s home, she’s magic, she’s mother, she’s sex, she’s death, she’s learning. It’s a heavy load for one arm.

I’ve been thinking of my three lighting bugs as Mustardseed, Peaseblossom, and Cobweb, Titania‘s fairies in a Midsummers Night Dream.

The first pic is from getting ready for the Renaissance Faire this year and seems like the perfect one to share. But this was my largest tattoo to date – we went through three sittings and progress shots are all included here.

After the final coloring pics, I shared a picture of my original sketch I gave to Cody. I am so thankful Cody Schneider, owner of Scarlett Raven tattoo for bringing it to life so perfectly! This one was a journey, and I was glad to be on it with you, dude.

Hit my late 30s and celebrating my vibe. In August cody schneider at scarlet raven gave me my favorite example of wonder-in-action. I’m just out here voyaging and I’m about to get nerdy. Buckle up.

Launched in 1977, the identical Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft is exploring further than anything created on Earth ever has. They flew by the planets Jupiter (in 1979) and Saturn (in 1980–81), and Voyager 2 went on to an encounter with the planet Uranus in 1986 and a flyby of Neptune in 1989. Early in 1990, Voyager 1 turned its camera around to capture a series of images assembled into a “family portrait” of the solar system.

In August 2012, Voyager 1 crossed the heliopause to become the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space. Voyager 2 followed it, on Nov 5, 2018.The joint spacecraft is still communicating their findings and the Voyagers are expected to have enough power to continue communicating information until 2025.

Aboard Voyager 1 and 2 is a kind of time capsule, intended to communicate a story of our world to extraterrestrials. The Voyager message is carried by a phonograph record, a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth.

Here’s the thing, I get chills thinking about this.

This opportunity to put the best of us forward. To focus on what binds us together as a species rather than what tears us apart. The necessary technical skill to create such a device, coupled with the understanding that music, art, and spoken language is a critical part of the process. It’s also a reminder of just how small we are in comparison to the expanse around us. Feeling small is one of my greatest loves about space, to put in perspective my overwhelming feelings, and remember just how much we simply don’t know about it all. The unknown is a beautiful, beautiful place.

Keep voyaging. ✌️

My fourth tattoo is one I have wanted for a long time and finally made happen. Micheala at Iron Brush tattoo is so talented and made me feel so comfortable! Her Instagram is @gettininky.

The prairie doesn’t have the intensity of the mountains or the grandeur of the ocean, its beauty is a quiet one. Calm, consistent, balanced, wide open. These constellations represent my children’s, my partner, and mine. Plus the spacey water color which, obviously, is important to me. I wanted something that was not a zodiac or purely space tattoo nor a blatant parent-child tattoo, but instead reflected on lots of things that are meaningful to me:
the stars,
the prairie,
my family,
and balance.

Our elements form the Avatar, so I just couldn’t resist it (Cancer/water, Aquarius/air, Leo/fire, Taurus/earth). Balance.

The tree is a cottonwood tree, several of which stood in the front yard of the house I grew up in. The trees have since had to go, but were still the notable part of my childhood in Nebraska.

My skin was angry but forgave me. This is my fourth tattoo but it’s been 18 years. It hurt like a motherfucker. Finally, did I buy the shirt in multiple colors in anticipation of this tattoo? Yes, yes I did. 🙌🏽