I need a little tattoo help.

[Mindibun]

I've been considering a memorial tattoo for my mom who passed away a few years ago. The trouble is, I'm not very religious, so the angel and cross images don't feel right to me. I am, however, very spiritual. I'm hoping someone can help me come up with some ideas for my artwork. I want something spiritual, and I have several little images that could maybe be incorporated into a larger one.

I do not want to go to a tattoo artist and have them draw me up something. I'm fairly artistic and want to create my own image, it's just that I need some inspiration to get me started. If anyone has any suggestions, by all means post away.

If anyone's interested and willing to help, I'll post my little image ideas.

Thanks for any help, guys.

[recycling goddess]

is there something which was important to her? like hummingbirds or a special flower etc? you could incorporate it into your tat.

as for a spiritual aspect... it depends on what your or her spiritual beliefs are. personally i love my buddha on my inner wrist. i also have a reiki symbol on my inner arm... as that is very spiritual to me... and since i'm also a shaman... i have an arm full of flowers to represent that part of myself.

i guess what i'm trying to say is... it has to have meaning to YOU not us.

[wilomn]

If this is your first tattoo ponder the question of what your mother would say about you getting one, even for her.

Even with all the lazor removal that is available, they are still, or should be, forever. It would suck to get one for your mom and then find out that while alive she reviled them.

Now, if it's just for you, then make it something that you like.

[recycling goddess]

i don't think that whether or not "Mom" likes or dislikes tattoos has much to do with this.

but that's my opinion...

[Mindibun]

This is not my first tattoo. But no one knows I have the other - it was just for myself.

My ideas that are just running around in my head are these:

First of all, I want to somehow include a little rabbit in the image. I had a pet rabbit for 8 years and she was my whole world when I was little. I was SO devoted and obsessed with her. My mom bought her for me shortly before she died so she was all the more meaningful to me. The rabbit had a long and unpleasant death, despite my frequent trips to the vet. I came home one night and just knew that that night was the last one. So I slept with her on the floor in a little bed that I made and woke up several times during the night. She was with me all through the night but when I woke up she'd passed away. I carried her little body around for an hour just sobbing. It was so traumatic. I loved her so much, and I want her to be included in my memorial tattoo.

As for my mom, she was very interested in angels and believed that we all had a guardian angel so I had considered including an angel in the tattoo. The issue is that all the angels I've ever seen are very stylized and detailed - very religious. I would like more of a suggestive outline of a body and then perhaps a clearly defined set of wings.

I thought of an angel holding a rabbit, looking to the distance as if waiting.

I thought of a rabbit playing with a spool of thread (my mom loved to sew and it's what I remember her doing the most. The night she died she stayed up late working on the sewing machine, just like any other night.)

I thought of a rabbit holding a blue rose (a flower she particularly liked)

I also considered dolphins, hummingbirds, random little things that remind me of her, but the above ideas I feel have more meaning.

Also, my mom and I collected beanie babies together. It was the highlight of my childhood and I still have them sitting around everywhere. Even my mom's mom got into it with us. They have a bear that is an angel bear and I considered just having an image of that bear done. But then decided it might be too childish or ... I don't know that right word. Plain or simple I guess. People might not realize how much meaning it had behind it.

[Inknsteel]

First, let me say that I agree that you are very creative and artistic, as shown with your drawing for the logo idea not long ago. That being said, as far as your tattoo goes, I would recommend coming up with some ideas of what you want, and even doing a drawing for the tattoo artist to reference. I would however recommend that you give the artist the freedom to redraw and revamp whatever idea and drawing you come up with that represents what you want. The reason I say this is because a professional tattoo artist will know what images translate well onto skin and what images will stand the test of time. Working with ink and skin is a completely different beast than working with paper and pencils, charcoal, etc. For example, images with too much fine detail will tend to blur and distort on skin over time as the tattoo ages and settles. A good artist will be able to take your idea and image and make it into something that suits the application as a tattoo...

As for ideas, I also echo what was said before. If there is something that was special to your mom or something that reminds you of her every time you see it, try to incorporate that into your idea. It will mean much more to you than having someone on an internet forum suggesting something to represent your mother to YOU. Good luck with whatever you decide, and don't forget to post pics when you get it done...

[wilomn]

I'm glad it's not your first, you know what you're in for.

I'm also glad that your mother had no problem with tats. It would suck to think that she disapproved of something you did to yourself in memory of her, which is what mom has to do with it.

Sleep on it and see what comes to you.

[recycling goddess]

remember one thing... you will age with this tattoo on your body... so try to create something timeless! good luck

[k1ingdomKaa]

make sure that the tat is appropriate even when you get old and are all wrinkled and it sags, lol its bound to happen, gravity works against all of us, i may get 1 tatoo in my life. prob on my ankle or my arm, one that says regret nothing.

[Mindibun]

Thanks all. Let me just ask then, out of the ideas that I gave were there any that sounded like they could be worked with more than the others?

Whoever said I should give the artist a little freedom to alter the image, I completely agree. I plan on asking the artist's opinion before doing anything, but I want to have an initial image to bring in with me.

Anyway, this won't be for a while. I still have to pay off a snake and this month's bills before anything else. But the last time I had my tattoo done it was 2 years in the making. I sat on it for that long, figuring out what I wanted.

It's funny because the one that I have is so meaningful to me and it's exactly what I wanted, but I don't ever let anyone see it. When people find out on accident that I have a tattoo they're like, "I never knew you had a tattoo!!!" and I reply, "that's because I didn't want you to". -lol- They don't understand how someone could have a tattoo just for themselves I guess. I'm from a younger generation. I guess they're used to tattoos being fashion statements, not meaningful sentiments. *shrug*