With the studios 1 year birthday this weekend being an actual happening (still amazed that I made it to this point)! This feels like the right moment to stop and smell the roses. The culmination of an arduous yet fulfilling post tattoo session has propelled my thoughts a bit further, a little bit deeper and has brought me here to sit at my laptop so that I might finally be able to share the thoughts and feelings that fly around my head, sometimes at such an all mighty speed I am never able to fully catch them all and express myself.
But today's the day and here I am, coffee by my side, music playing, slow and rhythmic, blue skies and sun filling my window view, my skin tender and satisfied from yesterdays tattoo session, thoughts and emotions whirling and twinning like a house on fire.
1 year ago today I signed the lease for the studio, bringing into existence a space that I had dreamed of creating for 5 years. Even though I had kept pushing my dream to one side out of my own fears, I can see now after some reflection time, that those years were a time of collection. Collecting neccessary, incredible and vital occurrences in my tattooing journey, emotionally and physically, either my own personal experiences or being privileged to witness someone else's. Perhaps walking hand in hand along side another being when they take their first steps into a new and fascinating world. I knew that I really wanted the studio to be a holding space, for what ever you needed it to be at that time, where you can meet the parts of yourself that you want to take care of but because of life's persistent pressurised and uninvited demands, we all know that it very rarely happens. But it's not always going to be about getting that time out, we all have our own reasons why we find ourselves pulled towards being tattooed, I have mine and you will have yours.
Getting tattooed opens many gates, some you don't necessarily expect when you first set out. We get a piece of art that we love that lives with us on our body's forever and we feel good. That piece of art draws us in a bit closer to something that intrigues us, thus begins a germination of wanting to get to know ourselves a little bit more, an expansion of self love and all of its processes that always arrive sooner or later, small or of a colossal enormity, it's a bewitching and divine journey, you can't deny that.
I truly believe we leave a little piece of ourselves everywhere we go, from everything that we experience in that moment that we have participated in, whatever it is that we have chosen to do. I love that all of these incredible energies live on in here at the studio, they're like spectacular invisible pieces of art that live inside of the walls. You are all part of this creation, my fellow tattoo artists and clients, pre the studio and since I signed the lease, those who have visited and created in there, without the magic that you all bring, I am certain that the space would not be as it is. I feel exhilarated for more years of your invisible art being here in the walls, your company, for more of our conversations, for more tattoo projects, for the excitement of when they begin and the emotional endings when they are complete. This year has truly been a really beautiful one filled with discovery, happy 1st birthday to us. Thank you.
Rhea
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