Maryn gets her first tattoo

and has a very nice time, thank you

Crispy Aura Tattoo Studio

I started wanting a tattoo a little over a year ago, maybe longer. This isn’t particularly remarkable, except that I grew up believing tattoos were bad and I spent most of my life never daring to even think about getting a tattoo.

As you likely know by now, much of the past several years of my life has been colored by deconstructing my conservative religious upbringing. A lot has changed in my life during this time as I’ve slowly opened myself up to things that I had never allowed myself to experiment with before. Like tank tops (*gasp*).

So I took my time thinking about a tattoo, waiting for when it felt right and I knew what I wanted. When my 30th birthday came around, I decided to finally go for it as a little gift to myself. It just so happened that I found a Chicago tattoo studio opening bookings for January on my birthday. And so it was that on my 30th birthday, December 6th, I scheduled a future tattoo appointment for myself.

And I got my first tattoo yesterday.

Before I show my tattoo, can we talk about the importance of the tattoo studio vibe? I had literally never stepped inside a tattoo studio before, and growing up I’d always imagined them being super dark, gritty, and you know, evil or something. So you can imagine how I felt when I found Crispy Aura Tattoo Studio (bonus points for the hilariously random name) and read how they describe themselves: “We've crafted an atmosphere that feels like a warm hug, ensuring each client feels safe and welcomed into a space where their inner child is invited to play and creativity can flourish.”

When I showed up at the studio yesterday, I was a little early and asked for directions to the restroom, to which they responded, “It’s the door with the sprinkles.” THE DOOR WITH THE SPRINKLES. Obviously this was the perfect kind of place for my first tattoo. I took a few photos inside the studio so I could remember it (sadly didn’t document the sprinkles door though):

A big yes to all of this

The tattoo experience itself couldn’t have been better. The artist I worked with was so sweet and excited for me and my first tattoo. I opted for a hand poked tattoo, which is done by manually dipping a needle into ink and onto the skin, dot by dot. It felt like a bunch of little pricks and really didn’t hurt at all.

In the year-plus I spent thinking about getting a tattoo, the only lingering idea I had was the word “HERE,” on my arm. As I’ve written about many times, I’m forever relearning and remembering that the present moment is what matters most — not whatever fear or confusion is swirling around in my head about my past or future. “HERE” is my reminder of this.

And here it is :)

I love it. I was positively giddy about it as soon as I saw it and I continue to be giddy about it (with a healthy mix of “what have I done” thoughts because such is my brain).

10/10, would recommend.

Do you have any tattoos? What are your feelings about tattoos? If tattoos weren’t permanent, what tattoos would you get? I’d get a giant one of Monet (our dog) on my back and an ultra cheesy “I <3 Freddy” on my bicep. And some mystical creature somewhere for good measure.

Much love,

Inside the studio :)