What year did you get your tattoo (if done over multiple years please list):

Kate: Our first session was May 18, 2024. This was my first tattoo!

How long did it take? (Hours and numbers of sessions):

Katel: 12 sessions at the time of this writing, I believe 11 sessions when these photos were taken. Sessions have varied in length, with a maximum time of about 5 hours. Total number of hours I would estimate is about 43.

Did you have a plan going into your tattoo or did you give your artist creative control?

Kate: Carrie and I had a meeting together where we looked at a lot of reference images and discussed vibes. I’ve wanted a tattoo for a long time, and all the advice I read/listened to suggested finding an artist whose work you loved and giving them as much freedom as possible.

I also figured having something that was a beautiful piece of art, rather than being too specific with what it included would give it greater longevity for me as I age, rather than being strongly associated with something from this particular season of life.

Is there any symbolism associated with your tattoo?

There was not any explicit symbolism that I asked Carrie to include in the piece. I mentioned to them loving triangles, circles, and hexagons, which are symbols I associate with my personal cosmology, but I think they work as general abstract shapes as well. My personal spirituality is very rooted in a longing for there to be something greater and a deep doubt that any such thing exists.

When I started attending al-anon (for families and friends of alcoholics) they talked about having your own Higher Power, and that it could be anything. I chose to use the Board, from the video game CONTROL, as my Higher Power.

This allowed me to give a shape to the numinous forces I wish existed, while also being firmly rooted in fiction, in a way that would sustain the tensions I felt around the practice of prayer. It’s very funny to me that I have since often dreamed of the Board and called to them for aid. While nothing in my tattoo is an explicit reference to the Board I currently associate the triangles with them.

How did you find your artist?

I no longer recall specifically how I found Carrie. I think probably from searching for local tattoo artists, either through google directly or by perusing instagram. I know I followed them on instagram for quite some time before submitting an application to work with them!

Any other fun facts about your tattoos, artist, or the process please feel to include:

One thing I didn’t anticipate with getting tattooed is how much it would change how I relate to my body. For as long as I can remember I’ve felt more like my body was just kind of there and made me a bit uncomfortable, so I wouldn’t focus on it too much and would often dress to cover as much of myself as possible, because I hated seeing my arms and legs in photos.

Since starting on my sleeve I’ve found a sort of giddy joy in seeing it in pictures and the mirror - that’s me! I can look like that! Even seeing things from last summer when it was less complete feels so bizarre now - like these tattoos were always a part of me and Carrie has been revealing them.

I feel like this has been tied up with a new openness to exploring my gender expression - Carrie and Three Bird Tattoo are so welcoming and open to however you want to be, and realizing I could feel so affirmatively happy about my body rather than just indifferent has made me want to see what other ways I can pursue that kind of euphoria around my expression and appearance.