I do not want a tattoo. I also do not want earrings. I appreciate tattoos and bodies made expressive. I just do not have the ambition or drive to change myself in any of those ways. Once, I had pierced ears but I was so sensitive to every metal I tried that I eventually gave up. I was tired of the toss up of whether I’d be able to tolerate these or those studs. And the constant irritation of my ears. I can’t be bothered with makeup. I paint my nails when my son wants to with me. As an organist, the paint just chips as soon as I start practicing, so why bother.
Instead, I like to take my time on finding, selecting, and knitting or sewing fine clothes and accessories. I’ve even dabbled in designing my own patterns for printing on fabric. And I’ve actually designed my own knit clothes and accessories. Engaging in that sort of embodied expressive act appeals to me. I think it’s the tactile aspects I like-the movement of the needles and feel of the wool. I would not be the one doing the actual tattooing. And it hurts. I’m just not interested in doing that to myself!
Right now, my six year old is petitioning to get his ears pierced. I’m not opposed exactly, but I insist it must be done at a professional tattoo shop. I don’t really think he’s ready to take care of it the way it needs to be cared for, but we’ll take it one day at a time and if he’s still insistent in the future, I’m not going to stand in his way. Same with tattooing. It’s a beautiful artform, just not for me.
Actually an Artist 
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