Terisa Green, Ph.D. Freelance Writer
If you're looking for
the Tattoo Web Site
CLICK HERE.
Articles
Books
Newsletters
Technical Reports
Illustration Tutorial
Writing Credits
Resumé
Interviews
E-mail Terisa
Home
"What's New This Month?"
By Terisa Green
The TattooSymbol.com Newsletter
February, 2004
1. How Painful was your tattoo?
No Pain: 10%
Mild Pain: 27%
Moderate Pain: 24%
Severe Pain: 6%
Overwhelming Pain: 1%
I like pain!: 9%
I don't have a tattoo!: 19%
It's one of the most common questions that people who are not tattooed ask of people who are -- did it hurt? Well, it's a set of needles (rarely is it a single needle) that reciprocates up and down at a rate somewhere in the range of 3,000 times per minute. So you know it hurts. The question that is really being asked is "How much does it hurt?" and "Can I take it?" Unfortunately, the answers to those questions are completely subjective, since everybody experiences pain differently. Also, variables that include body placement, the size of the tattoo, and even the tattoo artist can affect the level of pain that you'll experience. Even so, our poll this month shows that the majority of people who have a tattoo (75%) felt that their tattoo was moderately painful to not painful at all. Another 8% of tattooed people reported that their pain was either severe or overwhelming, while a good 9% of everyone who took the poll would have us believe that they like the pain (which is entirely possible, if remotely so). What can you do about the pain? Ask for a break, smoke a cigarette, have a drink of water, get up and walk a bit (depending on the location of your tattoo), or take some acetaminophen (such as Tylenol). It's best not to drink alcohol or take aspirin though. Both of these substances thin the blood and promote bleeding.
2. Our Logo
Although it might seem like a no-brainer to design a symbol for a web site about symbols, you can't use them all. In fact, you can't even come close, seeing as how there are hundreds of symbols commonly used in tattooing. Conversely, it's also hard to just choose one. Although our logo has gone through a few permutations, our final version uses three classic tattoo symbols, joined into one design. The front element, white with a black spiral, is the so-called Borneo rosette, a nod toward traditional and indigenous tattooing. Originating in Borneo, the design is actually the stylized eye of a mythical dog creature associated with protection from evil. Surrounding the rosette is the five-petalled cherry blossom, done in red. It is one of the definitive Japanese tattoo symbols whose meaning centers around both the beauty and brevity of life. Finally, the entire design is backed by the nautical star, an old school and classic symbol that hints at maritime traditions, finding one's way home, and good old-fashioned luck. Taken together in terms of their meanings or visually in terms of their symmetry and bold lines, they make for a positive and eye-catching combination.
3. The Tattoo Encyclopedia
The Tattoo Encyclopedia: A Guide to Choosing Your Tattoo, now in it's third printing, keeps on keeping on. Eram Books of Estonia has obtained translation rights and is planning a version in, what else, Estonian. There's also a new review by Netsurfer, who calls the book "a useful resource for anyone seriously contemplating a tattoo" and "an interesting, well-written treatment on the meaning of commonly used symbols."
4. Magazines
UCLA Magazine's most recent issue (Winter 2003) profiles the different Bruin researchers who have looked into the fascinating world of tattooing over the years. Prominently featured, however, is a photograph of Terisa's Japanese dragon backpiece, tattooed by none other than Greg James. Feedback from the article has been great and we'd like to thank David Greenwald (of UCLA Today and UCLA Magazine) for his thoughtful and interesting article.
Also this month, the newest issue of Skin & Ink has hit the newsstands. In it, The Tattoo Encyclopedia is reviewed courtesy of Editor-in-Chief, Bob Baxter who is also the author of the 'Road Trip' series of tattoo books. So it is mighty high praise indeed when he writes that The Tattoo Encyclopedia "should be in every tattoo shop on the planet." We'll see what we can do. Also in this issue, Greg and I continue our column on 'What Tattoos Mean" by delving into the Irish Shamrock and a custom motorcycle wheel that has sprouted wings.
Our thanks to everyone who subscribes to the newsletter and visits the web site! Next month there'll be another featured tattoo symbol, news about TattooSymbol and The Tattoo Encyclopedia, and yet another tattoo poll.
See you then,
Terisa and Greg
Anne Lamott,
I Am Not
(my blog)
Books on Writing
I totally recommend my ISP. They're so much better than Earthlink.