Ink Obsession

  How do you feel about tattoos?  That’s a question that could elicit a myriad of responses.  Over my 38 (so close to 39) years, they have gone from forbidden to subcultural to now just a normal part of culture.  As a young guy, I never imagined having any.  I didn’t really know many people that did except for relatives who had been in the military.  And those were mostly your standard issue anchors or swords or something.  I still don’t know another Shiver with a tattoo besides me or my brother.  Pam and Dewey raised a couple of hellions.  On the other hand, the Kelly side of the family has gotten all inked up over the years.  

My first tattoo was the ever popular barb wire when I was 21.  Talk about generic.  It was the act of getting one that was the big thing for me.  I had thought about it for a while and was pretty heavy into rock music where it was becoming a little more visible.  I was experimenting with various hair colors and styles so the time was ripe to check out tattoos.  This was 1998 when tattoos were not nearly as popular as they are now.  I went by myself, because Leslie bailed on me at the last minute, to American Horse on Broad Ave and took a look at the designs available in the various books.  That would be the first and last time I ever did that.  I was extremely unprepared.

From what I understood, Horse was an old school tattoo artist with a good reputation.  But I was nervous without a doubt.  There was a client in the chair when I got there so I waited in the front of the shop.  I heard some commotion while I waited and it made me a bit more anxious.  Then, without warning, the client comes out of the back, shirtless, with half of a panther on his chest, with what I could only guess were tears in his eyes.  This guy was rather large too.  My decision at that moment looked like one of the dumbest ever.  Could I back out at this point?  Could I possibly go through with it?  Horse came out with a smile on his face and said “Don’t worry about that guy.  He thought he was a badass.  I’ll go easy on you.” That was the moment that I learned my first lesson of the tattoo’d life.  The man with the tattoo machine is in control and he deserves your utmost respect and attention when your skin is in his hands.  

So I trusted him and I went through with it.  It was not the most pleasant thing I had ever done but it wasn’t as bad as I had thought it would be.  There was something strangely enjoyable about it at the time.  I don’t know if it was because I was actually going through with it or if it was just the fact that I made it through without walking out.  The outer arm is not nearly as sensitive as the chest but I felt a nice sense of accomplishment by completing the sitting.  I was pleased with the way it turned out and couldn’t wait to update my wardrobe with new sleeveless shirts.  Again, I was 21 and it was my first tattoo.  Then came the aftercare.  I didn’t realize the transformation the skin would go through over the next couple of weeks.  It basically all died where the tattoo was and peeled away revealing the smooth finished product.  But I went through a lot of lotion during that 2 week period keeping it conditioned.  Also had to keep it out of the sun during the dead of summer.  The first tattoo was a weird experience and I remember so much about those first couple of weeks.  I remember the bathroom mirror I stood in front of at Princeton Place checking it out.  I can still see the young version of me taking it all in.  

I have learned a lot about tattoos since that first one.  I’ve learned that a lot of thought should go into the reason you are about to permanently alter your skin.  I’m now at 5 total, 6 if you count the one that now covers the barb wire I got so many years ago.  You wouldn’t even know I ever had it now unless you look at old pictures.  More and more thought goes into my tattoos every time I add one.  They may seem meaningless to some that see them but that isn’t the point.  I’ve learned that the tattoo isn’t for others to like or dislike.  It’s for me to give an image that I like some life or meaning on my body.  Would you be surprised if I told you that the Deftones inspired all but one of my tattoos?  While they may seem only Deftones related, each one has a deep meaning to me and help paint a picture of various times in my life that were pivotal in my growth.  Too cheesy and deep for you?  Well, that’s part of loving tattoos.  They better mean something or you’ll start questioning what the hell you are doing.  

As I began thinking about my second tattoo, I was researching shops more.  I found a shop that I felt could be a place I could return to over and over, The Tattoo Shop on Slappey Blvd.  And I found an artist that could help take my thoughts of those Deftones images and make them unique to my skin.  That artist was Stan Getek.  He has now tattooed me 5 times and will be the only person to tattoo me unless he retires before I’m done.  I have a shop and an artist that I know will take care of me.  All of that is part of what I have learned since that first sitting.  When you get a tattoo, you are making a lifetime investment so you better be comfortable and trust the person doing it.  

My second tattoo was the white pony and star on my back.  A bit of evolution from the generic barb wire from my first visit.  The Deftones were now a part of me and I was showing the world that.  The pony and star have multiple meanings in culture but for me, it has always represented freedom.  The wild nature of the horse bolting through the star.  For the time I got it, it represented where I was at in life.  The next tattoo was a family tree after Bailey was born on the arm opposite the barb wire.  A large oak tree with individual carvings in the trunk to represent me, Alicia and Bailey.  I am currently working on the image to be added for Georgia to complete the family image.

After the third one, I realized that the experience I was enjoying was more than the tattoo.  There were so many senses in motion during the process.  I have made my love of music known in this forum and Stan has very good taste in that department and pumps music during the session.  He is a quiet man but when the tattoo is in process, the room is filled with the sound of rock/punk music and the steady buzzing of the tattoo needles.  It’s a sound that is very soothing to me.  It’s as relaxed as you can possibly be while needles are popping your skin.  Then there are the smells.  Sounds crazy but it’s real.  The smell I remember each time is that of clean metal and the antiseptics that are used during the entire process.  I don’t know what all of it is, but the smells are very distinct and I’ve become somewhat addicted to the entire setting.  Lastly, the feeling of the process.  I can’t explain what it feels like.  Does it hurt?  I’d say yes.  Is it agony?  No.  It’s a very strange sensation that you only understand when you feel it. Two of the last three tattoos I have gotten have been longer sessions and eventually, the skin just relents and tells you that it’s had enough. But until then, it’s really a feeling that is a calming pain.  

As I realized that I was becoming addicted to the process, I decided to begin exploring a cover up to the barb wire.  It was time to leave that one in the past and expand on the growing story on my skin.  The skull and roses were large and colorful and was able to blend right over the barb wire.  This was also a time in my life where depression was a constant and the skull was able to represent those feelings of hopelessness and fear.  The roses were the love that I felt around me from family and friends that kept me motivated to dig out of the dark phase I was in.  It is the largest and most colorful tattoo I have, which is fitting for what was likely the most volatile time of my life so far.  As I came out of that period, the next tattoo formed rather easily because of an image that was stuck in my head over the previous years.  The problem was that I was running out of space.  Working in a professional environment is not conducive to the tattoo enthusiast.

Stan recommended the location for the bandaged deer to be on the chest.  I immediately had flashbacks to my trip to American Horse.  But by this time, my faith in my artist trumped those fuzzy memories.  I went through with it and it was actually one of the least painful tattoos I have gotten.  The symbolism of the two deer bandaged but intertwined represented Alicia staying true and by my side through the dark depression times.  Although we were both worn out and bruised, the love was as strong as ever.

My most recent tattoo is probably my favorite in a visual sense.  The owl on my inner arm was also the most painful.  It was truly a test of my will to make it through that one.  There are more sensitive areas than the inner arm but I don’t have any tattoos in those places.  The ribs are supposed to be the worst but that won’t happen unless I have completely exhausted the rest of my skin.  The finished product was worth every second of the process.  Stan created this owl from a few conversations we had and a couple of looks at various Deftones images.  It is truly unique and to me represents the time I have been able to once again spread my wings and use the knowledge I’ve gained over the years to keep pushing along the right path.

My next one has already been developed in my mind and Stan has been given notice.  It will happen sometime before the summer and will embody yet another phase of my life.  I wish I could get it tomorrow but the timing has to be right.  That first trip to American Horse was rushed and not well planned.  Each of my tattoos have become more complex and meaningful and take more than just getting in the car and driving to the shop.  This may all sound corny to most of you but it means something to me.  I’m not an artist but I am able to have someone else take my thought process and give it a heartbeat.  

A lot of time has passed since that first tattoo.  My body, mind and soul has changed over that time and I am positive the tattoos I have gotten over the years have told the story of those changes.  Hopefully, I will have many more to look forward to but for now, the next one is the most important.  This is by far the most personal post I have made but that’s what each one is to me.  A personal story being told over years of change and growth.  And it’s almost time for the next chapter.

Joey