Let's talk about quotes + mantras + the sorts of things you'd ink into your skin, foreverandeverahem.
As previously mentioned, I lack the attention span (read: pain tolerance) for the sort of tattoo I'd want. Just like every reader/writer I fantasize about inking a meaningful quote onto my body, so I can reference it in times of need.
And I'd want it somewhere accessible. Which means it would probably be a painful tattoo to get and perhaps eventually regrettable when I grew out of my L.M. Montgomery phase and didn't want anybody reading Anne Shirley quotes off my wrist. except just kidding because you never grow out of l.m. montgomery.
But I think I've hit upon the perfect middle ground for us commitment-phobic, quote referencers: the double-sided, personalized engraved bracelet. I got mine here and I couldn't be happier. I love the idea of those words tucked between the bangles I bought in India and my grandma's jade bracelet. I like knowing that the second half of Jack Kerouac's quote is hidden from view, pressed against my pulse point. And whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed by work or life or my cat's never-ending need for petting, I can look at it and think of the promise I made to myself.
What quote would you get tattooed or engraved? Do you have any personalized jewelry?
I have a couple of quotes inked on my body. My first one says "créer vos rêves" vertically down my spine, which translates to "create your dreams". It was a quote written on a plaque my mum gave me, and since I love anything & everything french, it made sense to get it done that way.
ReplyDeleteA close friend and I got matching quotes (however in different places) - "be my breath" which is part of a lyric by Brand New. We both love music and Brand New, so it's kind of a reminder of all the amazing times we have had attending gigs together. It's written on my foot (which was PAINFUL PAINFUL PAINFUL!!) and it's in simple script writing but I adore it.
Lastly I have "spinning free" written down my ribs, although I'm planning on getting something done over it because I was unhappy with the way it turned out. I plan on getting those words written somewhere else (probably the inside of my upper arm) in different font, because it not only symbolises the way I feel about my life, but also reminds me of Jimmy Eat World, who have rocked my world for the past 10 years. :)
I also love the idea of the bracelets though! There are a few quotes I love but wouldn't want to get put on me permanent so it seems like the perfect solution!
Ekk! I can't even imagine getting a tattoo. I don't even have my ears pierced! Bracelets, though, I still don't wear. I hate having things around my wrists. Maybe I'm just not meant for quotes around me?
ReplyDeleteThe line from Hamlet, "But never doubt I love" is my absolute favorite quote. I really want to get it tattooed across the top of my shoulder or on my ribs but my pain tolerance is ridiculously low! I also want to get the Pittsburgh Penguins motto "whatever it takes, we walk together" tattooed somewhere, but again pain tolerance :)
ReplyDeleteI have "DON'T PANIC" tattooed in large, friendly letters on the underside of my left wrist, hidden to others by a large silver cuff I always wear. It's my little "note to self" and keeps me in good nerd standing for life. ;o)
ReplyDeleteI love you extra right now!
DeleteWell, hello, friend! Ha! I pretty much always love you extra because you do things like adventure in Guatemala and study Hindi. Bad. Ass.
DeleteAfter my mom passed away, I wanted to always have a reminder of her with me. I wore the Livestrong bracelet a lot, or a piece of her jewelry, but felt I needed something more permanent. I was worried about pain tolerance too! I finally went with the word Love written on the inside of my right forearm. It's written in her handwriting from the last birthday card she gave me. It's small but just what I needed... and it didn't hurt nearly as bad as I expected!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely like the idea of something non-permanent.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen these (http://www.etsy.com/shop/fabuluster) rings? They take the fingerprint of your loved one and engrave it on the inside of a wedding band, so you can always have their fingerprint on you. Maybe there would be a market for quotes written inside so you could have your favourite quote imprinted on your skin for a short amount of time.. ideas ideas.
Much love, Laura
www.lauradoesdays.blogspot.com, Facebook.com/lauradoesvintage
Katie,
ReplyDeleteThat is such a sweet idea!
Laura Does Days,
I love the idea of a finger print ring - how cool!
I have 28 tattoos, but only 2 text tattoos.
ReplyDeleteThe first one I got in December 2006 & it reads "danse avec la vie" which literally translates to "dance with life" in French. My friend has the same phrase tattooed on her hip in Italian.
The second one is on each of my forearms, so when I stack my arms, the quote reads "che sera sera" "whatever will be, shall be". Most people think it comes from the Doris Day song, but it's actually from the first act of Doctor Faustus. Had to keep my English major street cred. I got that tattoo in August 2009.
I have two text tattoos. Sarah, partially because of your inspiration, I have the word 'yes' tattooed on the inside on the inside of my right wrist. It is my constant reminder to say yes to life and opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI also have the word freedom tattoed across my upper back. The humps of the m are separated from the rest of the letter turning them into a bird flying away.
'We are beautiful when we are free'
ReplyDeleteI've realized how much it means to me to be free to express myself in all the ways, and I love this quote, said to me by an incredible improvisor at a festival in Detroit. I've decided against getting it tattooed, but I want to take the concept to an artist and have them turn it into this phrase as art. I'm looking forward to it!!
I suppose I should note I have a fairly serious amount of ink already, and fear-of-being-tattooed is not what's holding me back - I already have a pretty epic donkey tattoo.
I just came across a quote the other day in this article - http://zenhabits.net/fun/ - that really resonated with me. "Every waking moment should be just for fun." I often find that I get caught up in trying to do everything perfectly - for example, if I start trying to eat right but have one slip-up among an otherwise great job, I abandon ship and call it a failure. Whereas, if I were to just let go of the expectations, have fun doing healthier things for myself, I may get there. And even if I don't, at least I focused on having a good time while I tried, rather than placing extreme expectations on myself to attain a specific outcome.
ReplyDeleteOf the three tattoos I have, one is a text tattoo. I have "ediewygbab" on my back which stands for "Every day in every way you get better and better. My sister has the same thing on her inner forearm. My dad used to sign all of our school letters and notes with EDIEWYGBAB. It's a nice sentiment and a fun memory to hang on to.
ReplyDeleteKerri! Gosh! Make my day whydoncha?! <3
ReplyDelete"Everybody Wang Chung tonight"
ReplyDeleteOn my left side, a butterfly, and below the tail, "with brave wings she flies."
ReplyDeleteI have the roman numerals for the number two on my inner wrist, which my brother has to match. We spent months trying to come up with a meaningful tattoo, until someone joked "YOu should get the number two cos like, there are two of you." We love the simplicity of it, it's gender neutral and yeah, there are two of us!
ReplyDeleteI am planning on getting "Don't dream it, be it" from Rocky Horror, on my other arm eventually, but I haven't decided on the style of it yet.
I currently have so one small tattoo of a heart on my left wrist, but have been wanting to get another one for quite a while. I'd like to get the lyric "childhood living is easy to do" from Wild Horses by the Rolling Stones (my favorite song) tattooed on my shoulder, but taking the time to be picky about font and size :)
ReplyDeleteOH YES. Been eyeing those silver cuffs for forever but haven't been able to decide the quote. Last year I bought this from Etsy as a Christmas present for myself: http://i50.tinypic.com/b3u1d1.jpg
ReplyDeleteI also have a keychain with 'do as dreamers do' stamped on it, also from Etsy! And it's not jewelry but whatever: my bus pass holder has an Anne Shirley quote on it, the 'isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about' one. I guess I keep the market for miscellaneous Etsy stuff with custom quotes up and running.
I have 'Golden' tattooed on the inside of my left wrist. It's from the Jill Scott song.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd ever get a quote tattooed on my skin. However, one quote I try to live by is Plato's "always be kind, for everyone is fighting a hard battle".
ReplyDeleteI don't have a piece of personalized jewelry but I've always wanted some. I totally need a mommy piece as well as a bangle like yours. I don't know what quote I'd put on it--I have a ton that resonate so I'd have to take some time to narrow it down. I did however, receive a bangle to barrow once from a friend that said, "wisdom". She lent it to me when I was debating whether or not to move home back from where my parents had sent me (long story). I looked at that inscribed bronze bracelet all the time, and I believe it gave me a boost in bravery--it helped me channel my authentic self that I had been having such a hard time getting a hold of. I ended up moving home and doing the things that fit for me and my life and I couldn't have been more happy. Yay, for jewelry that represents the best parts of us and what we're made of!
ReplyDeleteI just finished listening to your podcast with the Suitcase Entrepreneur and really enjoyed it. Love your blog too although I'm a bit older than your usual demographic ;-) It was nice to hear someone talk about slow and steady and posting frequently (my # of posts/week is something I've been tossing around in my head). I go to a lot of social media club events here and do feel like it was pulling me away from what I enjoy about blogging and what I know in my heart will make my blog better (consistent good content posts). I felt I got carried away with all the social media talk and have been pulling back a bit to just a few platforms. I also do the blog hopping on my lunch break as you mentioned. Thank you for confirming what I've been feeling (SEO don't mean a damn without good regular content).
ReplyDeleteI have a quote bangle now that you mention it! I've never quite thought about it this way and will probably wear it a bit more now. I also have these really great leather wrap bracelets that say words and phrase, not some quotes. Things like peace, generosity and kindness.
Aahh...the power or words.
I have several pieces of personalized jewelry- all deeply embedded in my geekiness. LOL. I have an owl that has my children's initials.
ReplyDeleteI have a cuff that has a Doctor Who quote from my favorite episode- Vincent and the Doctor- "It seems to me there's so much more to the world than the average eye is allowed to see. I believe, if you look hard, there are more wonders in this universe than you could ever have dreamt of."
But what I plan to have tattooed on my wrist, as a bracelet, so to speak, and as a constant reminder- “We none of us find as much kindness in this world as we should.” It's from Memoirs of a Geisha.
Nobody really has an excuses to just, at very least, be kind and polite to others. If you can't, then you can't expect kindness back, really.
And because I love Glinda from the Wizard of Oz, I have a necklace that says "You Had the Power all along, Dear."
I like words. :)
My husband and I always joke about getting our wedding bands engraved with "You have been, and always shall be, my friend." (Star Trek, FTW)...but now he's seriously going to get it tattooed on his shoulder, in my handwriting. We both have stars on our left shoulder/upper arms: I have three small ones, he has one big one, which we got the night before my 30th birthday. That's about as close I can come to a "matching" tattoo :)
ReplyDeleteFor another love-centered quote, I like Song of Solomon, "This is my lover, this is my friend" (you can't beat the Bible for timelessness!)...but not for a tattoo. I love the idea of Anne Shirley or Jack Kerouac with me on jewelry, and like Kerri, I've considered getting "yes" tattooed someplace handy. That or "love", as a reminder to always respond with love.
(Now that you got me thinking, I want about 50 quote bracelets!)