A story with ink.

Years ago whilst still at Primary school I remember watching an archaeology show where they found an Inca burial. It turned out that the body had been accidentally mummified. The skin showed a number of tattoos and from these they were able to tell that the woman was a storyteller. I loved this idea that her body told her story in more than bones, teeth and DNA. Our bodies do tell a story whilst living through wrinkles, grey hair and scars.

For most of this year I have been wanting a tattoo that says something about who I am. I've never wanted one before and decided to give myself lots of time before taking the plunge. Tattoos have been undergoing a cultural change in the way they are viewed by society. They are more likely to be considered art and acceptable than ever before.

I had an idea of what I wanted, but the size scared me as I didn't know what to expect and so I thought something smaller would be good. As I surfed the net looking for tiny tattoo inspiration I came across project semicolon. The more I read the more I knew that this was what I needed to do. Conversations around depression, anxiety, self harm and suicide have become more open, but there is often still a stigma attached to having experienced some form of mental illness. I know that my tattoo will probably look awful when I'm older, but I am positive that I will still get asked why I have it and then I can explain. For me it is a sign of strength, courage, bravery and love. Without all of the love and support I received things would have been very different.

I almost put a full stop. I didn't and I continued my story.