The outline on my left side is done! Just a few details to be added here and there, but the bulk of the work is finished. Now Horizakura can start filling in the background again. 
The plan is to start on my arm and work his way up. Eventually the background creeping up my leg and the background creeping up by arm will meet around my sternum somewhere. The pace of tattoo work has been steady lately, and I don't have enough time to adjust to my new body between sessions. I find myself looking in the mirror and wondering - "Who is this person in front of me? What am I becoming?" 
Sometimes this sensation is interesting, even pleasant. Other times it's not. I joke that the tattoo has a mind of its own but some days it doesn't feel like that's far from the truth.
Last weekend a few of my coworkers saw the portion of my tattoo which covers my forearm. We all went out for drinks after work, and after a few beers I thought "Fuck it". It was a group of people I'm fairly comfortable with, and no senior management was around. It's just exhausting for me to try to repress every part of my personality that doesn't fit into the narrow slice of humanity we call "corporate culture". I've spent my whole life living on the edges of acceptable and polite society, which basically means I've never felt free to talk about most anything in my past or that happens outside business hours with people at work. I'll be damned if I can't even unwind and enjoy a beer in my off hours.Anyway, I better stop before I launch into a full-on rant. ;) Next update will be in a few weeks.
6 comments:
good for you. your tattoos are YOU. It's part of your beliefs, personality, and lifestyle. Its hard to keep secrets like that. it just doesnt feel right. now to show the family...(-;
Hey, I love your tattoo and am enjoying reading about the process. In a month or so I'll be starting a half sleeve with Kaz at New York Adorned and am very excited about it. It will also be done in the Japanese style (though not hand-poked).
I know what you mean about dealing with work issues and your tattoo. I'm only going with the half sleeve because of worries about reactions from work (long sleeves aren't always practical in my work place which isn't air-conditioned).
Andrea - now the family..that's a whole different animal. ;)
Dave - Kaz does amazing work, good luck with everything!
looks great. i too am doing munewari with shinji. it is an amazing process. i am 36 and this is my first experience with tattooing and i am thankfull i waited. shinji rocks.
the tattoo is looking great; would love to know what your co-workers' reaction was, and if you showed them more than just your forearm..........:)
Hi Mark,
My coworkers only saw my forearm, no way I was going to start taking off my shirt. ;) That was shocking enough for them. One of the guys now gives me this wink-wink nudge-nudge smile when I see him, as if to say "I know about you!"
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