As glimpsed in Player Photograph, Unorthodox Bath, & Everyday Life, these are my wings.


When I was 14 or 15, I saw this picture (or one a lot like it):


The visual impact of the scale and the way the lines accented the curves of her (I have no idea who she is) body stuck with me. I always felt I wanted something similar, but less traditional. Being broke, underage, & indecisive, I kept the idea in the back of mind & tried desperately to graduate (which is harder than it sounds if you spend most of high school sleeping and watching anime).
At 18, I successfully escaped the bonds of compulsory education, ended a misguided and damaging relationship, and moved to San Francisco. I was trying to decide on a smaller, more affordable tattoo when David pointed out that tattoos being something of an investment item, if I was going to get another one, it should be what felt the most meaningful rather than trying to come up with a small design I could afford but might not like as much.
For the actual design, I decided to go with a traditional shape so that they would be easily recognizable, but instead of feathers or skin flaps (bat wings were a consideration) my wings are formed from decaying leaves. To me, they represent the idea that for anything to grow, something else has to die. When I got them, I was trying to let go of the extraneous parts of myself so I could become something better. They are a constant reminder to do what feels right, even when it's difficult (like having needles jabbed into your skin for 17 hours).