7.20.25
I got home from the gym after a lovely workout and got ready to go to the Tattoo Fest with my son. He drove and I am really glad because navigating the city streets and parking is not my forte. We parked in an open lot a ways away from the fest. A nice little walk, taking in the warm breeze and city sites. Occasionally I could smell the mix of cigarette and weed smoke. Not going to lie, I kind of like it.
I took out $200 dollars at their very convenient atm machines on site because I didn't know what was going to happen. I wanted the option to be tattooed. I saw several designs by local artists that I would enjoy on my body.
My favorite part was going with my son. While I paged thru the portfolios, he was off hunting down jewelry. He did his fair share of looking at flash designs. But the unexpected perk for an earring wearer was all the cool handmade dangly earrings.
I loved how the Fest had more than just tattoos. They had prints, cards, magnets, coasters, t-shirts, etched mirrors for sale. The items were either of the tattoo artists designs or of old historic paintings brought back. They even had companies selling beard oil, tattoo care oils, and a boudoir photography company.
My favorite find was an old painting of a nun with her bootie exposed. The lady who sells these old historic art pieces restores them and even knows the history behind them. So, as you are buying it, she will tell you the history. This particular nun was actually a painting from the 1700's (In my podcast I thought it was 1500’s and misspoke — opps sorry!). The front of the painting was a prim and proper nun praying. The back was something else. The nun you can only imagine in your fantasies. I loved the irony. Bought a coaster, a keychain, and magnet.
Some booths were busy tattooing. Some were not. I wondered if that was a good sign for a certain shop...to be tattooing.
I grabbed business cards from the artists that I was interested in and loaded all of them into my Instagram. Some that I didn't really explore there, I found to be really amazing on Instagram.
I am really impressed with TATTOOS BY BLU, @tru_blu_tattoos. She has beautiful line work. I think she is out of St. Paul.
Also, in Blaine there is an artist that I saw tattooing and found out she has been tattooing for 2 years but has a very impressive Instagram. Her name is Hayden Gore, @beanz_tattoos on Instagram.
If you want to put the energy in finding the right artist, your search will be a lot easier if you go to a Tattoo Convention. Portfolios are really fun to look at. They usually have drawn up designs that are ready to be put onto skin. What I have noticed though is you can have a design, and that is great. It could be the design of your dreams. But the execution of that design is what matters most. Can that artist really make that design pop. Is their line work going to be straight when you need it to be straight? This is a big reason why I am putting so much energy into who I permanently ink my skin. Because it is there forever. That is commitment! I have to trust my artist.
There were only a few artists that had designs I was looking for. I am looking for an art deco, art nouveau flower, that extends down with an antique fountain pen tip. I thought originally that I would want it on my left arm, but after thinking about it, It would make more sense to put it on my writing arm. I either want it on the front or inside of my arm. I wished I had a temporary tattoo to decide on placement.
Why do I want this design? Originally to celebrate my 1-year sobriety I wanted a lotus flower. Going beyond the year made me really look at how I got to that year mark. I will always believe that my company Ink Flower saved me. It gave me a focus beyond drinking. Writing saved me as well. I would consider myself a writer. So, there you go. My sobriety tattoo is basically an ink flower writing pen. I would like the flower to be a mix of a lotus and a tulip to represent the strength and resiliency of the lotus but also a tulip to represent my company logo.
This design would be meaningful because it will always remind me that I have the power to change my life through creativity. The change in my life was not by white knuckling it or locking myself away. I put energy into things that filled me with joy and contentment. I'm happiest when writing. It gets me through sad times. I make people smile with some of the things I type. It is my gift. When you take something out, you have to put something back in. Writing was it for me. Well...and also yoga, reading, and photography. But those are ideas for later. Maybe at year 2 and 3. I love the fact that I am planning to keep going. That I believe in myself enough to stay on this path of health and well-being. I no longer self-sabotage and destroy myself. I am too precious. Yep, that is what I said. I am too precious. I deserve to be treasured.
That is all I have. This is the last day of the fest. Look up Twin Cities Tattoo Fest. I think they are open until 7 pm. Have fun!
Love, Alimoon
Share this post