I'M DOING THIS FOR REVENGE

a little fitz.. he looks older than he should but lets ignore that

Designing AND literally tattooing! I’m lucky to have artistic experience already so the biggest hurdle is learning the ‘medium’ (people) and technique. I have to adjust how I design pieces because ink fades/expands as the tattoo ages, so a strong design is one made with that in mind. As an example, here’s the first (sketch) concept for an assignment vs the adjusted linework after critique. I had to simplify a LOT, as you can see - and there’s also an example of the white stroke I mentioned. I definitely struggled and in the future I’d like to revisit it.

My second and third design assignments show off me getting a bit more confident. I’ve been having to limit my brush thickness, because it directly translates to needle size when tattooing. These still have complexity but are a bit less cluttered.

Also you’re right in assuming different skin types need to be treated differently! My mentor was tattooing on an older gentleman today and he was being very light with his needle depth due to the fact our skin gets thinner as we age. I included a diagram of the needle depth we have to aim for. Contrary to what ignorant artists claim, melanated skin CAN take color in tattoos just fine. The key adjustment is you need to pay more attention to undertones. A lot of artists offer free color tests (small tattoos that literally swatch inks) to check what has the best contrast! Scarred skin and certain medical conditions play a role, too.

like it is not the end of the world if you miss your turn. all the roads are connected to all the other roads. you will find your way very quickly.

unless you're experiencing a genuine emergency, dont even think about making a sudden movement, ESPECIALLY across one or more lanes, just to avoid missing a turn

Miss a turn? It's okay. You get there when you get there.

Left the house late? Nothing you can do about it now. You get there when you get there.

Stopped by a train, or an accident on the highway? It's out of your hands. You get there when you get there.

I know all of these things can be anxiety-inducing. But by the time you're in the car experiencing them, no crazy maneuver will make a meaningful difference in the time it takes to get where you're going, and that maneuver will be at the cost of your safety and others.

Nothing is more important than your life.

God is not going to save you.

One of my favorite parts of Sinners (and there are many) is the focus on how Christianity has been used to rip away culture from groups throughout history.

Sammy lives on a plantation, in a house so small his siblings sleep shoulder to shoulder on the floor. But what is the big white pristine building? The church.

The church was a huge part in colonizing black folks and it was immensely effective. The number of people on TikTok saying the movie was too "spiritually unclean" and they had to walk out... accidentally validating one of the massive points of the movie. If you can Christianize someone, you can erase their ancestral knowledge/power.

Annie never forgot that knowledge. She talks of haints and vampires with knowledge that only comes from generations passing down information. She makes mojo bags for the twins, and sells her wares, serving those in her community. Annie preserves ancestral knowledge and magic, which gives them a fighting chance when they realize something is wrong.

Since the beginning of the film, Sammy has been told that his guitar is in direct conflict with the church, that it will call upon the devil, and that he's asking for trouble. In reality, the guitar and his gifts don't call upon the devil; they call upon the spirit of his ancestors. Again, the church is directly in conflict with ancestral magic/knowledge.

At the very end, Sammy thinks he's about to die in the lake. He starts reciting prayers, only for Remmick to speak them in unison. He then says "The people who took everything from us spoke those words too." Touching upon the cultural erasure that the Romans enacted onto the Irish people. It's low key a "ah, they got you too?"

What saves Sammy's life? Not god. Not his prayers. His guitar. The silver they knew to use because of Annie. Because she didn't let the church erase the powerful knowledge in her lineage.

When he goes home, his father, the pastor demands, "let go of the guitar, give over to god."

He never lets go of his guitar.

Sammy knows. God is not where power lies. The gifts bestowed upon him is where true power is. And that is within him.

Holly Mop who was beside me in bed got up and trotted into my office. Came back into the bedroom and very daintily spat out a single potato chip.

Which has revealed two things:

A) that she does understand more of what I’m saying, and in true Shih Tzu fashion,chooses not to listen and

B) there’s a stash of stale potato chips somewhere in my office I’ll need to find tomorrow.

Emphasis on tomorrow