The Meaning Behind My Tattoos

To me, tattoos are personal and meaningful artwork bestowed upon the body. I have two tattoos, and both have significant meaning to me.

The first one represents my family. My name in Hmong is Nou (or "Hnub" as spelled in my native language--pronounced "new"), and it means sun. Hence the image of the rising or setting sun. The bonsai is my husband's favorite tree, and the three little birds are for my three children. Hence the silhouetted bonsai and birds.

The idea for this tattoo came about as a result of a blue birthmark on my right shoulder, which I wanted to hide... not that it bothered me a great deal but people who saw my birthmark were always assuming my husband was beating me up. Poor guy was constantly getting dirty looks from strangers as it looks exactly like a bruise. lol  So I decided to get a tattoo that would cover up the birthmark. If you look closely at the sun, you'll see that there are some bluish or darker hues to it (in the middle, closer to the orange/red parts). That is the birthmark underneath. I also love this tattoo because I love landscape photos, especially those with the sun in it. This tattoo reminds me of beautiful landscapes, the kind that makes my stress and tensions melt.

My second tattoo stands for my ethnicity and culture. It is representative of the traditional Hmong necklace, which is called a "xauv" (pronounced "sah-ow")

There is a sun on the pendant part, again for my name, and the necklace part consists of two tulips, which are my favorite flowers. When I see my tulips pop out of the ground every spring, it's always an ecstatic moment for me. Simple things like that can make me so happy. I suppose it's just symbolic of all that is spring--new beginnings, warmth, and the most positive of outlooks... which brings me back full circle to my culture.

I'm a fairly Americanized person. I grew up in a very white town and hung out with white people rather than Hmongs. There was a time when I really had no care for my culture at all; I was what some would call "white-washed" or a "twinkie." However, as I've grown older, I feel myself being pulled back to the Hmong culture and wanting to embrace it more. So in a way, this represents new beginnings for me, a return to the culture, land, language, and traditions held so dear by my parents and elders.

Originally, this tattoo was going to be placed around my ankle, but it turned out the image would've had to be made much smaller, so I decided to put it on my side instead.

Both tattoos were designed specifically for me. I don't think I could ever walk into a tattoo parlor or look for images online and just pick out an already made design. It just doesn't feel as meaningful. If it's going to be on my body permanently, then I want it customized, and frankly, I want to be the only one with that tattoo walking around. A distinctive artwork. That's how I see it.

Do you have any tattoos or want any? And if so, what do you have, or what would you want?