My latest artwork...

Hey there!!

I thought I'd share the work of art that's bringing my the most joy at the moment - my latest tattoo! Introducing my latest literary tattoo...

I obviously added the purple boarder... Just to make it a little more interesting!

My latest tattoo is located on my left shoulder blade and I love it!! The only thing I don't like it that it's located on my back (duh!) so I can't see how pretty it is. I'd love to look at it all the time. On reflection, it's probably best that it's on my back or else I'd end up detracted all the time.

For those of you who don't know the word this is the dictionary definition:

bib⋅li⋅o⋅phile

 –noun a person who loves or collects books/ˈbɪbliəˌfaɪl, -fɪl/

That EXACTLY describes what I am. I adore books!! I could quite happily read all day every day.

I also wanted the picture of the book flipping open to help explain what bibliophile means. You wouldn't believe the amount of people that have misunderstood the meaning of the tattoo or people wondering if I'd made up the word!

But I love my latest tattoo! I love books, I love reading and I love writing. I feel that this tattoo is a fantastic outward expression of one of my key passions in life. I love that my body is permanently marked as what I am.

I've become addicted to tattoos... I think it's wonderful that you can express what is most important to you on the most important canvas you own - your body. Now I'm not going to get covered in tattoos but I do agree with a quote I read somewhere that "tattoos are like life's mile-makers". Even when I'm old and wrinkly and the tattoos don't look so good anymore I will still be able to look at my tattoos and be reminded of these important parts of my life.

But I do think that if you want a tattoo you should think long and hard about it...It is the most permanent thing you can possibly do.

Now to answer a couple of questions:
1) I really didn't find that it hurt that much. However, I have a really high pain threshold so I probably am not the best judge...

2) I wasn't scared... I have put three years worth of though into these tattoos. I drew the book to make sure it was exactly what I wanted. I researched shops to make sure I went to an excellent shop that was clean and up to health standards and had artists who's work was amazing. My artist was perfect making sure that I was comfortable and warning me about things that were going to happen (I was worried about if I even could get tattooed due to my disability). My artist worked around my limitations and ensuring that I was happy through out the experience.

3) I'm not just joining the masses because tattoos are 'in' at the moment. I decided to get them as a form of self-expression. These tattoos were just for me - not to fit in, not to be cool, not to be different - but just an outlet for me. It my ultimate form of self-expression

In case you're interested my tattoo shop is: Vision Skin. These guys are pros - they have done some beautiful work on my brother as well. Clean premises, extremely hygienic and absolutely awesome artists. Here's their website if you're interested: http://www.visionskin.com/

I have three more tattoos planned and I can't wait to get them done... I might put up my designs for you to look at

So do you have tattoos? What are your thoughts on the rise of literary tattoos? If you'd like to see some more go to this site: http://www.contrariwise.org/ (Some truly amazing tattoos on this site!)

Until next time bloggers I wait impatiently for my next tattoo... What about you?

Beauty Abounds!

There is beauty all around us sometimes it's in the little things... Like this picture:

Just a close-up of a $10 earing but yet so intricate.

Then there's beauty in unexpected places...

This is a head-stone but I find it so peaceful

There's the beauty founds in music

Beauty can be found in the faces of friends and family

The beauty of words and books


And then there's the blow your mind beauty like below

I can't take the credit for these two pictures, it was taken by a friend of mine but every time I look at it my breath catches.

Where do you find beauty?

Hello Blogger Buddies...

I know, I know! It has been a really long time since I've posted - and I don't even have the excuse of uni work at the moment!

I just got completely overwhelmed and ended up neglecting the things I love most (i.e. blogging, writing, painting, taking photos) and it's exactly those things that keep me sane.

But I'm getting too far ahead of myself. So, instead, let me share what's been going on in my world...

I have made many - a great, great many - a mistake this year. One of my greatest mistakes, however, was trying to do it all. Trying to keep up with everyone's pace of life and trying to be an important member of every team.

On other words, friends, I stretched myself too thin. I was working, I was doing uni and I was heavily involved in my church group - undertaking tasks that just aren't me.

I burnt myself out and I burnt myself out bad. I was trying so hard just to keep up that I was falling majorly behind.

Before I go on there's something you need to know about me... I love uni! I mean I positively L-O-V-E it!!! Uni is one of my favorite things in the whole world. If I got my way I'd be there 7 days a week for many many hours of the day. I dedicate myself to my studies and - this part is going to sound like I'm tooting my own horn - I get great grades. I usually get 6's or 7 (distinctions and high distinctions)

This past semester when I was trying to keep up with the Jones so to speak, I got the worst grades I've ever received at uni. 2 credits (about a 4 or 5)!! It was heart-breaking. My thing!! My passion!! And I am screwing it up!!! It was truly terrifying... I mean there I am with a plan to go for Honors, then do a Masters and complete a PhD while lecturing. That's what I want to be, at the end of this exceptionally long road, I want to teach at uni. And there I sat, with two credits, feeling like I could see all my hopes and dreams slowly circling the drain.

To add insult to injury, these grades weren't for required subjects or units that I wasn't interested in. They were my pet subjects - English Literature. My passion! (Obviously, I want to lecture in English Literature if I ever obtain my dream). My lecturer even mentioned that he was surprised at my work because it wasn't to my usual quality. Knife in the heart!

But back to the original point. My uni work suffered because I was trying SO HARD to be like every one else. My passion was pushed to the side because I felt like I wasn't doing enough. Because I wasn't measuring up to what I saw everyone lives to be. I mean, I see people working full-time, while studying full-time, running a house-hold and running a whole department at church. I wasn't even doing HALF that and I wasn't able to keep it together. I was spent, I was done...

Then a friend reminded me that I wasn't required to be like every one else... I was just required to be me. (This seems to be a reoccurring theme of this blog. Sorry!) My friend then went on by prompting me to realise that I'm dealing with more than the average person...And what is average anyway?... But I'm not only making my way through life with a disability but I also have chronic nerve pain. There is no such thing as true rest in my world - there's a lot of pain and there's slightly muted pain. It never stops. And I've got to tell you there are days when it feels like a real achievement if I manage to get out of bed in the morning!

So the long and the short of it is that I am now going to be working to my strengths and working at my level rather than just keeping up. At church I'm no longer involved in everything to do with the department instead I have one little bit that I watch over - a blog for all those people who express themselves creatively rather than being super-social. That's pretty much me to a tee (link to come soon). At work I'm switching to a client with hours that suit me better and is closer to home. And at the end of it all - this whole re-shuffle - I will be given the opportunity to re-focus on uni and give it the proper attention it needs and deserves. So instead of trying to do everything and doing them at about 50% I can focus on a couple of key areas and devote my 100%, my all to them.

So the moral of the story - for me at least - is to work to your strengths and find your fit in life and don't worry about what other people are or aren't doing. Focus on your key areas and give them your all.

All this allows me the time and freedom to focus on uni and to indulge my creative side (honestly I think that's the only side I have!). I now have guilt-free days where I paint, write, read or take photos...

From now on this blog won't be about lessons that I'm learning (however, these will probably come out in my writings... As I re-read my previous posts I seem to lecture while being incredibly introspective. How boring! I'll try and not do that so much!)

Instead this blog will be a space for my creativity and inspiration. It will include
- poetry
- short-stories
- paintings
- general writings
- photographs
- whatever else takes my fancy

Stay safe my blogger friends... Until next time