14 replies to this topic

[eww]

I have been pondering getting another tattoo. I got my first (as as of now only) tattoo when I was 19, finishing high school and moving to Europe for a while. I designed it myself with the help of an artistically gifted friend. It was really a sort of coming of age, rite of passage thing for me. 5 years later I still love it.

I'm finding it trickier than I thought, coming to terms with Narcolepsy and asking all of those really complicated uncomfortable questions that people ask themselves when they need to change the way they think about things. Narcolepsy is quite an unwieldy title to get your head around. So I'm thinking of a tattoo as a way of accepting and normalizing it. I don't want it to define me, but like it or not, it will have an impact and I am working to embrace it. To honour it, as much as I honour my freckles or my stubbornness or my sense of humour. A tattoo (for me) is a process in itself. I need to find good symbols, meaningful to me, design it the way I like it, decide where to put it and save up to pay for it. I think it's a good way to work through the process of discovering what Narcolepsy means to me. And at the end of it I get a badge of honour.



So I'm looking for symbols that I can use. So far I've got the Dormouse from Alice in Wonderland. And poppies are my favourite flower but that combination seems to say "druggie" more than anything else. I know that they are meaningful to me, but I suppose my search has been limited. I haven't been able to find many "sleepy" references. I've been looking through mythology and music a lot. And fairytales.

Can anyone think of symbols from music or literature or pop culture or whatever? Or even if there isn't a clear link, but meaningful to you.

I love the Dormouse. lol.

[ohiolor]

What about sleeping beauty?

[jenji]

Can anyone think of symbols from music or literature or pop culture or whatever? Or even if there isn't a clear link, but meaningful to you.
I love the Dormouse. lol.

Great idea! I have a few suggestions:

You could look into Hypnos, who was the Greek mythological God of sleep. His likeness has an interesting winged head, which is pretty neat.

Or, Morpheus who is the Greek mythological God of dreams and has the ability to take human form in dreams. He's kinda cool b/c he sleeps surrounded by poppies and so there is your poppy reference again. I wouldn't really worry what other people think about poppies, I mean if they think drugs, that's their problem, you know what it means.

Lastly, what about a swatch of a polysomnograph study of a narcoleptic showing rapid onset REM sleep? It's kind of a cool graph.

I dunno, these things just came to mind.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

best,
jenji

[Mr BluBerry]

how about a koala bear? they look like they have N

[dogdreams]

I would get this white rabbit logo that REM used in one of their concert tours. I have it on a T-shirt...I'd get it with REM printed underneath.

I totally understand about the tattoo thing. I needed to get one a few years ago as a ritualistic 'making myself whole again' thing. It really worked. It's on my upper back though, just below my neck. I'd love to get one on my left arm so I can see it.

[Mike M]

I too think the idea is fantastic. Morpheus and Hypnos were my first impulses too. Other thoughts would be the numerous images of "sleepers" in Medieval and Renaissance art that often have demons "haunting" them. I know a cool neurologist who collects those images because she thinks they are connected to narcolepsy. Also, another cool idea would be to look into Carl Jung's archetypes and hte work of Joseph Campbell. A final thought that came to mind would be an American Indian dreamcatcher. I hope you will keep us posted as to what you do.

[Henry G]

I want to get a silly tattoo like this:

First have the names:

Henry & Hannah Forever

But then cross out the Hannah but list underneath another 4 girls names (also crossed out) and finally leave "Anyone" Forever.

Hahaha . Bet that would be original !

Or maybe have that made into a fake tattoo first, just to scare a few girls around

[dogdreams]

How about Peppermint Patty from the Peanuts cartoons? Maybe asleep at her desk. Or Garfield or Homer Simpson (not my first choice) or a pretty moon picture...

or an EEG readout of REM sleep. Now THAT would be original. You could get it as an arm band! That would be awesome! Even better if it's from your own sleep study.

[Mike M]

Hey, picking up on dogdreams' concept, what if it was your EEG readout from your PSG, but around your upper arm like the barbed wire that so many people get. Huh? I think I like Peppermint Patty better, but you certainly are getting some awesome ideas.

[Marcianna]

ok bear with me... I will try to describe this... I have wanted it forever across my entire upper back, or maybe carved out like a statue....but there is no way I will ever afford it... so I will pass it on.....


ok imagine a girl with flowy hair and kinda greek styled dress, basic flowy toga sorta thing... lying asleep on clouds on her side. one arm under her head and stretching out above her head and the other one draped across the clouds in front of her. in the hand above her head she is holding and old lantern and the one in front of her a pocket watch with no hands.

I was gonna keep it b/w with grey shades but you can color it of course.


It is loosly based on a dream I had. so it looks cool in my head at least.....

[eww]

Those are all some awesome ideas. I had connected the poppies with Morpheus. Pretty nifty. I like it when things just fit. I would love to update you all on how it's coming along, unfortunately my computer is in the shop with major harddrive failure. And a bunch of other crap. Bizarro computer. But I will definitely update when my computer time is no longer stolen moments on a public computer.

[eightlegs]

You should try and look up the Sandman comic series by Neil Gaiman. Lots of amazing imagery there.
http://en.wikipedia....ndman_(Vertigo)

[sunrisemoon]

Some fabulous ideas here! I think the test readouts would look awesome as an arm band.

I almost wish I hadn't read this thread again, because now I have 3 tattoos in my head that I want. I already have two on my ankles and had just about decided on two more. Methinks having five tattoos might be a bit much - there are limited places I could get them, as well as see them, and still look relatively professional when I'm working office jobs.

[Marcianna]

Henna is always an option. just incase your not sure yet!

[sunrisemoon]

Or just get stars all over your face, like the girl in Europe.

But might need a moon and a couple of planets as well, just for balance and authenticity.