So for about 8 months now I’ve been thinking about my first tattoo, and thought I wanted the words “shut up and smile”.
I tend to get angry a lot and overthink every little problem I have, and when that happens, that’s what I tell myself. It’s part of the lyrics to one of the songs that’s really helped me through things and made me happy. I also had an eating disorder that I’m well into recovery for now, and I’m trying to take life less seriously instead of dwelling on the negatives of the past.
But recently I’ve gone off the idea of a text tattoo. I still want the essence of it to be about letting go of things/not letting the little things get to me, enjoying life, and just… basically “shut up and smile”. But I have no idea what sort of artwork I could get to represent this! I’d really appreciate any help 🙂
Listen to the song and look at the lyrics and see if there is anything in the song that gives you an idea. If the song is the bowling for soup song, it keeps talking about ice cream. You could do a cartoony ice cream cone with a smiling face, maybe with the mouth sewn up. It’s goofy but that could be cool. I don’t know how much you would want food on you if you are getting over an eating disorder though.
@Tecratt 131116 wrote:
Listen to the song and look at the lyrics and see if there is anything in the song that gives you an idea. If the song is the bowling for soup song, it keeps talking about ice cream. You could do a cartoony ice cream cone with a smiling face, maybe with the mouth sewn up. It’s goofy but that could be cool. I don’t know how much you would want food on you if you are getting over an eating disorder though.
It is the bowling for soup song! I love the line “It’s not the end of the world, in fact it’s not even the end of the summer” in it as well. The smiling face part sounds really cool! Goofy is good 😉 But I’m not sure on getting any food on me haha
Welcome to the forum. You are probably getting a standing ovation from most of us for deciding against text.
What about something like a sunflower – that is what reading those lyrics made me think of (end of summer). Or you could look up the ‘meanings’ of some of your favourite flowers. I have some flowers tattooed that mean happiness, patience and new beginnings (Gerbera daisy, lilacs and freesia, not necessarily in that order). And my first flower tattoo was a Lily, I have never looked up the meaning for because it was to remind me to “stop and smell the flowers” so that is what it means to me.
Welcome, and congrats on the healing 🙂
I got out of a serious eating disorder myself a few years ago, + some other stuff. When I first decided on getting better, I went ahead and filled up an entire arm with things that make me happy. I got a knuckle duster with hearts in the “finger holes”, which to me is the “Love, not hate” tattoo for me, because I had some serious anger issues.
I actually have quite a few tattoos that in one way or another represents that struggle, but it’s been a process. One step at a time 🙂
And getting food on you doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Silly is good, silly makes you feel better and reminds you without making you sad. Which is a good thing 🙂 I’m a big believer in silly tattoos.
I personally like the idea of a Black Forest cake with a slice missing, or something that resembles an insulin bottle labelled “Happiness” with a U 100 needle beside it.
I had a large tumor/oophorectomy that left a massive scar, and the artist went with a sort of bird’s nest/flowers analogy associated with the female reproductive system. Roughly where my left ovary (which is long gone) is, lies a lotus, mirroring the right one on the opposite side. Pictures are in my album. Obvious choices are not necessarily bad ones.
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