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Tuesday, July 3, 2012

TADICTION

Webster defines addiction like this:  compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly: persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful.

I’ve heard a lot of people use the term “tattoo addiction” since I’ve started collecting skin art.  I’m not sure that I agree with the terminology.  If obtaining more tattoos was an actual addiction, all of us tattoo collectors would be walking around with DTs between appointments at our favorite tattoo shops. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delirium_tremens)
I particularly like the term “Irish Jig”….. I’ve done that a few times, I wasn’t withdrawing, definitely imbibing.

To go a little off subject for a minute, there is a very yummy beer called Delirium Tremens, voted Best Beer in the World in Chicago in 2008 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delirium_Tremens_(beer) do yourself a favor and check it out, go easy on it, it will kick your ass my friends!


And holy fuck, wouldn’t Kevin or Dustin be thrilled to tattoo me as I was shaking uncontrollably.  I’m quite certain they would refuse to put a needle to my skin, which would be doing me a favor.

So, since I have never experienced shivering, palpitations, sweating, convulsions or died (obviously) in the time between tattoos, I would say that addiction isn’t really a proper term.

Since I am in possession of a Super Thesaurus and various other internet tools, I should be able to come up with a better term.

The first term that came to mind was crave.  Webster’s defines crave as: to want greatly, to yearn for, to have a strong or inward desire..  All those definitions fit my personal desire to get tattooed.  And if you are craving something and are unable to procure that which you are craving, you don’t suffer any untoward effects, other than disappointment (which won’t make you shake uncontrollably, puke through your nose, or croak).
But most people associate the term crave with food.  I won’t even get started on chocolate cravings, except to say that I don’t get them and it’s a little annoying to hear people (girls) talk about chocolate cravings in relation to their “cycles”…. It’s an excuse! Just say “I fucking want some chocolate” or better yet, don’t say anything and just eat it.  No one has to justify their chocolate intake to me, I really don’t care.
HA! I guess I did get started on it……

Anyway, back to the quest for better terminology.

Appetence defined as:  A strong craving or desire, a tendency or propensity, a natural attraction or affinity.
I think this is an excellent term!  I have a craving to acquire more tattoos, the craving is STRONG... Which makes the term APPETENCE more emphatic than the term CRAVING.  I also have a tendency or propensity to be tattooed, so it fits there too. And I most definitely have an attraction to tattoos, I notice them everywhere I go and I love asking about them.  Many people that I meet, that are tattooed, will notice mine first and offer to share theirs. 
I was once selling beer at a festival (http://bockfest.com/) and was chatting up some beer connoisseurs, the topic turned to tattoos, shocking!  This Irish fellow showed me his Celtic knot work on his upper arm and began to tell me his plans for some color work on his other arm, I told him about Robyn Roth (http://www.nomadical.net/) at Mother’s Tattoo in Erlanger KY http://motherstattoo.com/.  She tattooed my foot about a year ago with a sweet koi and lotus.  Of course my new Irish friend wanted to see it. It was freeze-your-balls-off cold in March, and the beer booth was outside.  But I had to show him… so I peeled of my boot and both pairs of socks and slapped my foot right up on the table (I’m pretty flexible for a chubby girl).  He was very impressed, I pulled her number out of the iPhone, and he was excited at the prospect of having her do some work for him.  I hope that he was able to follow through.
And it looks great in cute shoes.

It is extremely difficult to get a good photo of the foot!  I love this tattoo so much; Robyn is a magnificent artist, the detail in this tattoo impressive.  I was drawn to the symbolism of the koi and the lotus.  The koi represents courage, individualism, overcoming life’s difficulties and good fortune. I have overcome some difficulties in the last 3 years, my foot reminds me of that, and that I can continue to overcome.  The lotus symbolizes rebirth, among other things, but that’s the symbol I most closely identify with.  People always notice it and compliment it, I am quick to credit Robyn.  I’d soon like to have her add another koi above it…. So much appetence, so little time…..

Tattoo enthusiasts are a little community that I like being a part of, I’m always ready to recommend my artists to others, I want them to stay busy… as long as I can still get an appointment in a timely manner HAHA.  And I want to hear about other kick ass artists, for future reference….

I digress again…. Back to terminology…..

The last term I’d consider is lust which is defined as: Intense or unrestrained sexual craving (which doesn’t really fit THIS situation, and this probably isn’t the place to describe how that particular definition fits into my life) An overwhelming desire or craving, Intense eagerness or enthusiasm, To have an intense or obsessive desire, especially one that is sexual (wow that sex thing keeps popping up, doesn’t it?).
I like the word lust, but its definition seems to have an excessive amount of fervor... I mean, sometimes it could be appropriate, but not as a common association with tattoos.  I am ruling out lust.

I think that the word that fits best is appetence, but I really can’t see people using it in everyday conversation… hell I love words and wasn’t even familiar with it. 

A new word needs to be coined……… TADICTION?

Tadiction: the desire to procure skin art, the appreciation of the skin art on others, the love of the skin art that one possesses.

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