Temporary versus permanent - Piercing, Ink, etc

[Leila Raven]

I've only attempted one permanent body mod, having my nipples pierced. It was an amazing experience, and I'm glad I had it done. It was for my 40th birthday and was done by a body modification artist named Elwood. He's been trained by Fakir, the father of the modern primitive movement, and has been designated Fakirs chosen 'successor'. There was friends and loved ones around, and it was actually part of a piercing party, where many people had permanent mods done. Piercing and branding.

Unfortunately, they didn't stay with me, they wouldn't heal. I'd never even had my ears pierced before this, because I always had a gut feeling my body wouldn't be happy with a foreign object. Even with all the best of care and patience, my body just refused to heal properly around the piercings.

So I'm back to bare canvas again. Other than that, the only kinds of ordainment I've had have been temporary, by design that is, but also meaningful.

I've done a lot of temporary design on my own body and on others bodies using temporary piercings, or using henna or other methods of making marks.

Marking the body can be a very spiritual process, putting symbols on self or on others is a profound experience, whether the mark is meant to be worn for the rest of ones life, or for a day or a week.

At one of the parties in my home we did henna designs on each other, celebrating our bodies. This is the back of a friend of mine and a member of my extended 'leather family'. Another woman at the party was a survivor of breast cancer and had had a double masectomy, she wanted her 'breasts' decorated and I made beautiful flowers where nipples would be radiating out with swirls like a floral sun... she was very thrilled and moved with reclaiming her breasts and feeling that they were very beautiful, though not in a typical way.

It was a very powerful evening.

Have you ever had a temporary body art experience that was profound for you?

 

[PhoenyxHarte]

I've done henna in the past, and I found it a very meditative process, to be honest. I have done it on my hands--both of them, with various designs and stencils. I did my feet as well, and I felt it was a wonderful way of expressing creativity. My folks were a little nettled about it, but they were happy it wasn't permanent. They gave me holy hell over my tattoos, though, once they found out I had them. I was told I was horrible, that I was wasting money I couldn't afford to spend, I was turning myself into a freak. My first one; they didn't know I even had it for nearly a year, because I always wore t-shirts that hid it.

As for those tattoos, I spent a long time deciding on what I wanted, and I also chose the design for its personal meaning. I wanted something beautiful, something that invoked my artistic sensibilities, and something that paid tribute to my spirituality. For me personally, if I'm going to have a permanent mark on my skin, it has to have serious personal import to me. I have always felt such body art was a rite of passage, and it couldn't be something frivolous--that's just ONLY my personal view, though.

I don't know if I could handle getting my nipples pierced, because I kind of like the way they look as they are. I don't see me getting my nose pierced, because my nose has gone through more reconstruction and I don't need any more adornment on it. I was born with facial birth defects and have had 12 reconstructive surgical procedures to try and correct it, so my poor nose doesn't need any more hardware in it! My ears have multiple piercings, and the 1st two sets of holes are stretched, something I began doing about 2 years ago. Part of it was a way of reinventing myself.

[Leila Raven]

For sure I think that any kind of body modification/art/decorating whether temporary or permanent can be a powerful process of expressing self, inventing self, exploring and discovering self.

Marking the body can be such a profound thing. I think that's why for some more conservative people who cling to traditional norms and roles, where those traditions and social norms are being challenged when people engage in powerful rites of personal self expression and exploration. I think otherwise it wouldn't upset some people so much, like your parents. I think it's not so much that people have art on their skin... it's what it symbolizes, someone who is willing to clearly define themselves through a form of permanent art on their body is someone who may threaten the 'status quo'...

For some people the idea of even writing on themselves temporarily is very distasteful for upsetting, marking the body, definitely a powerful act.

[PhoenyxHarte]

We are coming from two different generations, my parents and I. The even bigger irony is that one of my younger sisters had her nose pierced, and she got a tattoo as well. She's considered the brainy one of the four of us girls (went to Cornell, has a degree in environmental engineering)--I was somewhat surprised to learn she had done so. Yet she was the one who showed me the tattoo, because she knew I'd have appreciation for it. The nose piercing i barely even notice, and to be honest, I think it looks great on her. My parents were much less ferocious in their complaints of her than me. But there you go.

There's a lot of cultural values and such that color our feelings; my dad is from Italy and he has certain concepts on personal aesthetics, though he's a lot more liberal than most older Italian men. 

I think what upset my parents about my own body art is that I have gone through extensive reconstructive surgery for facial birth defects that included a cleft palate, blind in one eye, lots of orthodontic work. The doctors did a lot to try and make my facial features look relatively normal (though normal is subjective). They thought I'd lost my mind when I decided to have permanent designs etched into my skin. My relatives have told me they thought my body art was lovely, and that's why I chose those designs. Now, they're pretty much resigned to them, and they have to realize it's part of how I define myself. I think they're still hung up on the stereotypes of what tattoos mean, and the kinds of people who get them. As I said before, different generations.

[3kuep2rn3qo0d]

 

Haven't had any temporary body art in this lifetime; besides eye cosmetics and wearing Tilaka. ( I think I'd enjoy body painting... Hehe.)

Actually my first foray into 'body modding" was with self-scarification when I was 13, but there was little that was "expansive" with any of that; to be honest, it was self-depreciative and masochistic.

I've been considered "different" since I was a toddler, so any of my mod's haven't really fazed my biological family much. Though my mum did kind of trip when I showed her my facial tat; but she got over it quick. Not that she really had a choice... Heh!

It doesn't matter who someone is... either accept me as I am, or not at all; I'm good with either.

 

Anyways...

Found this to be beautiful, so I thought I would share this technique for those who may want less permanent "markings".

 

"Solar Tattooing"...

 

 

 

[Leila Raven]

wow, that's gorgeous, what a wonderful idea. :)

I've seen similar where people apply designs in sunblock. the reverse effect.

Yes, I think there is a difference between body modification and/or positive self-masochism and self-harming/cutting etc. It can be a fine line at times to determine, and it depends on the individual. Ultimately I think one is about empowering self and positive self expression, and the other one is an act of self-sabotage or even mutilation. If it feels all good, then it's all good, if it feels like self detriment abuse, then it's not so good, if it feels part good and part bad... then it gets tricky to determine... sometimes it's the best coping strategy someone has in the moment. Often people will temporary mark for self-depreciation, self-abuse, expression of negative emotion, writing negative words on self, cutting self, etc.

Often reclaiming body modification with a positive intent can be a path to healing those old wounds. I've known people who've written positive words all over the body because they used to write bad things. Or people who've had permanent body mod art done over scars or incorporating scars.

It's all about what happens in the mind...

People are often quick to judge actions as 'bad' or 'good' black or white... marking the body can be either, or both, it's not the action that matters, it's what happens in the mind around it.

[PhoenyxHarte]

That IS something different, with that robe. How interesting. As for other kinds of body mod; I was a self-injurer for a long time. Mine wasn't quite to the point where it left deep scars on my body; it was done just enough to feel pain because I felt I deserved it. I only got into the cutting aspect when in high school and college. I left some pockmark-like scars on the inside of my right wrist and I want to have a tattoo to cover it up, to keep me from hurting myself. Getting one on the left wrist has kept me from doing damage to that one as well. For me, it's having that physical reminder of positive affirmation that keeps me from wanting to do further harm to myself.

[Leila Raven]

That sounds like a great idea. :)

[2697b3uwyr9f0]

I concur with what you say regarding nipple piercings I have both of mine done and unfortunately it took a year to heal, only then that was because I exchanged my rings with golden ones, my body is more excepting of gold, it is the only metal it can tolerate,lol, I have many facial piercings my eyebrow, various ear piercings, and my chin, for myself its the spiritual warrior aspect , my biological family in this lifetime have native Canadian family links (my grandfather was from the Huron), even in his 70s he still had many piercings of his own,

I also have many tattoos the largest starts from my left wrist and extends up my arm over both sides of my shoulder and stops about an 3 inches from my left ear, its of tribal design and unique to my artist friend who worked on it, I call it my black lightening, I find the actual experience of being tattooed very stimulating both physically and meta-physically,I also have a wolf, (a name given to me at a naming ceremony) on my left pectoral and a Dragon (no surprises there lol), on my right pec`, I also have the face a tiger (courage) with tribal on my right arm, Also a unicorn (elemental) on the same arm slightly lower....all have meaning... my body is my temporary vessel and temple, my skin is just as sacred, therefore I will honor them as I honor my creative and expressive being, the skin being a living parchment to my own personal truth,

This is indeed a refreshing group :)

Blessings To all D<)M(> 

[Leila Raven]

Sounds like you have many beautiful and meaningful modifications done. You bring up an important point... the spiritual aspects involved in the actual process itself. Often transcendence through pain/trial is experienced. I'd love to see photos if you're willing to share any. :)

[2697b3uwyr9f0]

"Lol", I will try my friend, yes you are correct the very act of tattooing is sacred, pain and pleasure are so close,

The best way I can express myself is with the poem I wrote for a friend of mine I posted in here, what is your perception on this my friend?, not the actual poem but the concept,

:) 

[2697b3uwyr9f0]

WOLF (left pec`)

Dragon (right pec`)

Both and shoulder

Back of left shoulder blade Celtic multiple realities

Tigar

left arm :)

All 

Blessings to all D<)M(>

 

[Leila Raven]

fantastic, love the tribal design on the shoulder! they all work very well with one another.