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Q1. Where did you get your
first tattoo and do you know by who?
A. My first tattoo
was a long time coming. I wanted one since I was five years old, but
of course my father kept protesting through the years. I was very
jealous of my brother, who got his first tattoo when he was 13. I
didn't think it was fair that HE could have one and I couldn't. So for
years, I continuously begged and pleaded, but to no avail. FINALLY,
when I was 17, I managed to convince my father to let me get one. My
brother already had two, and would get his third when I got my first.
Well he and my father kept trying to talk me out of it, telling me
that the pain would be unbearable, that I'd pass out, that I'd beg him
to stop two seconds into it. My mom just sat there and smiled.
She knew I was strong enough. SO I got to the tattoo parlor, the
people there were really nice. I was so excited; I had designed the
tattoo I wanted years ago. So he sets me up on the table, asked me if
I was ready... then started.
Q2. What was going through
your mind when you got your first tattoo?
A. My first thought
was: "I thought they said it was supposed to HURT? This feels
WONDERFUL!" That was my first delicious experience of the
"immortal ink". I shamed my brother, who was whining that
all three of his hurt really badly. I enjoyed it intensely, it
actually tickled quite a bit. When he finished it an hour later, I
just stood there in front of the mirror staring at it... I could NOT
stop looking at it! It was gorgeous, it was forever, and it was MINE.
The next day, I went to school wearing the sluttiest pants I owned,
just so the tattoo would shine in its full glory. Right away, I knew I
was beyond hope. I wanted more tattoos, and I wanted them SOON!
Q3. Is there a meaning
behind your first tattoo and what is it if you care to share?
A. Absolutely. I
designed my first tattoo about four years ago. I had always been VERY
much into Egyptian mythology, and never leave the house without one of
my ankh necklaces. So I drew an ankh, because to me it symbolizes
eternal life (which a tattoo also symbolizes, in a sense). The
"bat wing" designs on the sides of the ankh show that I can
fly away to my own private thoughts whenever I need to. Their intense
blue color isn't only appealing to the eyes, it also symbolizes the
subconscious, the imagination, the deep unknown. There was a lot
riding on that first tattoo. I know it'll forever be my favorite.
Q4. What is your favorite
tattoo, where is it and why?
A. I described my first
tattoo in the previous question. But it's on the small of my back (I
know, such a typical spot to get one...), I figured it would be in a
place where I could show it if I wanted to, and hide it when it was
necessary. All of my tattoos are like that, actually, since I'm going
to college to get a Medical Administrative Assistant degree. Of
course, my TRUE love is acting and writing, but hey, this is real
life... why be a starving artist when you can be an artist with a
degree to fall back on, right?
Q5. What advice can you
give people who are looking to get ink for the first time?
A. DEFINITELY put a
ton of thought into what design you want. Don't get a tattoo JUST
because it "looks cool", get something that really means
something to you, something you won't get sick of a few years down the
road. Talk to other people who have tattoos, and find a tattoo parlor
that you really feel comfortable in. Get to know the artists, research
their personal styles, see samples of their work. Enjoy the
experience!!
Q6. Any Additional
Comments......
A. I now have four tattoos as of this interview,
but I'm getting my fifth one in a few weeks. My second one is my
biggest, and it's VERY symbolic. The three roses (one big rose, and
two little buds on the side) symbolize all typical trinities, which
are very powerful. The red "A" seems to bring to mind the
Nathaniel Hawthorn novel "The Scarlet Letter", but the fact
that the "A" is on my BACK instead of my CHEST tells me that
all of the negativity of the past is behind me, it can't block my way
forward.. plus, my last name is Anoai, so I'll always have that little
piece of my ancestral name =) My fourth and fifth tattoos are a set,
dedicated to my parents (and a conversation I had with a lead singer
of a band... and the Poison song "Fallen Angel"...). There's
one on each hip, each is a blue-toned dice which is on
fire, and under one are the heart and club symbols, and under the
other are the diamond and spade. One says
"get lucky", one says "Win big", and one says MOM
on the side, the other says DAD. My future ink endeavors are as
follows: Since I'm half Samoan, my fifth tattoo will be a Samoan
tribal band going around my left ankle. I got the design from one
of the Samoan weapons hanging in my den, and I'm working on the 6th
one now.. I have a gorgeous silver rose ring that curls up on my
finger in beautiful intricate tendrils, I'm thinking about wrapping
that one around my right ankle, with a bit of personal touch, of
course. I really enjoyed this interview, if there's one thing I
never get tired of talking about, it's tattoos!
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