The Process
So how then, to subvert the ego? One method is through Ritual. Ritual has many applications and many manifestations, even in day to day life. We all have small rituals we perform that consciously or unconsciously centre us and bring focus and clarity to the chaos of our universe. Ritual allows us to step out of the mania of a three dimensional world and into a timeless space free of the mind chatter that so often obscures us from ourselves.
It is the responsibility of such a facilitator not only to help divine the nature and form of the tattoo, but also to hold space during the entire process. Luckily I’m not alone in this, although I act as a guide each Recipient (‘client’ seems such a clinical word) brings their own tools and strengths to the session, whether they realise it or not. The process I utilize is always evolving and being tweaked to best allow us to enter into an authentic dialogue wherein we can bring our intentions into alignment.
The intention we hold is key – to carry out and receive the tattoo with intent, to tattoo consciously and to stay in the moment – this is our goal. Thus we move out of the chaos of regular studio life and into a more private and focused environment.
I start each journey with a regular, no-strings-attached mini consultation during shop hours to better explain what to expect, and for basic introductions and initial exchanges, with the ceremony or ritual itself being performed during a weekday evening in an otherwise empty studio. This way we create a controlled container with no interruptions or distractions, but start the session with some basic familiarity.
From here I will take you through a completely alternative approach to the consultation process whereby we clarify the intention behind the work, and the form it should take. Next we will either design or simply draw your tattoo directly onto skin before we begin the application.
These types of tattoos are necessarily huge or incredibly complex, but sometimes when the work is intuitively guided towards being of a way larger scope, we might decide to take some more time and allow the entire project to be visualised, scheduling the tattoo for a later date.
