The Peacock Project: Part 1

Peace and Love

The decision to get my first tattoo was an easy one. A peace sign was classic and represented a belief I have that I was confident would never fade. I used to draw the symbol on my right hip and walk around my dorm asking everyone their opinion of it. I counted down the days until I was legal, and debated where I would go to get it done. During Spring Break at home in Dallas (on my half birthday), I rode down to Deep Ellum in a friend’s canvas-sided Jeep and made it official.

I love my tattoo more and more every time I see it. It makes me feel powerful, like I’ve chosen to make a permanent statement to the world. It’s small, but mighty.

The problem with being so in love with this tattoo is that the moment I got it, I wanted more.

Bigger and Better

I have a tiny tattoo on my body in a place where no one ever sees it. This time I want something larger and potentially visible. And as always, it has to mean something.

The Peacock

In all honesty, the member of the animal kingdom that means the most to me is the cat. But I’m enough of a crazy cat lady without felines plastered all over my body. Another animal that I find beautiful and classic is the peacock.

I studied Classical Latin for six years. It’s a passion of mine and it represents a lot to me about furthering my education. I have a Minor in Classical Studies that I decided to get because I just enjoyed it. I was almost done with my Marketing degree with a job lined up at a web design firm – but I wanted more. I used the opportunity to study something I really love and those classes are some of my favorites from college.

In Roman times, Peacocks were a very powerful symbol. The Romans believed peacock flesh didn’t decompose after death – it became a symbol of immortality, renewal, and Christ. Peacock feathers were worn for protection against evil spirits. Early belief held that the gates of heaven were guarded by two peacocks.

One of my fondest memories of my time with Jason is a trip to Sea World we took early in our relationship. We were driving the two lane highway from College Station to San Antonio, and passed a broken fence with at least a dozen peacocks wandering slowly over the road. Immediately he exclaimed “Loose Peacocks!!”, which I thought was the funniest thing I had ever heard. It was a confusing, yet beautiful, yet hilarious sight… one of those seemingly insignificant moments that stick with you.

What’s Next?

So, I’m making a resolution. In 2010, I’m getting another tattoo. I’ve been marinating on this peacock idea for the past year or so, and I’m feeling good about it. I am writing this post to get my thoughts out there, and hopefully inspire some action.

Below are just a few images I’ve collected for inspiration. Most of them are from Etsy, coming from some seriously talented artists. I’ve linked them, so check out their stores!

And stay tuned for more!

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