Cars X Girl

I feel fortunate enough to live in a time where tattoos aren’t as frowned upon as they once were, where they’re found on all types of people from all walks of life. In fact, it’s often one of the easiest ways I can relate to someone else, whether they have some or not. There are usually stories involved, whether it’s what the tat is, what it represents or something about why they got it or what happened when it was put on.

I knew that I wanted tattoos long before I could get one. When I was about fourteen, the thought rooted itself and I declared my intentions loud and proud. I had no idea what I wanted, but I knew, as soon as I turned eighteen, I was getting myself inked. It was totally something I had to do. So my Mom made me a deal — for my eighteenth birthday, I’d get a tattoo. And she’d go with me… And get one too.

And….

We did. Not exactly on my birthday, but a couple months later I got my very first tattoo, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

What I got

In all the time leading up to it, I really didn’t know for sure what to get. It had to be something special, something that represented me, something that would continue to be special and represent me despite the changes I went through.

So I got something representing my car, my newfound symbol of freedom and self-expression, the car that got me started, led me to meet my husband (I swear we wouldn’t have had anything to talk about otherwise!) and really got me started on a path that got me here today: my Honda badge.

No regrets

Of course, I get some flak for it. Most people don’t get it, and that’s fine. I know there are other people out there with similar tattoos, who feel the same way I do… Not necessarily for what I do, though. (It’s easy to see plenty of examples of people with VW tats, just search if you don’t believe me.)

My Honda tat was my first, and I think I was planning my next one before I was even done! After that came my “signature” tat — a fairly large vine/rose/flower arm piece that I couldn’t imagine living without. Then came my first fox paw for my 19th birthday, which eventually was colored in black and had three more added with my “kitsune” tattoo on the back of my neck.

Over time, though, cars took a bigger hold. I always loved my Honda tat, and since I’ve owned my own car I’ve never been without one. As I’ve said to my husband, even if the day comes and I don’t own a Honda (highly unlikely) I still will love it, because it’s my roots. It’s where I’m from, where I started. And I believe in the company, I believe in the vision and the way they do business, way more than I can say for most companies out there. I have a deep respect for them and feel glad that I can give a bit back somehow with the tat.

Open the gates?

I’ve seen car tats before, and it seems like there are a lot of pistons and spark plugs out there. I liked them, that’s for sure… As long as they’re unique. There’s nothing more strange than a tattoo without a personal twist or a personal story to go with it. But with something so plain or ordinary as plugs or pistons, there’s not much to do but add a twist to it and hopefully have a story as well.

Since I have a Honda tattoo, it was always a question if I’d get one for my Miata. I’m still not sure if I’ll get one as self-explanatory as my Honda one. But I have gotten one… It’s just not very obvious that that’s what it’s for.

The start of something big

I started with the kanji for “perseverance” on my left wrist. I see this tattoo everyday, and everyday it reminds me that I need to keep going if I want to overcome obstacles in my life. Only by getting out there and keeping up the effort will I make changes, will I show that yes, I’m a girl and I like cars too. Yes, I’m a girl and I can talk about RX-7’s and their 13B’s. Yes, I know the difference between a supercharger and a turbo charger, why you’d pick one over the other and yes, I’m still a girl and can still talk fashion too.

Yes, I’m a car girl. A tuner girl. A girl racer. And yes, I love cars and build my own, but my husband makes an awesome sounding board for ideas and such!

Then it dawned on me…. Why not do an entire arm full of tattoos representing cars? I wear a lot of oversized car shirts to show my passion for cars, but I’m not always wearing an automotive-related shirt. I’d love to have something that shows what I’m into all the time, not just some of the time! Plus, with tattoos being permanent, nobody can really ask if I’m seriously into it or not. Why go through the trouble if I’m not?

Plus I wasn’t ever sure I’d tattoo my left arm… For personal reasons I don’t really feel like discussing. Let’s just say that it’s a huge deal and extremely freeing for me to do this in such a manner.

My newest addition!

So I finally got around to tattoo #2 of my car sleeve work. So far, so good! Each tattoo helps me in some way, there’s just something so incredible about sitting there and working through the pain to get to the wonderful reward at the end, and I only seem to come up with more painful spots to get inked.

My second tattoo is something a bit more obviously car-related, if you know about Japanese culture and cars — the Wakaba badge, or the “JDM leaf badge” to those who don’t know the proper name. Why? Well, it has to do with a few things, really. I love Japanese culture, and it’s part of that. I love Japanese cars and JDM, which is why it’s known in the States. And I love that it represents a beginner, or someone in the stages of learning.

It’s the learning part that I take away with me the most. In cars, nobody can know it all…. Ever. There’s an opportunity to learn in everything, from everyone and about anything.

Oh, and the fact that it’s so car-related and all that is great.

Showing off

Mind you, this picture was taken right before it began to peel, so the colors are way more vibrant than they are now. These are on the inside of my left arm, perseverance over my wrist, and the Wakaba badge between it and my elbow.

This is just the start, mind you.

But that’s just me…!

Maybe it’s too much for some. I’m sure I’m going to get lots of quizzical looks for this one… No doubt. I went after a well-known symbol. Really, I kinda worry about what it’s going to be like going to Japan like this sometimes…

But it’s me. I’m normally quiet and shy, but when I’m comfortable I’m rather loud. I come out of my shell quite a bit more than I used to, but I’m still fairly shy. My tattoos let me relate to people and show what I like without ever having to say a word. They’re my built-in confidence booster, and it’s kinda fun to fawn over a new one for a while before it becomes a normal part of you.

It’s not for everyone, that’s for sure. For me, though, I like to wear my passion right on my sleeve… Literally.

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