I got a new tattoo! This is my third one, the biggest now and most prominent, so why not have record somewhere of why it's special to me? I get that hearing about people's tattoos can be like listening to people's dreams (boring), but I enjoy listening to others' dreams and tattoo stories, so surely I can't be the only one.
The origin of the idea
So here it is, a tattoo of the creosote bush found in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. Why did I originally want this? I'd planned a state flowers tattoo, for the four states I've lived in. This is not the state flower of Nevada, but it means more to me than the sagebrush. As kids, we loved smelling this plant after a rain. Even if it hasn't rained and you pick a sprig, it smells like rain (petrichor, I guess). When my family moved away from Las Vegas, we kept a pressed sprig in our giant encyclopedia. It was a joy to recall that it was there and smell it occasionally, a souvenir of the desert.
After speaking with different artists, they all seemed to say four flowers was going to be really involved. Also, I'd wanted an inch-wide bracelet, but for the detail necessary, it became much bigger. So in the end, I just got the creosote; I could add on the other flowers (they're not as big as this at least: poppy, orange blossom, bluebonnet) later or to the other wrist.
The location
I'd had this state flowers idea for a while (I keep a list of tattoo ideas), but the location wasn't immediately clear. I was still afraid to get something so prominent (thanks, society), like I somehow "wasn't allowed" or would get in trouble. I decided if I chickened out, it could be an anklet; no one ever looks at feet. However, after attending a Sukkot dinner, I changed my mind. I met a very cool lady who's becoming a rabbi, and she had huge Hebrew bubble letter font on both wrists. I thought, if she can do it, I can. Plus it's a "taking back my life from the Man" kind of moment. So what if I have a visible tattoo?
So like most people, I'm right-handed. This is my creative side. Someone in some article mentioned "the right hand gives, the left receives." That could just be people making up meaning, but in the end, isn't all meaning made up? Anyway, I chose the right wrist over the left because of the meanings of creosote I'll get into next, the creativity implied, and also because I felt it was left out! I have my Lord of the Rings tattoo on my left upper arm, so why not show the right some love?
Meanings of Creosote
Creosote is a desert plant, and as such, doesn't require a lot of water. It's a survivor. It produces a waxy substance on the leaves to not only help with keeping water in, but also deterring things from eating it. It's a keystone species. Its root system deters erosion and provides homes for burrowing animals. It provides shelter for other plants as they grow. Natives used it for antiseptic, pain relief, and even tattoo ink. It also clones itself as it grows (and I'm a clone lol as a twin).
So yeah, it's a provider and a survivor with incredible endurance and adaptations, things I aspire to be or am. Although I moved a lot, my main childhood memories start in Las Vegas (moved there when I was four years old, lived there until 10 years old), and I consider myself a desert person. I also can put up with high temperatures haha. The plant brings to mind the beauty of the Mojave Desert, which I don't mind keeping on my body forever ;)
Some websites about creosote:
That tattoo is done beautifully, a true artist's work. You GO GIRRRRL! Lovely explanation for the choice of imagery. I miss you guys...