 The first time that the buzzing sound of the needle and ink drew a line on my skin. I knew that was it. There's no turning around now. It's done. I've started my first tattoo and I have to live with it for the rest of my life. It was the 8th of December 2018, one afternoon after I had thought about it for several days and drawn my own tattoo design. Which was a mistake I had come to learn after I got the tattoo. I told my best friend to accompany me because he was also curious to see how it would be like, how it would feel like if it was that painful as people have been saying. We went to La Paz to look for this tattoo artist who I've been talking to I shared my design, he had told me the price and the process started. He asked me if that was the design I wanted. He drew it on my skin, I looked at the size, I looked at how it looked like and I was like, yes, this is the design I wanted. It was supposed to be a one line tattoo drawing a stroke of movement adding them to a shark. Now, why a shark? What is the inspiration behind this shark tattoo? A shark because for me, if I was going to get any tattoo on my skin, it had to mean something for life. The shark was representative of the best advice I had ever gotten and a mantra that I was living by. A mantra I lived and I still do live by. When I started work at Atlantis Radio, which was my first job, my boss one day gave me an advice to be like the shark. Why? The shark is the only animal that keeps moving forward. The shark is known to be the only animal in the ocean or one of the few animals who is still floating and moving even in their sleep. As well as the fact that the shark is an apex predator, in this big ocean of life, you always have to keep hunting, you always have to survive, keep moving forward. And it's something that has stuck with me for as long as I can remember. And not just because it was an advice that stuck with me, it was also because it was something that I could see myself as. I'm quite an adaptive person and I thought this was it. If I was going to have the first tattoo as something that is going to spark conversations or break eyes with people, this was going to be the first one. The shark. The mistake here I made was the fact that I drew it myself and for me it looked like a shark. For me, it was perfect. But when it was done and I shared it with my friends or people that I wanted them to see, they couldn't immediately tell what it was. And if you can't immediately tell what a tattoo is, especially if it's supposed to be an animal or an icon of a thing, then you know it's a big mistake. So I had to rectify it, but not just yet. However, before my first tattoo, the friend who referred me to this tattoo artist had warned me that getting my first tattoo meant that if I liked it, I was going to get something they call ink fever. Ink fever is when you get a tattoo for the first time and you can't help but get more and more and more. Depending on how your first tattoo goes, if it's not something that scars you dramatically for life, it won't be your only tattoo on your skin. So I was like, hey, let's see how it goes. I love tattoos and I want to get tattoos. So if my first one will inspire me to get more, I don't see why not. So I did. I got my first tattoo on 8th December 2018. My second tattoo is also something that means a lot to me. My second tattoo is representative of who I am and where I come from. So in their Shanti clan system, my family is from the Aguna side. We are an Aguna family and Aguna is represented by the parrot. So my second tattoo is a drawing of a parrot in origami because I love, or at the time I was giving tattoos, I loved minimalist tattoos and I wanted something that was simple and easy to get done. So why a parrot? In their Aguna clan or in their Shanti clan system, a parrot is representative of people who are good or raters, people who are good narrators, lawyers, mediators, the linguists. And that is who we are. That is where I'm from. And it made sense that at the time I was also in a profession that was representative of where I come from. I was a radio presenter. I was paid to talk. I was paid to tell stories. And that's exactly who I am. So if I'm going to do something as permanent as that as well, it might as well be something that is who I am or where I'm from. So I did that. And on the day I did that I was at work and I ran away after my show on my lunch break to go get a tattoo done. Yeah, my tattoo artist said it's a micro tattoo so it was not going to take that long. So I could come over and get it done in about an hour. And it stopped true to his word. I went and I got it done. On the day I did that, I met my friend who had advised me or given me my first referral to the first tattoo artist there as well. And then she was telling me, I warned you, I warned you, you get the first one, you're going to be getting so many more. And I was like, hey, let's do it. So that was my second tattoo. My third tattoo is a collection of tats that make a statement for me. And at the time I was trying to will myself out of the rut that I was in. I was transitioning to become the person that I am now or to do the thing that I'm doing now as a freelancer. It was in 2019, I was going through it. I felt depressed. I felt gray. And I felt like I needed to do more with all that was burning inside of me creatively. So I started this brand called Asitna. That's the way we live. And for me, Asitna was going to tell stories about the way we live. Asitna was going to make documentaries about the way we live. And that's my documentary brand, by the way. The YouTube link is in the description. So I was going through it and I was in the happiest at the moment. So I was going to remind myself that life is full of ups and downs, infinite ups and downs, it goes up and down, it's infinite. That's what the logo of Asitna was representative of. It's on the screen right now. So it's the infinity sign mixed with ups and downs. And it also is an A and S. So Asitna. And the second part of the tattoo was breathe. Reminding myself to breathe. Anytime that I felt like I was drowning or stuck. And the third part of the elements of this tattoo was to keep your head above the water. Survive. You'll make it. So that was my third tattoo. It was more like a reminder of where I was and where I wanted to go and how I was going to do it. I liked that very much. And I think it spread me on as well. I don't always remember to breathe, but when I do see it, it works. Yeah. My fourth tattoo was my biggest, or is my biggest. And it's actually not even complete yet. My fourth tattoo was more artistic than anything. But it also means a lot to me because even in creating art, I know it has to mean something. I know it has to have a connection to me and my story. And that's exactly what it was. So I wrote a poem. A poem about my life. A very short poem about who I am, where I come from, who I was in my life, where I wanted to go, and how I wanted to do it. So inspired by the great tattoo on Dwayne the Rock Johnson, I wanted a tribal tattoo. One that was on my chest going through my shoulder to my arm. Not full sleeve, just my shoulder and my tricep area. That was the inspiration behind that one. So I converted that poem into tribal art. I made my tattoo artist. This time I learned my lesson. I made my tattoo artist, turned it into a great tribal art piece. And it was the most painful and longest tattoo session I've ever had in my life. It took 12 hours for the first session. And even though there were breaks in between, I had to tap out at some point because I could not stand it. So the elements of this tattoo are a crab, which is what I used to represent to my mom because she's a cancer born in July. So the whole tattoo lies within the crab because that's where I come from. She's the reason I'm here. And then the second part or some parts or the bits and pieces inside there are me being Ossay and the appellation or attribute of Ossay. Ossay is Ossay to the tree. So that is the other part of the tattoo. And there's a will in there, which is where I come from in terms of my surname as Bonsu. And where I shine, what I do are all within this piece. It will continue, I don't know when yet, but it will continue. So that is my fourth tattoo. And if nobody tells you tattoos around your under boob of your body and your chest are painful, I'm telling you now. Don't do it. Don't do it. But yes, I went through with it three sessions outlining, shading, all of it. That is my biggest tattoo. And now it's covered with chest hair, but yeah, it's me. It's who I am. It's my story. And my fifth and final tattoo is the latest one, which I shared with you guys. It's one that I did with Elaine. It's the yin yang sign, but with hands. And for us, it means a lot. It's representative of our journey. We decided that we're going to honour our first anniversary by getting that tattoo done. So I'm happy that Elaine has a two or she has it on her body at the same place I have mine. It hasn't even finished healing. It's just about... Not even two. Is it two weeks? I'm not sure I don't remember. But yeah, it hasn't even finished healing. And there's more to come. I mean, this is the first part, or this is only part of our journey together. And it means a lot that we can have it represented this way. And a friend of mine I shared it with also said that it also looks like the infinity sign. So I guess it's also representative of our journey together and the fact that we want to do this for the long haul. And we're in it together. So it's unity, it's respect, it's connection, it's togetherness. It's all of it. So that is my fifth and final tattoo on my skin. Will I do more tattoos? Of course. I have ink fever, I think. But it's not as severe as, you know, some lovers of tattoo who have to get a tattoo once every month or so, or do big pieces, no? I do have ink fever. I want to get more tattoos. But it's not as severe. Will I let my kids get tattoos as well? Of course, if they want to get tattoos, I would let them get tattoos. And I stand by the fact that I would rather go with you, know what you're doing on your skin, and make sure you have it done by a professional in a safe environment than pass behind my back and go do something terrible permanently on your skin and be scarred by it. So yeah, when it comes to body art, if my kids want to get it, I want to be a part of that journey as well. So yes, I'll let my kids have tattoos when they're old enough to, but I want to be there. So those are the stories behind my tattoos. If you want to get tattoos, it has to be your decision. I think tattoos are cool, they are fine. If you're still in the corporate environment, just avoid tattoos that show anywhere that might get you in trouble. Avoid the neck. Avoid the back of your hands or knuckles. Depending on the kind of outfits you wear, just conceal them well enough and you're fine. So that's the story behind my tattoos and I'm proud of each of the tattoos. Oh, oh, before I go, yeah. So after my first tattoo and seeing how people couldn't interpret what it was, whether it was a rocket or an airplane or a shark or whatever it is, I remember people joking that it's an airplane because it was around December 2018 and I think I had gone to visit a lady and come back not too long ago, that's when I did it. People were like, I was on an airplane to fly back or to run away from Ghana to join Elaine again. So at some point I made my current tattoo artist correct it. So I drew an actual shark or I got a silhouette of a shark and added it to the tattoo. So now you know it's a shark. It's not an airplane. And it's not a rocket. So yeah, those are the stories behind my tattoos. I'll catch you in the next one. Peace.