I laughed, I cried... and I enjoyed every minute of it-Story of a back piece, The Conclusion

I had to wait a while to write this last part. Part of it was because of my schedule. Part of it because I was in shock. Yep, in shock. It was such an intricate process. So many sessions over a certain amount of time. And when it was first discussed, I was warned that it was a process that would require a lot of time and money. That I understood, especially since I knew how far Adam was booking out. Only a mere five months at the time. I also thought that since I was the girl who powered through a six-hour upper arm piece, this would go SO fast. Yeah, not so much...

From the seal cover-up to the Golden Gate Bridge to the trolley car to the mountains and the trees to the Giant Dipper to the carousel horse and, finally, to the poppies. And let's not forget the fog that ties it all together because what would Northern California be without fog? :) My "quick" little back piece ended up being 10 sessions (if memory serves) and around 24 hours (give or take) of table/chair time, with those individual sessions ranging anywhere from an hour (which shocked both of us because short sessions were never our thing) to four hours. That's one whole DAY of either sitting or laying down and letting someone voluntarily poke at me with multiple needles. Glutton for punishment or did I give someone a canvas for which to put his art? Guess that depends on how you look at it...

But through this drawn-out process, I actually managed to learn things about myself, my body, my artist, the whole tattooing process and so much more:

• First off, I have one of the higher pain tolerances of anyone I know and, being a massage therapist who does a lot of structural/therapeutic work, I also know my body extremely well. So I thought my back was going to be one of the least painful places to get tattooed. Until I remembered that the tissue around ribs can be a little sensitive. And sometimes the spine. And the bra line. And over scar tissue. Oh, and did I mention that my muscles SUCK because I massage for a living? So I will be the first one to admit that the pain (while still totally tolerable) was more than I anticipated in certain areas. And mainly on my left. Definitely the more sensitive side. And while he could have tattooed my traps all day and I wouldn't have felt a thing, my ribs and those dreaded love handles were a totally different story...
• Magnesium is a godsend when it comes to having to relax your muscles. I took it from about session #7 on or so and I felt the needles less and it relaxed me at the same time. And it didn't affect the healing process at all. In fact, it might have actually helped it. And another thing about hanging out in a tattoo studio for 24 hours or so? It was kind of a refresher course for me (who learned a lot about skin and the healing process in massage school), being around people who know just as much if not more about it. 
• I used my muscle knowledge and every meditation technique I could think of to zone out so that it was a pleasant process for both myself and Adam. Can't say I did the best job at times, but for the most part, I was half-asleep (while still totally conscious of what was happening around me) for most of those 10 sessions. I mean, come on, I have to ground myself for a living. Doing it for a tattoo session is not much different really. And yes, Adam, that's why I didn't talk much. :) Also I realized (and now I'm totally giving away all my secrets) that if I relaxed the muscle he was working on as much as I could (sometimes it was nearly impossible due to how I was sitting or laying), it hurts less and it's easier to breathe through. Also, if you exhale as the needle is going in while you are getting rib work, you're not resisting the needle as much, making it a much more "pleasant" process. Leave it to me to relate massage to tattooing. Hey, both of them involve a lot of the same things, just instead of a needle, I use a very pointy elbow. ;)
• The client and artist have to collaborate together in order for this to work out the way it needs to. He has to be happy with what he is putting on me and I have to be happy with what he's putting on me. Obviously, it's my back and I have to live with it. But he has to be happy with it because it's HIS artwork I'm putting it on my body and he wants to show it off and he wants me to show it off as well. So it's like one happy tattoo "marriage" and I was his tattoo "wife" for a few months... ;) 
• People watching at a tattoo studio is entertaining as hell. As well as hearing all the stories and truly getting to know the personalities of everyone at the shop. They were always friendly, but they got friendlier when you brought them cookies. Even the artists you've never come in with all of a sudden know who you are. ;) And while you conversed with and observed everyone in the shop, obviously the artist working on you was kind of the main focus. So what did I notice about Adam? Don't worry, hon, I'll be nice...
• He's a slight perfectionist, which is an awesome thing in my book, Because when you think about it, do you really want someone NOT detail-oriented or a perfectionist putting something permanently on your body? I wouldn't. And if he is always looking for somehow to make it better, then he's becoming better in the process. Although, that did make for some "focused" sessions and I did want to tell him to breathe a few times... ;) 
• In the year that he was consistently working on me, I saw him grow leaps and bounds as an artist. He was always an exceptional artist (and that's in my totally unbiased, non-artist opinion), but throughout the whole process (hell, even dating back to the angel), he just got better. Not just on me, but on other tattoos as well. And there is something I absolutely love about seeing someone who loves what he does for a living just keep growing within that profession, all the while still loving what he does. 
• As exceptional of an artist as he is, he's just as exceptional as a business owner. Oh yeah, he kind of owns Fallen Owl too. ;) That's always been a big thing in my book because I spent way too many years in management and customer service and I've seen the good and the bad when it comes to owners/managers. And he's one of the better ones out there. And no, I'm not just kissing his ass. ;) While you are in very close proximity to this man for 24 hours or so, you notice how he manages and deals with customers and employees alike. Hell, he talks about the shop and tattooing so much, I found it very easy to slip back into my old PR habits and promote the shop easily because he gave me the ammo to work with. And all this time I just thought he was spewing a lot of hot air, which was also true. :)
• He will be the first person to yell at me for NOT mentioning the rest of his shop in this blog. Because they are a family. A very happy and severely disfunctional one, but a family nonetheless. :) And you can tell that they make each other better just by being in the same shop. When a business is truly firing on all cylinders (and the shop has truly grown in every way since I started coming to Fallen Owl), everything is just...better. Adam, Freddie, Sherley, Chris, and now Angell are all in another league when it comes to artists. And Miss Kasja holds down the front desk and everything else in the shop. The vibe has always been awesome in the shop (I laughed constantly during most of my sessions) and that helps their clients be more relaxed the minute they walk in the door. 

I love everything that I learned in this whole process, but I think the most eye-opening thing happened during my last session. I pretty much knew that we would finish it that day. I had no other appointments on his schedule and did I mention that he's now booking out until next year??!! As in 2015. And this was at the end of May. So I knew that we would probably push to get it done that day. While there were some painful spots and I had to really concentrate on breathing a few times, I all of a sudden found myself crying on the table. But not from the pain because I honestly didn't feel it right then. It was an emotional release. There was a lot of built-up emotion from the whole process. The stress of not knowing what we were going to do until the day of at times, the elation after seeing each section of it get finished... The emotions you feel for the artwork, the artist, the shop, as well as the emotion behind the meaning of the artwork itself. I mean, a major piece of my childhood is now permanently on my back. Like until I die. That's HUGE. And as someone who feels everything with her whole heart, that hit me hard. Especially when I realized that it was over. Like I could sleep on my back again over. And I could shower with my back to the water again over. For about a week after my last session, I went through a mourning of sorts. Shock, denial, sadness, giddiness. While I was happy that we were finally done, I had put SO much of my energy into it that I had severe withdrawals when it WAS done. Wait, I don't have to think about it anymore? I don't have to wait a week for everything to heal? I don't have to say, yeah, we're almost done, anymore? Weird... And I may be the only person in the Universe who feels this way, but I kind of doubt that I am. Because it was a true life process. And life processes can sometimes tear you down to the raw core of everything, just to open your eyes and make you learn something from it.

And I learned something huge about myself. I am a hell of a lot stronger than I think I am. Physically, mentally, emotionally, I am one tough cookie. No, not one of the ones I brought them. ;) I knew this in the back of my brain, but I guess I needed a very large reminder in the form of a very colorful mural on my back. And since it's a tribute to the state I will always love, I also have a reminder of where I came from and who I really am. I'm a Californian, damnit. Regardless of how many years I spend in Colorado, I will ALWAYS be a California girl. It's who I am. The girl who tears up when she sees the ocean or the Golden Gate Bridge. Or who still giggles when she sees the Giant Dipper's rolling curves or when she gets the ring in the clown's mouth on the carousel at the Boardwalk. Who proudly states that she's from the Golden State, even when the Coloradoans are bitching that the Californians and Texans have taken over the state. And I love that me getting this back piece has brought me back to that. So this may have been a painful process. It may have been an emotional process. But I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I went in for a back piece and somehow got my life back at the same time. I will never be able to repay Adam for that, but I know that I will be forever grateful...

Thank you for reading this truly lengthy conclusion to something that has consumed my life for the better part of a year.  I really hope you take something out of it. And if nothing else, I hope you go to Fallen Owl for your next tattoo. ;)

Facebook post- "So two and a half years ago, I walked into his tattoo shop, saw his work in passing and thought, "maybe he'll do something on me at some point..." A year later, he gave me my most complimented piece (my angel). And now, yet another year later, he gave me the back piece only he could give me. A big, bold, colorful tribute to the craziness that is Northern California. And proof that a San Jose girl and a Santa Cruz boy can get along.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Adam! Better than I ever could have imagined and can't imagine anyone else doing it. I absolutely adore you and your shop and you proved that stumbling into your shop two years ago was the right stumble.  Oh, and might I add, go see everyone at Fallen Owl Tattoo, Denverites!"

Artwork by Adam Rose of Fallen Owl Tattoo

Save A Fallen Owl: It's NOT all about the tattoos this time.

So I'm talking to my mom the other night and the subject of my tattoo shop and their upcoming charity event comes up. They are doing $25 owl tattoos on Sunday, October 20th, from 12-5pm, and all of the proceeds go to a local organization called Nature's Educators, which strives to educate people on wildlife and birds of prey.  And since the shop's name is Fallen Owl, the event is called Save A Fallen Owl. Hey, they are finally working with an organization that works with their name. :) We are talking about what owls we want to get tattooed on us (Mom's still on the fence, but I think I'm breaking her down...) because the tattoos are being selected from a pre-drawn sheet of owls. And as we are talking, we are both commenting on how amazing the event is and how many people are going to be there and how awesome the shop is for doing an event like this...And then, it dawns on me; it's NOT all about the tattoos this time.

For almost two years now, I have been talking to my friends, family, and clients about this AMAZING tattoo shop and the awesome artists who make up Fallen Owl. And usually, it's all about the artwork. Everyone is always asking me what I'm getting next, where it's going and if it has a meaning behind it. I don't think I have many friends, family or clients anymore who DON'T ask about or compliment the artwork on my body. And whether I'm telling them what's next or taking off articles of clothing to show them my latest piece (it has happened more times than I care to admit), it is always about the tattoos themselves and how my artists are amazing. 

But for Save A Fallen Owl, the artwork is NOT in the forefront. Yes, the owl tattoos are getting people in the door, but it's not the primary reason for the event. The artists are just doing what they do best: tattooing. It IS still about those amazing artists, but in a totally different way. The shop is normally open on a Sunday, but most of the artists are coming in on a day off. And tattooing for five hours, which is a decent stretch of time, and doing it all so that they can donate the money to charity. How many other tattoo studios...hell, how many other normal businesses do you know that would do that? Not many...

So in two and a half weeks, this little-tattoo-shop-that-could needs your help. And not for them, but for Nature's Educators. They want to raise as much money as they can, even if their hands are killing them by the end of it. They would probably prefer that way actually. :) If you're in Denver and need another tattoo, go on their Facebook page, check out the pre-drawn owls, pick something out and be ready at noon on the 20th with your $25. Even if you just want to stop by, donate, and see the live birds (oh yeah, there will be LIVE owls on location), that's cool too. Out-of-staters, I have a funny feeling they would accept donations from you as well. :) I will make sure not to spend too much money on my vacation the week before so that I can get tattooed and donate to an awesome cause. I will be there (hopefully with Mom and a few friends in tow) and I will be ridiculously proud to take part in this awesome event. I will even volunteer my little massage therapist self to the cause that day and will be ready and willing to work out any hands, arms, shoulders, backs, etc., that may cramp up or get sore during the event. This event is yet one more reason that I am proud to go to this shop and know the artists in it. So please come out on the 20th and tell all your friends!

You can take the girl out of California, but you can't take California out of the girl...

I grew up in California. I ran away from it in 1996 and ended up in Colorado. As much as I LOVED my home state, I needed to get away from my family, the crazy growing population of the Bay Area, and figure out what I was going to do with my life. Now while I didn't figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up until MUCH later in life, and as much as I claimed to NOT miss California, I missed it dearly. That didn't really hit until I went home recently for my brother's wedding. And it was only enhanced by the start of a tattoo back piece, paying tribute to my home state, with my artist who is also from there (why do you think I picked him to do it? ;)). So that's why I'm sitting here now, reminiscing about my former life in California, and writing a compact blog about what I remember. Some good, some bad, but definitely different than your typical blog from me. So if you ever wanted to know how I grew up, here you go...

I grew up in Saratoga, CA, or the "Slums of Saratoga" as we affectionately called the six street annex of Saratoga in which we lived. On the other side of the tracks (literally) where we were still middle-class, just not in the part of Saratoga where Steve Young lived. My grandfather died when I was seven months old. He is the reason I am musically gifted.  And then my grandmother got cancer and had to be driven to Kaiser in San Jose (from their house in Aptos) for treatments. I don't remember the treatments because I was too young to go in, but I do remember her losing her hair and my mom taking me and my brother to the park across the street while we waited. She died 10 days before my fifth birthday, but my mom still went ahead with the party. I think this may be where my crazy memory with dates comes from. I still have dolls that she handmade for me. We went to Aptos often to help keep the house up so we could rent it out. My brother and I acted out movies in the front yard as we raked up the leaves. Everything from the script to the theme music. Shocked that he became an actor? Not so much... I remember going to the Boardwalk often, probably as a solace from everything surrounding the house at the time, but we just knew it as beach and roller coaster time. And probably why I still hold it very close to my heart to this day. My mother couldn't wait until I got tall enough to go on the Giant Dipper with her. That's also where we spent Senior Ditch Day in high school, riding the Giant Dipper WAY too many times. But in high school, my friends and I would drive up Highway 1 to Scott Creek because Santa Cruz had gotten too crowded. We also went to downtown Los Gatos during the World Cup in 1994 and danced with the Brazilians, who had just beat the U.S. team on the Fourth of July. Call us unpatriotic, but the Brazilians and 30,000 other people knew how to party. Our softball team went to the Little League Softball World Series in 1991, where we finished...second. Honestly, I'm still a little bitter about that, but hey, we were second in the whole country. Freaking Florida.. ;) I grew up going to Yosemite National Park pretty much two to three times a year when I was younger. I wouldn't be shocked at all if I was conceived there. I remember taking camping precautions to ensure that the bears didn't get our food. I took a field trip to Alcatraz in the fifth grade and all I can remember is us getting locked in a cell. I was home alone when the 1989 earthquake hit. I remember every detail of that day, from the time the earthquake hit on. I remember having my breath taken away every time I saw the Golden Gate Bridge. I once walked across it AT NIGHT in shorts and a sweatshirt and wasn't cold. At all. The seals at Pier 39 still crack me up. The Demon was the best roller coaster at Great America. I think we skied at literally every resort in Tahoe. I thought it was the coolest thing that if you went to the top at Heavenly, you were half in California and half in Nevada.  My favorite part about the Monterey Bay Aquarium was playing with the starfish. I ditched class at West Valley College and drove to the beach on my birthday. My best friend and I would drive to Half Moon Bay, singing show tunes the whole way, and then, get a loaf of what we described as "orgasmic" sourdough bread at Moonside Bakery and then, turn around and drive home. I never truly appreciated the small beach town until I got older. The only reason I went to church was to sing in the choir. I took figure skating lessons at Vallco WAY too early in the morning. My mom would bribe me with peanut butter toast and a trip to the Hello Kitty store to get me out of bed. :) I sliced off my left thumbnail with a dumpster lever when I was 4. I proudly showed off the splint and that is probably the last time I screamed bloody murder. I knew the six freeways we had to take to get to my grandparents' house in Sacramento before I even got behind the wheel of a car. I knew every twist and turn of Highway 17 before I got behind the wheel of a car. I was in a professional saxophone quartet and taught saxophone lessons when I was 18. I thought it was a TON of money at the time when I made (maybe) $400/month. I rooted loud and proud for the 49ers and the A's. I still have Walt Weiss' autograph from his rookie year with the A's. The Giants and Will Clark were the devil. I booed loudly when the Raiders moved back to Oakland. I was happy as hell that we got a hockey team, but I didn't fully understand the game until I became an Avs fan. My friends and I went camping and hiking at Pinnacles National Monument consistently. I remember slightly testing the speed limits on the way down. ;) I remember going to my family's condo in Eden, UT, to ski one winter break and my dad hit black ice while going through Nevada. It ended up being almost -30 and we had to get the car towed to Ogden to warm it up enough for it to start. We drove to South Dakota for a family reunion when I was in high school. Since I had just gotten my license, I got to drive. Everywhere. We went to Custer State Park and saw buffalo. The giant burros ate part of my brother's shirt. On our way home, we drove through Denver and saw a Rockies game when they still played at Mile High and when McNichols Arena was still in the parking lot. Not once did I think, I'm totally gonna live in this state in three years. ;) 

Now, I'm totally happy with my life in Colorado. I have amazing friends. I work at one of the best physical therapy offices in the state. I absolutely LOVE what I do for a living. Not to mention that awesome tattoo shop where I'm getting that back piece and the artist from Cali. ;) But I am a Californian. I think regardless of how long I live outside the state, I will always be a Californian. I still prefer the ocean to the mountains. The Rockies are trying hard to sway me, but the Pacific still has more pull. So maybe I just need more frequent trips back to the Bay so that I don't miss it so desperately next time. :) 

The "right" tattoo shop with the Rose-colored heart

I have never been the type of girl to stick with one thing for long. Massage therapy is my third degree. I have moved back and forth between three states. I guess you could say I have always been looking for something that just felt... right. So it's no shock to me that I haven't stuck with one tattoo shop either. I have never found a shop that just felt...right. Now, both massage and Colorado have worked in my favor for the past two years, so could I also find a tattoo shop where I could stay put for a while? Enter Fallen Owl Tattoo Studio...
 
A friend of mine wanted to get her first tattoo and she wanted to see someone get one before she got hers. Enter her good friend who is always game for another tattoo. *raises hand* And since she has this healthy "obsession" with owls (and every review we had read was good), we decided to waltz into Fallen Owl one Saturday afternoon in January of 2012. We were immediately greeted with smiles (yep, smiles) and were told that we were in luck because Freddie just had a cancellation and could take us both. Coincidence? I think not...

I got my Venus flower/star on my right forearm first, and to say the whole experience from consult to stencil to application (the needling part) was a pleasant experience is a severe understatement on my part. Tattoo artist Freddie Arroyo was beyond friendly and accommodating, but would also tell you if something wasn't going to work on a certain body part or the design wouldn't work. Even though the tat went on one of my very resilient forearms (I AM a massage therapist after all), I could also tell that he had a very light hand. The fact that I was comfortable with him and Fallen Owl right off the bat just made it that much easier for the friend of mine to jump on the table right after me. And her experience was equally as pleasant.

But it wasn't just Freddie and his vibe. It was the whole vibe of Fallen Owl that had the friend of mine and I sold from the minute we walked in. Beforehand, I had read some online reviews and no one was talking bad about this tattoo shop. I thought, what makes this shop so special that everyone is singing their praises on EVERY review? Well, I got my answer after walking in there myself. The answer is ... everything.

Everything about this shop makes it special and a step above your stereotypical or "normal" tattoo shops. Shop owner Adam Rose definitely knew what the hell he was doing when he opened this shop almost three years ago. And if you know him at all, you know he put his whole heart and soul into this shop. From the decor to the vibe to the energy that pulses through this small Lakewood, CO, shop, the whole thing is...Adam. And talk about someone who loves what he does...Try finding a picture of him tattooing where he doesn't have a big-ass grin on his face. And that smile and laugh are definitely contagious, which makes for the insanely positive vibe of Fallen Owl.

Oh, and did I mention that they do charity work as well? They had their Sh%ts and Giggles fundraiser over the summer, where they had all of their artist friends paint toilets seats and they auctioned them off for charity. And if you have to have me explain that one to you, you probably shouldn't be reading this blog...

Right now, there is a week left in their Tattoos for Toys fundraiser, which benefits their Colfax Avenue neighbor, The Action Center. Bring in three unopened toys to help out underprivileged kids during the holidays and Fallen Owl will give you a $40 gift certificate toward your next tattoo. This is the second year they have done this fundraiser and, while most Denverites are bringing the toys into the shop, they also have people mailing them in from as far away as Hawaii. And while, yes, they want to help out the kids, most people are doing it because they LOVE this shop and its artists and would do anything to help them. Because their clients love and care about them like they are members of their own families. They probably see them more often than they see their own families. I know I do. :)

And if all of their clients feel the same way I do, they keep coming to Fallen Owl because it just feels...right. From the vibe to the artists (Side note: Paul and Sherley are also artists there. Both are incredible, just wrote about the two who are always around when I am. Haven't met the other two yet. :)) to Tattoos for Toys, Fallen Owl is defying tattoo shop "standards". You don't always get a smile or the best customer service when you walk into a tattoo shop. With this one, you do. I always get a huge smile on my face every time I walk into the shop, which is usually accompanied by a hug from either Freddie or Adam, if they are not in the process of tattooing. I can honestly say that I will continue to get artwork from the artists at Fallen Owl as long as I live in the state of Colorado. And I feel very lucky and thankful that my friend and I stumbled into this tattoo shop that just felt...right.



***Tattoos for Toys runs through December 1st, 2012. Bring your three (or more) unopened toys into Fallen Owl Tattoo at 8789 W. Colfax Avenue, Lakewood, CO 80215. Visit www.fallenowltattoo.com to check out the artists' portfolios or call (303) 232-1350 to schedule your next tattoo with one of their amazing artists! ***

"Once I had a halo, but then it caught on fire..." and  my Celtic dragon. Tattoos by Freddie Arroyo

The red couch that greets you when you walk into the lobby, along with a stuffed owl and a skull in the display case. :)

This year's donations for Tattoos for Toys and the pile keeps growing! 

My Venus star/flower. First tattoo at Fallen Owl and done by Freddie Arroyo