I’ve wanted tattoos for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until this year that I finally felt like I could make good decisions about what I’d permanently put on my body.
At first, I thought maybe I was too old, but when I asked my friends who have lots of tattoos what they thought, they all said that waiting until I was in my 40s was a great idea, because it means I won’t ever have to reckon with an unfortunate decision made during Spring Break in my 20s. That reassurance, coupled with me dedication to not-fuck-giving about what random people think, was all it took for me to go ahead and get some artwork to live on my body.
First, I got Anne’s heartbeat tattooed on my left forearm. She wrote a lovely story about it on her blog, which I encourage you to read (in fact, even though I’m a little biased, I think everything she writes on her blog is pretty great, and worth your time.)
I wanted her heartbeat because I wanted to carry part of her with me wherever I went. I wanted her heartbeat on my left arm because I’m left handed, and I felt that it symbolized her guiding me. I wanted it on the inside of my arm, because I wanted to be able to look at it whenever I thought about her, and I wanted to be able to lay her heartbeat against mine whenever I missed her.
It was quick and easy and before my artist was even finished with it, I was making plans for another. They say you’ll either have a single tattoo, or a whole bunch of them, and I see myself landing squarely in the latter category.
A few months later, I went back to see Kim, my artist, and started work on a fairly large octopus piece on my right forearm. There are a lot of reasons that I wanted an octopus, but they’re personal and I’m keeping them to myself. I will allow this: the octopus is amazing, and the more I learn about it, the more I love it.
It took three sessions, for a total of about six hours, to finish her (I don’t know why, but I know that the octopus I have on my arm is female) and when she was finally finished, I felt like she needed a name.
“What are you going to name her?” Kim asked me as she put a bandage on my arm.
Maybe it was the endorphins talking, because I’m a pretty sciencey, skeptical, get-your-woo-bs-out-my-face-because-SCIENCE! guy, but I said, “I’m not sure, but she’ll tell me when she’s ready.”
A few weeks went by, and I tried out different names for her, but nothing felt right. Maybe naming her was a silly thing to do, like when I named my neato robot vacuum “Dobby”, and then felt terrible when I kicked it in the dark, and it shook side to side like I’d hurt it (it was making sure that he — it. It. Not he, it — was still connected to its charging station).
But one day, I think during Comicon, I was walking with my friend, Joseph Scrimshaw, and he asked me if she had a name.
“Not yet,” I told him, “but I decided that she’ll tell me what it is, when she’s ready to name herself.”
I had no endorphin excuse, this time, but after several weeks, giving her a name had become A Thing.
The words came out of my mouth, and a name popped into my head. It was not a name I ever would have chosen, but it was there, all the same.
“She kind of looks like she should be called ‘Gloria’,” he said.
Gloria was the name that had popped into my head, two seconds earlier.
“Okay, this is weird, but not only is that a name I’d never choose on my own, but it’s the name that popped into my head just before you said it. So I guess her name is Gloria.”
I don’t know what it means, I don’t know why I chose it, I realize that we could have heard or seen or otherwise subconsciously had something happen around us that made that name land on us at the same time, but whatever the rational explanation, the idea that this ink on my arm, which is in the shape of an octopus, assigned a name to itself — to herself — is cool to me, so I accept it.
Today, I went in to see Kim, to get Gloria some touch ups. When I was done, she looked like this:
Eventually, I’m going to get my right arm sleeved. I talked with Kim about some of my ideas today, and we’ll probably get to work on them next month.
Because it is always a FAQ: I’m not worried about having tattoos affecting my acting career. They are incredibly easy to cover with makeup, and you’d probably be surprised by the number of actors who you watch regularly without ever knowing they’re inked.
And if that needed demonstrating:
(OK, in his case I wouldn’t say it was “easy”, given the surface area, but it’s a solved problem.)
The look on his face when he was fully made up made me flash on Rorschach in “Watchmen,” screaming “Give me back my face!” when the took his mask off.
I imagine looking at his naked face must have been like looking at an oddly familiar stranger — himself, but not his true self, looking back at him.
Absolutely GORGEOUS.
So what kind of medicinal supplies did you require to handle the pain of a million needles? That octopus is….rather large.
A lot of deep breathing, and a couple of breaks to let my skin calm down. It isn’t as bad as you’d think (your pain threshold may vary).
“Gloria Octopus and the Pain of a Million Needles” would make an awesome:
A.> Name for a band (preferably a J-pop/nerdcore mashup),
B.> Graphic novel (superheroes drawn entirely in Japanese woodblock print style. All the dialog in Haiku.),
C.> Anime (based on B), and/or
D.> All of the above.
I have a sleeve on my right arm of characters or elements from books I’ve loved throughout my life. I waited until I was 40 to start it. Love it. No regrets. Love your story. Many of my elements are named as well. Cheers!
That is a brilliant idea!
That is kind of how our Cat got his name me and my wife said his name should be leo then the lady at the animal shelter said thats weird thats what we called him
I’m not a tattoo fan but the tattoo of Anne’s heartbeat, and your description of why you placed it where you placed it, is just plain awesome.
She’s beautiful!
My uncle got inked at 83. You’re never to old.
I love this! I want one similar to this on my back, 6 hours is a long time, I imagine a whole back piece will be even more time. She looks beautiful and your artist is amazing!
And now I shall never be able to see you without thinking of (singing) Laura Branigan…
I was humming Van Morrison’s “Gloria” while reading the comments.
G-L-O-R-I-A… I actually had Patti Smith in my head, but yeah. 😀
I’m with you Wil. i waited until I was 37 before I got my first tattoo because i didn’t want to look back on a Packers tattoo from when i was 20. My wife played a huge role in my decision to get the preamble to the constitution on my left forearm. The artist took 6 hours to freehand everything but the ‘We the People’ and it looks amazing. it’s taken me another 7 years to figure out what i’m getting next and that’s happening soon.
my dad had tattoos from his time in the Navy and ever since i can remember, i’ve wanted them. My next session in a couple weeks is going to be a full sleeve on my right arm but i’m sure that won’t be the last one i get. i was warned i would get addicted to them and while it’s taken me a long time between tattoos, i imagine i’ll be getting them in my 50’s and 60’s. my dad is almost 80 and he just got another tattoo last year. people who wonder what they’ll look like when i’m old and saggy just don’t get it.
Looking forward to seeing you’re next one and the ones after that. Enjoy.
For those of you who don’t know the song Wil is referencing in his title: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa2LOMajSwM
She looks awesome Wil.
Also, not sure if this it’s baiting or if it’s actually a typo in this sentence
“That reassurance, coupled with [s]me[/s]my dedication to not-fuck-giving about what random people think”
Gloria is beautiful. I am waiting until I am in my 50’s for my first tattoo.
I love the story about the heartbeat!
i am thinking of getting one, but REALLY want a white one. However, too many naysayers have convinced me that white is not a good choice. after much searching on the web of Inters, i kind of agree. i am a huge lover of star wars (i have han on my speed dial) so everyone assumes that will be my first. however, i REAAAALLY need to make sure that i like what will be permanently on my body, so i am taking a looong time to find the perfect one. if i never do, then i never do.
The story of your heartbeat tattoo was the most romantic, adorable thing I’ve ever read. Absolutely sweet and personal. And as I girly squealed over how adorable it was… my husband reminded me I’m such a nerd. Thank you for sharing that little moment. Now I HAVE to read Anne’s story about it.
Both of your tattoos look great. 🙂 I like the octopus, too, because they are very hard to contain and only the core (beak) needs to remain intact for them to morph through any obstacle. That kind of… as long as I hold on to the the tiny seed of myself, I can get through anything that life throws at me. It’s a beautiful image. I also like the octopus I “met” during a marine ecology trip to Jamaica who changed colors like crazy. We couldn’t contain him.
I waited until I was 40 (earlier this year) to get my 1st tattoo. I got my 2nd shortly thereafter (Star Wars baby!) and already have plans for several more!
I got my first this year too. The decision to get it done came at a time where I was just emerging from a very long period of depression. At times, I didn’t even care if woke up the next day. Rather than go into the details, one of the ways I started pushing myself out of this funk was to start thinking about what I wanted out of life. It had to be something I could accomplish in as short a time as possible and that’s when I decided I would finally get inked. When I was younger, I had no clue but I knew I didn’t want it to be from a book or off a wall or something someone else had. Upon reflecting, it wasn’t long unti I figured out what I wanted tattooed and it didn’t take long for me to find and artist to do it… It was the one thing that on days where I woke up disappointed that I had actually woke up, would get me laughing before I even fully woke up… (I would give a long story about it here, but it’s more something I share on a person to person basis .. So many person here!) I decided to get it on my lower left arm so I could always see it and ever since I had, it’s made me smile each time. It’s not for anyone else but me and it means a lot. As far as an impact, I can tell you, it would just be another rock on the pile of troubles and issues I have had over the years and I own some long sleeve shirts. If it’s that much an issue, I’ll wear those. Enjoy your tatt, Wil!
It is not ever a choice I would make for myself, and there are certain circumstances when I find it aesthetically jarring in others (and yes, I know, sometimes that’s exactly the point).
But I appreciate the skill and art involved. They’re not always jarring, nor even most of the time; it’s a fairly small proportion of the time that I have that reaction. And my hangups are not anyone’s hangups but my own, anyway.
So, in closing: Cool!
(This has been an incredibly self-focused comment with little or no significant impact on anything, brought to you by the miracle of the intarwebs.)
I’m put in mind of that Funny or Die video with Kristen Bell, where it turns out she’s covered in tattoos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKSwIuom5c8
Tentacles.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Say hello to MY octopus! God, that sounds totally dirty, but it’s really a pic of my tattoo. https://twitter.com/RobinInSeoul/status/507304621602508800/photo/1
That is a seriously cool tattoo. And you’re right: she really does look like a Gloria.
Your tattoos, and the stories behind them are gorgeous. There is nothing wrong with having waited until you were 40 to start. My mom get her first tattoo at 40. I didn’t wait quite that long, I got tattoo #1 at 18, but waited until I was 35 to get #2. That was 2 weeks ago and I’m already planning #3 and #4.
I’m 59, started getting tattos last year after my husband died and I’ve just started my third. Almost up to a sleeve I am.
Wonderful! Thanks for the link to Anne’s blog; it’s nice to read the cuteness of you two from both sides. Should we ever meet I would like to, with your permission, 1) request a high five for tabletop, and 2) admire one another’s octopus tattoos.
When I survived turning 30, my mermaid tattoo was my gift to myself. I too immediately wanted more, but medical malfunctions have delayed the process a bit. So, in 3 years when I turn 40, I am rewarding myself with the commencement of a side piece, left ribs and hip, all themed around my beautiful mermaid. Cheers to you, sir!
Fantastic tat, Wil; love the look of Gloria!
I got my tattoo when I was 20. My second around 28 or so and then took a break until last year. At 45 I have a half sleeve on my upper right arm and assorted tattoo’s on my chest on left arm. Eventually my right will be sleeved and I’ll get several more as the years go on. I never regretted a tattoo.
I love this! Good for you! All good tattoos come with good stories
My right arm will be a marine sleeve, including a nautilus and a nudibranch. As well as an octopus and a brittle star. Marine love!
Gorgeous tat and looks awesome on you!
It’s never too late for tattoos! Gloria is looking great.
The tattoo you got of your wifes heartbeat is incredibly touching. She truly means a lot to you if you’d do that. For future tattooing reference, be careful where you get them on your body. I got one one my back, right over my shoulder blade. It hurt so much when I got it done. It was totally worth it though.
Love this!
I am 41 and, although I have one tattoo from 10 years ago, am just now feeling confident enough for visible ink. I have a half sleeve planned with imagery and words from favorite literature and pop culture references that was kicked off by your handwritten “Play more games”, which was inked at Rose City Comicon. I can’t wait to get it finished, and then on to the next tattoo idea…
I didn’t get my first tattoo until after I turned 40. It’s a celtic shamrock and knotwork that my husband designed. I’ve recently gotten my second one, the Tough Mudder logo (I’m 46 now and ran 2 this year). I plan on at least one more on my upper arm, a wolf/moon combo. Yours looks awesome, Wil! 😀
I like the colors.
Reminiscent of the Sith Lord Darth Maul re-imagined as his reincarnation into a-wrathful-octopus-permanently-attached-to-Wil’s-arm.
Nice!
I love her! I waited until my 30th birthday to get a tattoo, I’ve had it for a month and I love it. A lot of people say they don’t “get” the meaning, but I tell them that it’s okay, that’s why it’s on my arm and not theirs.
It is so weird, as you sit there with all those needles going into your arm, you absolutely plan your next one. I started planning a whole half sleeve!
That is some very nice work, Wil. I have Hugnin and Munin on my back shoulders and they were… very painful.
Also, very worth it.
I smile to know how many actors have pretty serious ink, maybe I can still get in to the trade (HA! totally joking, as I’m 37).
Congrats! Gloria looks fantastic! Back in September I had my final session on a Warrior Wonder Woman half-sleeve (approx 10 hours of work). It was an upgrade/cover-up of an older “WW” symbol I got over 20 years ago. I’m already planning my next one that will go down the side of my right leg; a cool cemetery scene to embrace my love of all things creepy, kooky, mysterious, and spooky.
Everyone has their own philosophy about tattoos but I think they’re very personal. It’s your skin/body and it’s your story to share or not so there’s no such thing as being too old to get a tattoo! I think the heartbeat one is so cute and sweet! =)
Here I am at 50 still trying to decide what it is that I would get permanently inked onto my body. The only things that have persisted as ideas are a Chinese dragon (since I was born in the year of the dragon), and this line from Rush’s Vital Signs “Courageous convictions will drag the dream into existence”. But that seems kinda long.
Maybe I can combine the two into a dragon made of those words. Oooh, I think I may have just free associated the answer. Thanks, Wil, for sharing. Think I’ll have to go start designing my dragon-word tatoo.
I got my first tattoo when I was 46… after wanting one since I was 16. My mother, who was 67 at the time, hit the roof.
I eventually got two more tattoos and my mother wouldn’t even look at them. She was disgusted by the whole idea and was no shrinking violet about saying so.
Then, I sent off for my great-grandfather’s enlistment papers for the Canadian Expeditionary Force in WWI (her maternal grandfather). It turned out that he also had three tattoos. I called my mom and told her it was genetic and it was ALL HER FAULT.
There were no more comments on my multicolored skin after that.
Wil, it took me a decade to finally work up the courage and make the decision to get a tattoo. I was 49. I now have 4, including a computer cursor on my inside wrist that I named “Pointy” and some lovely original Vulcan calligraphy. I’m trying to decide what I might get next. I have the great good fortune to live near a tattoo artist who is one of the best in the state- he did my winged heart- a memorial to my parents and my USAF past.
Your octopus is lovely. She’s got Laura Brannigan playing in my head, too.
Getting my third tattoo done next week. I’m in my 40s and it took me til then to be brave enough to not give a fig what other people thought too. Gloria is beautiful.
I was 30 before I got up the courage to get my first tattoo. I thought of a design and then imagined it for a whole year, I thought if I still wanted it a year after I thought of it I would get it done. No regrets. Currently appplying the same process for my second one.
I’m 48 and got my first tattoo 3 1/2 weeks ago! It was actually a gift for my 48th b’day. And I have three more ideas in the works. I can’t wait!!
That is beautiful… Glorious, even…
Sorry to be a dissenting view, but in the interests of variety (and I hope not perceived as trolling) I hate tattoos. I find them repulsive. It’s one of the few things I judge people on. Hidden tattoos are bad enough, but visible tattoos just disappoint me and sometimes even make me angry.
Perhaps it’s irrational, but there you go.