The Ink Issue: What A Beautiful Mess.

I am fascinated by tattoos. Especially on women.
There's just something about them. In a world where Mattel invented the Barbie doll and introduced a stereotypical image of how women should be, I am thrilled to see that more and more women are going back to an artform that has been past on from one culture to another, surrounding themselves with elements of themselve. Being it a quote, a portrait or something abstract, I believe every tattoo has its meaning. It's a way of putting out there what is already in you, without the fear of being judged.

I used to think a tattoo was something you had to be a hundred percent sure of, because it sticks to your skin for good. No turning back. So no regrets. But even the silliest thing is not worth regreting, because it marks who you were. And if you change, it marks your evolution.
Of course, if you're not satisfied with your evolution or just made a wrong move by not thinking it through, there's always laser removal.

Before I got my first tattoo about two months ago, I talked to some people to see what their opinion was about the whole tattooing thing. Most of them tried to talk me out of it. I scheduled my appointment without telling anyone, besides two of my closest friends, and went off and got it anyway. Reactions afterwards were "It actually looks really good." Lesson: Do not let anyone talk you out of something you have set your mind to after careful consideration. You might ask them for their opinion. But they are not you.

I'm not Jesus, and not trying to convert you into something you're just not into. But if you are looking for some inspiration, here are some beautiful, tattooed women.

Inked Magazine - Quotes, stars, portraits, custom-made designs,etc...

Betty Lipstick - Hearts, dragons, roses, etc...

Kat Von D - Tattoo artist specialized in portraits, mostly black and grey.

Known From LA Ink & her shop High Voltage Tattoo

Murielle Scherre

Belgian designer of the lingerie label La Fille d'O - has a bow, pin-ups, the word "Amor", cherries, etc...



A random girl in Barcelona with leopard print and a cupcake

A tattoo is a true poetic creation, and is always more than meets the eye. - V. Vale and Andrea Juno, Modern Primitives

Show me a man with a tattoo and I'll show you a man with an interesting past. - Jack London

You may lose your most valuable property through misfortune in various ways. You may lose your house, your wife and other treasures. But of your moko, you cannot be deprived except by death. It will be your ornament and companion until your last day. - Netana Whakaari of Waimana

Ink to paper is thoughtful. Ink to flesh, hardcore. If Shakespeare were a tattooist, we'd appreciate body art more. - Carrie Latet

Tattooing is about personalizing the body, making it a true home and fit temple for the spirit that dwells inside it. Tattooing therefore, is a way of keeping the spiritual and material needs of the body in balance. - Michelle Delio

But! Think before you ink! I'm sure you don't want to look like our famous Belgian tattooed girl aka 56-stars-on-your-face when you're 85.

Jackie

Facebook: Filter!

Alright, so I was going through all sorts of subjects for new blogposts and doing some research, when all of a sudden I bumped into a humungous amount of "fanpages" titled "Artist X sucks", "F*&# off Artist Y", "Artist Z, you're a f***" on Facebook.
Seriously. What the heck is wrong with these people?
Okay, so you might not like a certain artist. Tell me, what do you get from calling him a something something on a worldwide communication page? Is it going to make your day and enlighten yourself? If so, it sounds like you might need to sort yourself out and start looking for some useful occupations.
I go gaga when people start dissing eachother like it's the most common thing to do. Seriously, it's not. That's your imagination. Or maybe you just have some mental disorder you need to deal with. Especially when it comes to music.

Music goes back to the Paleolithic era when humans began to produce the earliest works of art. Who are you to destroy a monkey's work of art? That monkey being your forefather, hanging around with the forefather of the one you just dissed.

Seriously though, music is one of the few things we do not engage in war for. It's a universal language that everybody speaks, no matter what your cultural background is. You get it and you appreciate it, even if it's not your own.

Music expresses feeling and thought, without language. It was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words.  - Robert G. Ingersoll

Get the message? Exactly. Shhhhh...


Dear Facebook,
You're a wonderful invention for communication. And I'm all for free speech, otherwise I wouldn't have this blog. But filter your shizzang, will you?
Sincerely
J.

Supermodels Supernatural

German photographer Peter Lindbergh is tired of subjects in fashion magazines looking like overly-Photoshopped "objects from Mars". “My feeling is that for years now it has taken a much too big part in how women are being visually defined today. Heartless retouching should not be the chosen tool to represent women in the beginning of this century.”, he told the New York Times.
For Harper's Bazaar's September 2009 issue he captured supermodels such as Amber Valletta, Helena Christensen, Claudia Schiffer and Cindy Crawford without make-up or excessive retouching.
I love black and white photography, and have always admired 30-40 something women with long hair, minimal make-up and a natural glow. The two combined are devine.
Natural all the way baby, let's start capturing beauty as it is.

Off to an exhibition of Belgian photographer Stephan Vanfleteren now. He specializes in B&W's too and portrays artists, actors, writers, directors, musicians and other people who express themselves through their profession. He also captures events from world conflict zones as well as every day life around the world. Check out his work here

Little Girl, Big Blog: Tavi "Style Rookie" Gevinson

Meet Tavi Gevinson. A 13-year-old fashion blogger from Chicago who started "Style Rookie" about a year and a half ago and has had over 4 million readers since then. She has become a popular guest at fashion shows, and posed on pictures with designers as Yohji Yamamoto and Marc Jacobs. A lot of people praise her talent and look at her as if she were some kind of wonderchild. Others are sceptical and question her credibility. Why is this kid so articulate for her age? And how does she know so much about fashion and designers at such a young age?

I'm not going to butt in on the pros and cons, I'm just sharing something I think is quite remarkable.

I can say this though: as a kid, I was really curious too. And pretty smart. Always getting straight A's, provoking jealousy from peers and receiving kudos from adults who thought I had an amazing brain for my age. To me, I was just normal. As the years go by and you experience life, certain things change. And certain things just stick to your core. A gift, as this little girl has in writing, should be admired. But she's still a kid. And fashion can be a harsh world. Let's hope she stays true to who she is and what she loves to do, without losing her innocence.

In addition to this, an article appeared in Eosmagazine.eu today saying most children who were born in prosperous countries after the year 2000 will probably live up to be a hundred years old. If that's true, lots of remarkable things are headed our way if you ask me. Tavi won't be the last.

"It's a new day"

The first thing I think about when the month October knocks on our earth's door is my birthday. Not for presents, or parties or even celebration. I try to celebrate me being here every day.

My birthday to me, is a time of standing still and reflecting on who I am . Your birthdaymonth defines a huge part of your personality without you even controlling it in the first place. Astrology, exactly.

In 19 days, I'm turning 20. From then on I'll have number 2 in my age for the next ten years at least. Bye bye teen years. Officially.

The past month has been incredibly intense, and some things haven't been properly digested yet. See: no blog entries.

One thing I want to hold on to though, is this: do what you feel you want or need to do. Things won't ever fall into place entirely if you don't. And why wouldn't you anyway? Don't set yourself boundaries that aren't real. Anything is possible. So sing, dance, go bungee jumping, visit Machu Picchu, climb Mount Everest if you want to. Live.

I'll be trying to share a lot more on this blog. More fun stuff, stories I find are incredible, things that cross my mind.
Music. Art. Fashion. Design. Trends. Projects. Green.

I'll be trying to evoke awareness about everything that surrounds us, aswell as things that don't cross our worried minds. Occassional fortune cookie messages will still hit this blog though.

With that being said, I'm off to a concert by a local band called Kartasan. They bring you a Jazzy, Indie sound from Belgian bottom. Check them out on their Myspace page here.

Love

J