A Tale of Two Tattoos
Hello Everyone! Today’s blog comes to you in the form of a short story. Not the first time, though. Do you remember how Flora got her first tattoo? This time, she’ll be talking to a friend who also got a tattoo, but their experiences were quite different. Curious? Let’s go!
Storyline
Flora woke up on a beautiful Sunday morning, exactly one month after her first tattoo. Today, she was meeting a friend for dinner. They both had fresh tattoos—both flowers—but made by different artists. Flora, always the independent thinker, decided to go to Vadelma Tattoo, even though none of her friends had been there. She just loved the art, the harmony, and the overall attitude towards tattoos at VADELMA. Certainly, Vadelma Tattoo, with Natalie and Simon behind the name, isn’t your typical studio.
Before her session, Flora was, of course, excited and nervous about getting a tattoo. She had heard too many stories about tattoo artists, most of which sounded like urban legends. But from the very first contact she made with Natalie, everything felt great—professional and kind. It was more like discussing an architecture project than talking about a tattoo. Later, Flora found out that Natalie had studied architecture. As she was thinking back on that very first tattoo session, her phone rang. It was Iris, calling to say she would be free earlier than expected, and they could meet in the early afternoon. That worked perfectly for Flora, who was also free for the whole day.
Talking Over Coffee
“So, Iris! Show me your tattoo! How was it?” Flora asked with curiosity. For some reason, Iris hadn’t shown her tattoo yet, not even sent a picture. That was a bit odd, especially considering that Iris usually shared everything with everyone. Flora thought maybe Iris wanted to keep it a surprise. After some hesitation, Iris pulled up her sleeve, and Flora finally saw the tattoo.
“Wow! Very nice! I really like it!” Flora said, but she could sense that Iris wasn’t completely happy with it. It was a tulip, just as Iris had wanted, so on the surface, it should have been perfect.
“Iris? What’s up? You don’t seem super happy with your tattoo,” Flora said.
“Well, it’s something I wanted—that’s true. I asked for a simple tulip, and I got it. But when you described your session, and then when I compared it to mine, I started to wonder. I went to the studio, we started chatting about the project, and the artist opened Pinterest, downloaded a tulip design, and simply traced over it in a program. It didn’t feel special—like something a kid could do. You told me your tattoo artist at Vadelma already had a beautiful design prepared, and I saw the picture you took—it really looked like a hand-drawn sketch. You know me, I did my research, and there are these iPad programs that let you draw by hand, like a real piece of paper with an electronic pen. I was amazed at how they work—they don’t help you draw but convert your drawing into digital form, saving time because you don’t need to scan the paper. You know what I mean?” – Iris seemed to be very proud of herself that she figured out that process. It felt for her like solving a mystery. Maybe not as hard as those from Sherlock Holmes books, but still, good beginning.
“Yes, of course. Natalie from Vadelma Tattoo uses exactly that type of software. At first, I couldn’t believe it. But then she showed me how it works, and it’s exactly as you said. Totally different from almost all the ‘design preparation’ videos I’ve seen online.” Flora was still enthusiastic about the session at Vadelma.
“Yes, Natalie for sure uses that. So that’s the first thing that was different. I really don’t want to have a tattoo that looks like all the rest. I know a tulip is a tulip, but isn’t it the artist’s job to make it unique? When I saw your flowers, they looked fresh. And I think you can only achieve that when an artist truly draws and creates, not just mimics what’s been done a thousand times. It’s like when I play guitar—songs are performed millions of times, by millions of bands, but every version is unique. People have different voices, change the arrangements, and so on. With tattoos, it’s supposed to be art, but sometimes it feels like listening to the same 10 songs on the radio 24/7.”
“That’s true, Iris. I have a similar point of view. That’s why I asked Natalie to create those flowers for me. She can actually draw, and you can see that in her portfolio. I think we live in a culture where people don’t always live authentically. Sadly, social media plays into that—no one is happy, fit, and on vacation all the time, but that’s what we see most often online. A lot of people claim to be professionals, but in reality, the promise doesn’t always live up to the reality. I was afraid of getting a tattoo, but I had a good feeling. Somehow, I knew Natalie would keep her promises. It’s good to know that there are still people out there who do what they say they’ll do. Walk Your Talk, you know? I hope that will be the standard in the future, not just for tattoos, but for everything.”
“And you know what? The tattooing process took maybe 20 minutes for me, but yours took 3 hours. Now I understand what made that difference. Your flowers look so nice, so real. It reminds me of the illustrations in my grandma’s old books with flowers. I never thought people could draw like that anymore. But here it is—your tattoo, with such lovely vibes! Even though the size of our tattoos is about the same, when I look at yours, it feels like I’m exploring body art. Wow!” Iris exclaimed, her voice rising with excitement.
“But Iris, you shouldn’t feel bad about your tattoo. It’s technically well-made, it fits you, and it brings back memories. No regrets—because it could have been much worse! I’m happy that this experience made you reflect on it. Our past isn’t just made up of failures, but of lessons. With that mindset, we keep learning and growing without digging ourselves into a hole of self-doubt,” Flora said, her voice sounding a little too preachy, but that’s just how she gets when she talks about things she believes in.
“I guess you’re right. So Flora, another coffee? Mine’s empty, and it’s so good to have a real talk. We should make this happen more often,” Iris said, smiling.
That’s it for today! What do you think about their conversation over coffee? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Thank you for your time,
Simon
Hello Everyone! Today’s blog comes to you in the form of a short story. Not the first time, though. Do you remember how Flora got her first tattoo? This time, she’ll be talking to a friend who also got a tattoo, but their experiences were quite different. Curious? Let’s go!
Storyline
Flora woke up on a beautiful Sunday morning, exactly one month after her first tattoo. Today, she was meeting a friend for dinner. They both had fresh tattoos—both flowers—but made by different artists. Flora, always the independent thinker, decided to go to Vadelma Tattoo, even though none of her friends had been there. She just loved the art, the harmony, and the overall attitude towards tattoos at VADELMA. Certainly, Vadelma Tattoo, with Natalie and Simon behind the name, isn’t your typical studio.
Before her session, Flora was, of course, excited and nervous about getting a tattoo. She had heard too many stories about tattoo artists, most of which sounded like urban legends. But from the very first contact she made with Natalie, everything felt great—professional and kind. It was more like discussing an architecture project than talking about a tattoo. Later, Flora found out that Natalie had studied architecture. As she was thinking back on that very first tattoo session, her phone rang. It was Iris, calling to say she would be free earlier than expected, and they could meet in the early afternoon. That worked perfectly for Flora, who was also free for the whole day.
Talking Over Coffee
“So, Iris! Show me your tattoo! How was it?” Flora asked with curiosity. For some reason, Iris hadn’t shown her tattoo yet, not even sent a picture. That was a bit odd, especially considering that Iris usually shared everything with everyone. Flora thought maybe Iris wanted to keep it a surprise. After some hesitation, Iris pulled up her sleeve, and Flora finally saw the tattoo.
“Wow! Very nice! I really like it!” Flora said, but she could sense that Iris wasn’t completely happy with it. It was a tulip, just as Iris had wanted, so on the surface, it should have been perfect.
“Iris? What’s up? You don’t seem super happy with your tattoo,” Flora said.
“Well, it’s something I wanted—that’s true. I asked for a simple tulip, and I got it. But when you described your session, and then when I compared it to mine, I started to wonder. I went to the studio, we started chatting about the project, and the artist opened Pinterest, downloaded a tulip design, and simply traced over it in a program. It didn’t feel special—like something a kid could do. You told me your tattoo artist at Vadelma already had a beautiful design prepared, and I saw the picture you took—it really looked like a hand-drawn sketch. You know me, I did my research, and there are these iPad programs that let you draw by hand, like a real piece of paper with an electronic pen. I was amazed at how they work—they don’t help you draw but convert your drawing into digital form, saving time because you don’t need to scan the paper. You know what I mean?” – Iris seemed to be very proud of herself that she figured out that process. It felt for her like solving a mystery. Maybe not as hard as those from Sherlock Holmes books, but still, good beginning.
“Yes, of course. Natalie from Vadelma Tattoo uses exactly that type of software. At first, I couldn’t believe it. But then she showed me how it works, and it’s exactly as you said. Totally different from almost all the ‘design preparation’ videos I’ve seen online.” Flora was still enthusiastic about the session at Vadelma.
“Yes, Natalie for sure uses that. So that’s the first thing that was different. I really don’t want to have a tattoo that looks like all the rest. I know a tulip is a tulip, but isn’t it the artist’s job to make it unique? When I saw your flowers, they looked fresh. And I think you can only achieve that when an artist truly draws and creates, not just mimics what’s been done a thousand times. It’s like when I play guitar—songs are performed millions of times, by millions of bands, but every version is unique. People have different voices, change the arrangements, and so on. With tattoos, it’s supposed to be art, but sometimes it feels like listening to the same 10 songs on the radio 24/7.”
“That’s true, Iris. I have a similar point of view. That’s why I asked Natalie to create those flowers for me. She can actually draw, and you can see that in her portfolio. I think we live in a culture where people don’t always live authentically. Sadly, social media plays into that—no one is happy, fit, and on vacation all the time, but that’s what we see most often online. A lot of people claim to be professionals, but in reality, the promise doesn’t always live up to the reality. I was afraid of getting a tattoo, but I had a good feeling. Somehow, I knew Natalie would keep her promises. It’s good to know that there are still people out there who do what they say they’ll do. Walk Your Talk, you know? I hope that will be the standard in the future, not just for tattoos, but for everything.”
“And you know what? The tattooing process took maybe 20 minutes for me, but yours took 3 hours. Now I understand what made that difference. Your flowers look so nice, so real. It reminds me of the illustrations in my grandma’s old books with flowers. I never thought people could draw like that anymore. But here it is—your tattoo, with such lovely vibes! Even though the size of our tattoos is about the same, when I look at yours, it feels like I’m exploring body art. Wow!” Iris exclaimed, her voice rising with excitement.
“But Iris, you shouldn’t feel bad about your tattoo. It’s technically well-made, it fits you, and it brings back memories. No regrets—because it could have been much worse! I’m happy that this experience made you reflect on it. Our past isn’t just made up of failures, but of lessons. With that mindset, we keep learning and growing without digging ourselves into a hole of self-doubt,” Flora said, her voice sounding a little too preachy, but that’s just how she gets when she talks about things she believes in.
“I guess you’re right. So Flora, another coffee? Mine’s empty, and it’s so good to have a real talk. We should make this happen more often,” Iris said, smiling.
That’s it for today! What do you think about their conversation over coffee? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Thank you for your time,
Simon
