Tessa Greene’s “and”

“When I heard about this project, it seemed like the perfect way to get my first tattoo. I was never able to justify getting one just for myself. I hadn’t found the right image or the reason behind one, at least not enough to make it permanent. But to become a part of a piece of art… that was so much more appealing.

Then to find a word…

Someone else’s word to be put onto my body…

Of course, I was late to the game of picking and choosing, so the words were all the more obscure to me by then. Perfect for some it seems, but not for me. Then there was one little word, ‘and,’ that showed up a few days after I first looked. Someone had taken it, then given it back.

It is such a small word, but the idea behind it is a big part of my life. The sense of ‘what else’ or ‘what more’ that it holds is often revisited in my internal dialogue. Whether I am stuck on something troubling or depressing, or something that is joyful and inspiring, there will always be something more after. There will always be an ‘and’ to move towards. More life to add to my own, no matter how low or high it gets.

Now on my body, it’s my word and…”

Tessa Greene’s “and”