“’Everything is connected to everything else.’
This statement is important to me in a variety of ways. It’s a chant, actually—meant to build up energy within a group. Being part of the Boulder Tattoo Project feels amazing—like I AM connected to everyone else through this poem. Beyond the obvious connection to the other participants, I feel connected to Boulder (so awesome) and, most importantly, I am reconnected with myself.
My word is ‘dawn.’ I believe that one of the most beautiful sights in Boulder is the Flatirons at sunrise. They turn a breathtaking pink color. It only lasts for a fleeting moment, but if you catch it, it will take your breath away. I’m not a morning person, so for me seeing it is a gift. But dawn isn’t just about the morning. For me it also represents beginnings, the act of stepping forward into something new. It’s the start of a journey. It’s an opening into something glorious. It’s the little lightbulb when you have a grand idea. That’s what ‘dawn’ is to me … a beginning.
My life has been filled with many beginnings (and many endings as well). At the time I learned of the Project, I was at another of these pivotal points in my life, just after a rather heart-wrenching breakup. I moved and started living alone for the first time in a decade, and instead of feeling down, I was feeling independent and strong. This realization was a powerful thing—powerful enough to get a very spontaneous tattoo to celebrate. Honestly, I’m usually not that rash! I plan my tattoos for years at a time. This one just felt right.
I put the tattoo on the back of my shin because it feels like I am stepping forward. And I am. I am at the dawn of something new. And I have reconnected with who I am. By connecting with others through this Project, I’m allowing myself to be open to the journey ahead. Chant the mantra with me now …
Everything is connected to everything else.
Everything is connected to everything else.
Everything is connected to everything else.”
Kat Burns’ “dawn”
The Boulder Tattoo Project 