The tattoo journey has been deeply spiritual for Victoria Peatross. She said her pieces are connected to her faith and her “transition into womanhood.”

Possessing an inner wanderlust, Peatross, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, plans to travel extensively for whichever career path she eventually chooses, though she hasn’t yet decided upon a major. This adventurousness is reflected in her choice to get her tattoos done by artists that veer from the norm.

“I didn’t get them done at extremely professional salons, but by my friends who are learning how to be tattoo artists,” she said.

Her first of three pieces was done by her friend Greg in his home studio. It’s a cross with an askew crown propped on top of it. It represents the struggle she overcame as the only African American girl in her graduating class.

“I’ve learned how to find peace and balance in any situation,” Peatross said. The cross sits on the center of her spine, because she said then she knows that God is always with her.

The second time she sat under the needle, she committed to getting two separate pieces in one day, located on her hips. She spent a long time thinking and planning before making the commitment to getting such large pieces.

On the left, the words “walk humbly” are scrawled in fluid text just above her hipbone. The tattoo on the right side is in the same location, but states “do justly.” The two tattoos took roughly five hours to complete, but Peatross didn’t mind because she said she felt the need to wait the entire process out.

“The experience stands as a lesson in my life as well. I tend to start things and never finish them,” she said. “I was just like ‘Yo, I’m going to do this, and it’s going to look raw when it’s done.’”

She came up with the idea for “walk humbly” on her own, and she found the other online. Peatross knew she wanted to get a text tattoo but did not want it to be too generic. The two go hand in hand as daily reminders, and she said they portray how she always strives to relax, respect those around her and embrace life as it comes.

She explained that she is currently going through her life, searching for a mix between Buddhism and Christianity. Thus, she wanted the two tattoos to be graceful and easy in movement and appearance — what she describes as reminiscent of Buddhism.

Said Peatross: “I waited for that one moment when I knew I just had to get it done. I didn’t go to the parlor in search of something, because they’re permanent. But that’s what I love about it — I love that I can’t change these parts of myself now.”

Published on October 22, 2013 at 12:24 am

Contact Naomi: ncfalk@syr.edu