When I first met Sarita, she told me this story. It was so awesome that I decided if I ever got a chance to do a site like this one…that this would be a story. You are sorta familiar with her from the ‘Belly dancing Cory Vid’. Well, after much prodding, Sarita has decided to share that story with us here at the diner. Sarita, I can’t thank you enough, and I hope y’all enjoy it too. Here it is, in her own words:

For over a decade I longed for a tattoo, but just never found a design idea that inspired me enough. I thought I had at one point, until my girlfriend at the time made it into a necklace. I figured there was no point in getting a tattoo: “Hey, if you like how this looks in silver, check it out in the FLESH!” I lost the necklace a few years later but by then I’d lost the desire for that design, too (still miss the necklace, though).

In spring of 2006, some good friends of mine (Mimi and Cricket from Last of the Hardcore Troubadours) introduced me to Cory’s music. I first heard “Tall Green Grass,” and liked it all right. Shortly thereafter I procured both albums and fell hard and fast. I’m big into lyrics and, well, y’all know. Cory’s got that way with words. That summer I got obsessed with the song “Hellbent and Heartfirst.” Not so much with the “love at first sight” bit, but the idea of “skipping past the salt pillars where everybody turns back” and that “nothing scars you deeper than the things you haven’t done.” I tend to overthink myself into inaction, and loved the song title as a reminder to quit thinking so damn much and just GO. That, and the Miami Vice reference. I’ve spent MANY perfect moments geeking out about TV shows.

I started doodling on my arm in Sharpie when bored. I knew I wanted a heart, but couldn’t figure out the rest of the design - a Traditional American piece just didn’t fit my style. During a tattoo-obsessed weekend at the beach with a very patient longtime friend of mine, we happened to see this print and it hit me that I could do something similar, hiding the text in the linework. I got in touch with my friend and fellow dancer, Sara Beaman, about creating a design that would incorporate Cory’s lyrics into something that fit my personality.

Here’s the result:

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It’s the word “hellbent,” in an elaborate henna tattoo style. There are heart shapes in it, both from the observer’s angle and mine. The left side says “hell” and the right “bent.” The “h” and “b” are large and stylized lowercase letters; the “ell” and the “ent” are contained in each one, respectively. If you don’t see it, well, just ask me at a show. I’ll be happy to point it out.

I like that it’s elegant, yet big enough to be kind of badass. I like that I can choose to explain as much or as little as I please. I like that it gives me another opportunity to tell people just how awesome Cory’s music is. I love that it’s a daily reminder and inspiration for how I want to live my life; that the tattoo itself is an exercise in making a decision, acting on it, and living with the consequences.

Thanks to Cory for the words, and Sara for the design, and Tom Blackmar at Tattoo Asylum in Durham, NC, for bringing it all to life. Oh, and caseymagic for prompting me to tell the story.