Rather than writing an essay during my easter holidays in 2021 for the university, I dediced to go on a little solo-trip. So I took the bus from Lisbon going down south – arriving in Lagos. A place on the Algarve, that I already visited a few times before and that was therefore familiar to me.
I stayed in a hostel, located a three minutes walk from the beach – eastern headed to watch the beautiful sunrise every morning. So that is exactly what I did every morning within my 4-days-stay: I walked up a little hill, sitting down, still freezing a bit, catching the first sunlight, the sound of the waves, the seagulls flying in the early hours – just observing.
A feeling of deep gratitude and connection to nature and life itself that is reflected in the song „Ticket“ by Seed for me. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UEHmxKEJUc). I was listening to it endlessly during that time – singing and dancing on the hill.
Already before i went to Lagos, I had some ideas in my head about a new tattoo – that should reflect the elements, the cycle of life. But so far, I was not happy with my scratches – not feeling that these first drwaings were representing what I really felt and wanted. On one of the mornings after sitting on the hill, I climbed down to the beach. I found many dead seagulls lying in the sand, so I decided to give them a little funeral ritual – laying stines and shells in a circle around the dead body. Again this connection to the elements – the cycle of death and life let my creativity just flow.
I took a peace of wood and started drawing into the sand what was coming in my mind – the picture of the elements – the cycle of the seasons – the female cycle of menstruation – the souls we all are and we all come from.
creativity comes when the mind has a pause and can rest.
S – spring – air – pre-ovulation phase
Ω – summer – fire – ovulation phase
J – autumn – earth – pre-menstrual phase
L – winter – water – menstruation
soul – everything embedded in the space – everything is connected
After drawing in the sand I continued working on this draft, solo-dating myself with fresh pressed orange juice and bica (espresso) in one of Lagos´cute little cafés. On my way back to Lisbon, I drew my tattoo idea with a pen on the part of my body, where I wanted it to be – just like I always do with a serious new tattoo wish. A few weeks later, I found myself sitting in a tattoo studio in Lisbon, getting the scratch from the beach in Lagos on my skin.
With love,
Jule-s