MDF Magazine Issue 72 December 2023

To tattoo or not to tattoo
By Gerda Brown
Whenever I see someone’s tattoo, whether it is big or small and whether or not I know that person, I always wonder why they
got it. To put something on your body permanently, enduring quite a bit of pain and often paying a lot of money, takes a level of
passion and dedication that I find fascinating. I always want to ask: “What motivated you?” This time round it was I who got the
tattoo. Let me share what motivated me.
When I was 16 years old I was diagnosed with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). Forward a couple (a very good
couple) of years … I met a young tattoo artist named Macalister Dalton and unexpectedly found that he has the same type of
muscular dystrophy as I do. Instantly I wanted a tattoo done by a fellow FSHD’er! After a few conversations the date was set for
8 September.
The design had to signify what brought us together, namely FSHD. I chose the orange ribbon for FSHD awareness combined
with the monarch butterfly. According to an article by Crystal (2023) on the A-Z Animals website, “Orange butterflies are often
associated with the sacral chakra, which represents creativity. The sight of an orange butterfly is often seen as a reminder to
embrace change. Their transformative journey from a crawling caterpillar to a graceful butterfly serves as a powerful metaphor
for personal growth.”
Macalister, thank you so very much. You are so talented! It was a pleasure for me to relax
and know that my skin was in the most capable of hands. The tattoo exceeded my expectations.
Reference
Crystal. 2023. Orange butterfly sightings: spiritual meaning and symbolism. Updated 30
June 2023. A-Z Animals. https://a-z-animals.com/blog/orange-butterfly-sightings-spiritualmeaning-and-symbolism/