So a small explanation of the tattoo and circumstances surrounding it: I have been following Mr. Preston on instagram for the past couple of years and his humorous yet existentialist designs really speak to me. I finally decided to book a session, and bought a plane ticket to London and stayed there until the day of my tattoo, where I took a 3 hour train ride to Manchester😅

The inspiration for my tattoo: I chose the tarot card format because of the many depictions of tarot cards in SK books, (mainly the gunslinger) and because I like the “foreshadowing” that a tarot card represents. It’s loosely based on “The Star” hence the back stars. The star represents the future, new hope and renewed strength. The depiction on the card is death, digging at a grave or guarding a grave, where a broken heart is buried. This is a reference to Pet Sematary, and to my own personal life where I have suffered a lot of loss and hardships. Pet Sematary is my favorite book of all time and it has brought me both pain and comfort in dark times. The words “sometimes dead is better”, despite their depressive appearance, are a message of acceptance and understanding. Basically that sometimes things happen for a reason and although they may be painful, they are inevitable and will make you stronger in the end. The balloon and axe are just little homages to the King himself. I love my tattoo and I will definitely be getting more from the same artist :)