Okay, so I’ve been thinking about getting a tattoo for a while now, and I finally decided to take the plunge. I did some research and found this artist, Sean O’Malley, whose work I really liked. His style is kind of unique, very bold and graphic, and I thought it would be perfect for what I had in mind.
First things first, I reached out to Sean through his booking email. I sent a brief description of what I wanted, along with some reference photos. It took a few days, but he got back to me and we set up a consultation.
I went into his shop, which was super cool, all decorated with his artwork and other interesting stuff. We chatted for a while about my idea, and he gave me some great feedback. He sketched out a rough design, and I was immediately stoked. It was exactly what I had envisioned, but even better.
We booked the tattoo appointment for a couple of weeks later. I was pretty nervous leading up to it, but I tried to keep myself busy. I made sure I had all the aftercare stuff ready – you know, unscented soap, moisturizer, all that jazz.
On the day of the appointment, I arrived at the shop feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety. Sean greeted me and we went over the design one last time. He made some minor adjustments, and then we were good to go.
He started prepping the area, cleaning my skin and all that. Then came the stencil, which he carefully placed on my arm. I took a deep breath, and he fired up the tattoo machine.
- Getting Started: The first few lines were definitely the most intense. It felt like a hot scratching sensation, but it wasn’t unbearable.
- Settling In: After a while, I kinda got used to the feeling. It became more of a dull ache, and I was able to relax a bit.
- Breaks: Sean was really good about taking breaks when I needed them. We’d stop every so often, and I could stretch and rest my arm.
- Shading and Color: Once the outline was done, he moved on to shading and adding color. This part was actually less painful than the outline, at least for me.
- Almost There: Towards the end, I started to feel a bit tired and sore, but I knew we were almost done.
Finally, after about three hours, he finished up. He cleaned the tattoo, wrapped it in plastic wrap, and gave me some aftercare instructions. I was so happy with how it turned out! It looked amazing, even better than I had imagined.
The healing process was pretty straightforward. I followed Sean’s instructions to a T, keeping it clean and moisturized. It itched like crazy for a few days, but I resisted the urge to scratch. After about two weeks, it was fully healed.
Now, a few months later, I’m still absolutely in love with my Sean O’Malley tattoo. It’s a constant reminder of a really cool experience, and it’s a piece of art that I’ll cherish forever.
Some thoughts after it was all said and done
I’m so glad I finally got this tattoo, and I’m even more glad that I chose Sean O’Malley as my artist. He was professional, talented, and super chill throughout the whole process. If you’re thinking about getting a tattoo, I highly recommend doing your research, finding an artist whose style you love, and just going for it! You won’t regret it. As for me, I can tell I will get another one someday. It is just so cool.
