i swear it looks good

I got a tattoo! A butterfly tattoo.

I have wanted a butterfly tattoo for as long as I can remember, pretty much since high school. I think I was maybe in year 8 or 9, so I would’ve been 14 or 15 years old.

My cousin designed it for me, and was the one to actually tattoo me. The butterfly is on an angle and there are flames coming off the wings.

Besides the fact that I love butterflies and think they’re pretty, they have a lot of meaning to me and are such a positive sign for me in my life. They represent so many beautiful things and remind me that everything is going to be okay. I see them quite a lot, and I don’t know how they know but when I’m going through a tough time, I’ll see one fly by and then I’m like, there’s my reminder.

When I think of butterflies, I think of transformation, freedom and hope. Things are constantly changing, I’m growing (not so much in height, but that’s okay), but in terms of my personal growth. I have found that overcoming challenges can be overwhelming but such a beautiful and empowering process.

Freedom. I want to live my life as freely as I can. Whenever I have seen a butterfly fly away, it looks light, It’s not heavy and they don’t seem to be carrying so much weight and negativity, and that’s the reminder for me: to let go of negativity and all things that do not serve me. My name Francesca also carries the meaning “free” or “free one”, so the idea of freedom is very much a part of the meaning of my tattoo.

And hope. It’s not always easy to be positive all the time. I always strive to be, but sometimes negative thoughts creep in. The bright colours of butterflies remind to be optimistic, and also to give myself grace because I can be extremely hard on myself.

I think some people might perceive butterflies as delicate, and certainly their wings, and I decided to add fire flames to represent my strength. As vulnerable and sensitive as I am, I’m also unbelievably strong and powerful. That is what those flames represent.

Another reason why I got a butterfly is because when my Grandma passed away, I went for a walk in the afternoon and a butterfly circled me and then flew away. It was very quick, but I was like, “Hi Lola!”. I believe that was her telling me she’s okay, and it was very comforting.

I spent a good 10 years thinking about this tattoo and I never changed my mind, and as the years have go on, I’ve added more meaning to it, so I decided to get it on my 27th birthday as my gift to myself. People say you get addicted. Once you get one, you’ll get more, but considering it took me over a decade to finally get this one, I don’t think I’ll be getting them just for the sake of getting them. But if I do get another one, you guys will know about it.

Now, I’ll always see a butterfly. All I have to do is look at my arm.

Butterflies are my something positive; they always find me.

If you want to see what it looks like, I have posted a photo of it on my website. Go to the ‘Photography’ tab and scroll down :)