As a little girl, Kelly Veshia recalls constantly drawing floral patterns on her body and pretending that they were tattoos. Veshia, now a senior at Syracuse University with majors in psychology and Russian Studies, proudly sports four real tattoos and plans on getting many more.

Veshia got her first tattoo, the cross located on the back of her neck, at age 18. She was nervous at first, she said, but now finds the tattooing process to be therapeutic and relaxing. Her mother and siblings all have at least one tattoo, making the process easier for her.

She got the cross as a permanent reminder to have faith, which she believes gives her a more positive outlook. Veshia also got a tattoo of a serotonin molecule on her left forearm for similar reasons, and she refers to serotonin as the “happy neurotransmitter.”

“When I’m low or depressed, I look at it for a little serotonin boost,” Veshia said.

Both of these tattoos serve to enrich Veshia’s life. Having them forever engraved on her skin encourages her to always look at the bright side.

Veshia’s two other tattoos hold different meanings related to her family and heritage. Her most recent tattoo of Polish folk art flowers is on her back, underneath the cross. Coming from a Polish family, Veshia wanted to honor her roots, which she said she and her family are very proud of.

The tattoo Veshia holds closest to her heart is the series of lilac flowers on her right forearm. She got this tattoo in honor of her mother.

When her grandmother was alive, she constantly kept fresh lilacs in her house, Veshia said. But her grandmother died when Veshia’s mother was 18, leaving her mother devastated as they were very close. Veshia’s mother now keeps a lilac bush next to her house in remembrance of her own mother.

Veshia recalls picking lilacs with her mother and bringing them into their house while growing up. While Veshia never got to know her grandmother, she associates lilacs with her own mother because of this tradition.

“When my mom smells (the lilacs), she thinks of her mom,” Veshia said. “When I smell them, I think of mine.”

When she was 8, Veshia’s parents got divorced. Since then, she credits her mother for being both her mom and dad for over ten years.

“She’s my best friend,” Veshia said. “I could never fully express how much I appreciate her.”

In the future, she plans to get more tattoos that represent who she is. One that she’s excited to get is a Stegosaurus skeleton because it reminds her of herself.

“It has plates on its back and tends to keep itself guarded until it gets to know people,” Veshia said. “I’m the same way.”

Veshia’s favorite place to get tattoos is Ms. Dixie’s Tattoo in Troy, which she describes as a bright, eclectic shop. She said that it’s different from the typical tattoo shop, which she believes to be depicted as hypermasculine.

“You don’t have to be hypermasculine or aggressive to have tattoos,” Veshia said. She said that she always feels more comfortable at Ms. Dixie’s.

Veshia loves the tattoo culture and how one can decorate their body with expressions of their personality.

“They display things about me without having to say anything,” Veshia said.

Published on March 5, 2018 at 9:41 pm

Contact Raven: rarentas@syr.edu