“Fig Juggling as an hommage to Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, done by Eve Mansell at Bloom St Tattoo, Manchester UK “
“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”
So I posted this on my other account @twilightvanillasky but I figured I might aswell post it on this one too..
So this is my first tattoo. A quote from the book ‘the bell jar’ by Sylvia Plath. The book revolves around the protagonist’s journey with depression. Sylvia Plath herself, battled depression and committed suicide at the age of 31. To me, this quote is a reminder of my value. I am a daughter, I am a grandaughter, I am a sister, I am a niece, I am a cousin, I am a girlfriend, I am a friend, I am creative, I am clever, I am caring, etc. I am more than any bad feeling or bad situation that I have experienced/will experience in my life. As someone who faces anxiety, low mood and lack of confidence, this is an important thing to remember. Plath also uses this quote as a literary device, called Iambic Pentameter. If you say it out loud, it mirrors the sound of a heartbeat. As long as my heart is beating, I’ll be okay. With everything that’s happening in my life at the moment, I thought I’d share this with you all. It makes me sad that when people ask and I tell them that it’s a quote from one of my favourite books, they snigger. Love u all & thank you for reading this x
“I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.”
Sylvia Plath inspired fig tattoo by @sheilamarcello of Electric Tattoo in Asbury Park, NJ
“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”
My tribute to the patron saint of the depressed, the anxious, and the overthinkers…Sylvia Plath. My reminder that I have a reason to keep going. My heart is still beating.
“I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am.”
“I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”
