Tag: mental health

A tattoo is a skin wound that takes 3 weeks to heal…

~ Emmie Reve ~ Leave a comment

I recently added some new designs and details to an existing tattoo. Working with a trusted tattoo artist, I let her carve into me some extra sea imagery to my Venus goddess tattoo. For those not familiar with the process, a tattoo is thousands of little holes punched into the inner layer of the skin with an electric needle tool. The holes are filled with pigment and allowed to heal. As a result, it will hold whatever image is placed under the skin permanently. It’s an artform that is truly transformative and meaningful. But it requires the skin to be broken, hurt and maimed. But after some time, it’s an art piece that is painless and wonderful to look at. There are no scars but for the colourful pigments left behind.

This is the original tattoo. Simple and pretty, but not reminiscent of the way Venus was “born of the sea”. I wanted some more water imagery. The artist preps me by shaving the area.

There are other physically painful things that take time for the body to physically recover but the outcomes are so amazing. Childbirth for example. A woman’s body is pushed and stretched beyond comfortable proportions. Labour is very traumatic to experience. Intense contractions, and a human being having to exit a small space, it’s actually pretty violent. But the rewards are very real. A tiny bundle of joy awaits, and it makes the ordeal all worth it. My own experience giving birth to my son had taken me a year to heal before I felt physically like myself again. Ballet dancers are another example. They put their bodies and feet into demanding, often debilitating routines. And the outcome is an artful elegant dance that looks effortless…

My finished creation: I love how the artist made the water so flowy and fluid looking. She looks like a goddess born of the sea now!

During my most recent tattoo session, I was personally going through a break-up of immense emotional pain, walking out of a one sided relationship scenario. I confided this to my tattoo artist and she was sympathetic. She advised me that I should and would find somebody better. I’m always skeptical about the idea that I will find true emotional/spiritual recovery after a break-up, since my heart is actually wounded and it doesn’t seem to have a heal date confirmed. A injured heart doesn’t seem to have a simple, or guaranteed healing timeline the way a new tattoo does. But I figure I will have to take care of my wounds during this time, and believe it can pass. It can be and opportunity for transformation. Skin that has been tattooed on takes 3 weeks to fully heal, my tattoo artist said….but I’m wondering now how long will it take for my heart to heal? I don’t know, but I’m hoping it will also be in 3 weeks time.

Yay, I’m loving it…this is week one of healing this tattoo. Can’t wait till it’s done. Still sensitive.

How Ice Cream can solve everything

~ Emmie Reve ~ Leave a comment
Words of wisdom on the wall of the ice cream parlour in pink neon. yaas.

The summer is hot this year in Toronto…and I am currently observing how things are re opening here. Restaurants now have inviting patios, shops are allowing people inside to browse again, and there is a bustling, busy fun feeling in the air. That doesn’t mean I don’t have my low days. Those are days where something that is not in my control, has gotten me anxious or worried, and I just don’t know what to do about it. I wrote an article a while back about mental health and how to handle feeling depressed and sad. Check it out HERE. But this article is more about how ti use ice cream to sometimes cope with theworries, and persistent problems in my mood that can not be solved immediately, or even completely solved. It can drive me mad when I dwell on things I shouldn’t be.

This is the ice cream parlour I went to in Toronto. Super fashionable, modern, no? They specialize in asian flavour inspired soft serve icecream!

Think about it: in movies, tv shows, in songs…the most satisfying treat for a unrested mind or broken mood is ice cream. It’s the reward often given to children for being “good”. It’s the familiar remedy for emotional pain post break-up…it comes in so many flavours that there is no excuse to not like at least one flavour of ice cream! So ya, grab a couple of scoops whenever stressful situations arise and then desert the worries they present by enjoying this dessert. What better way to “solve” unsolvable problems than with a few scoops of decadent, sweet, cooling, ice cream! For me, even just forgetting a problem for a moment in time can be a way of solving it (kinda). Just enjoy things for the pleasurable moment it offers and feel like everything is okay in the world. Let’s be kind to ourselves and watch our problems melt away–just the problems that is, not the ice cream.

What flavour did I end up getting? This is the black charcoal icecream that has a mild coconut flavour with ube flavour (light purple) Ube is a purple Asian yam with a delicate flavour often used in desserts.

May is month to celebrate the coming of summer…

~ Emmie Reve ~ 2 Comments

I’d like to think I am pretty spiritual. I find happiness in rituals, I believe in things that can’t be seen, just felt. I like to think about Mother Earth and how she changes the seasons. May 2021 is especially wonderful, because after a winter of lock down in Toronto, Canada, any brightness and colour would easily excite me beyond words. It had been a cold, grey winter lockdown, but with spring finally warming up in this very Northern city, it’s sunny enough to get greenery growing all about. I see flowers blooming, cherry blossoms are on trees, the rains of April have stopped and nature is alive again. A rebirth. Very meaningful to me and joyful.

This particular winter has been very difficult on my mental health as I have posted about in my previous post about weight-loss and gain during the pandemic. Being trapped at home was dark and sunless, as are all winters in Canada…I struggled daily with anxiety and depression. Even now with the change of seasons, I still suffer a bit from a lower mood sometimes, but much less so. I wanted to do a post about celebrating and being thankful for this current pre-summer loveliness that is working hard to cheer me up. Being thankful for connections that can now be made as the weather allows people to go outside and just see, experience, maybe even frolic? I must admit I’ve never frolicked before, but this Spring going into Summer is more a good time than ever to start!

How I Celebrated this May-time Wonder:

I love flowers. I think they always look so beautiful. Flowers add elegance and happiness to anything and/or anyone they decorate and touch. See their work on Mother’s Day, at weddings, funerals, as table decor, patient gifts. Their magic is undeniable. So to celebrate their floral vibrancy I decided to make a simple flower crown and then go outside to model it in photos. I found some cherry blossom trees and could not resist using them as a backdrop for enjoying being in nature and being thankful.

So this is me, modeling my crown. Also modeling this white blouse with ruffle-y sleeves. I think it fit the general mood of May, and it’s themes of rebirth, freedom and enjoyment.

How I Made my Flower Crown:

The crown itself is actually pretty simple to make, First buy some flowers with stems that are delicate enough to wrap. Then grab some floral tape. I got mine from a craft store. Also find a base for the crown. I used a thin headband, but a circular wire, etc…could also work! Then clip off the individual flowers from the bouquet, leaving a stem 1-3 inches long. Then arrange the flowers by colour and shape on the headband, wrapping each stem with the floral tape to the head band in a spiral motion. And Voila; a gorgeous, simple crown that shines with the glory of nature awaits to be worn!

My flowers were a few days old when I made the crown, but a slight wilt makes them look more real. For my eye make-up I wore a vibrant violet shadow, as I was inspired by nature’s colourful florals…

What are some other ways to celebrate the outdoor nature around this time of year? Let me know in the comment section below….