Stalking the next book
Random bit of street art found on a rock in SE Portland. I love this city.
Second draft is out of my hands now, with my draft readers. And right on schedule, as I was taking a shower on Saturday morning, the story for my next novel drifted up into my head. Not fully formed, beginning to end, because my brain doesn’t work that way. But I know who the characters are. I know what’s going on. I know what the conflict is. I can feel the tone, can hear the voice of it in my head. Poof. There it is.
I love that. Just as I’m coming to the end of one major project and that fear is setting in–the fear that I’ve already had the best ideas I’m ever going to have, the fear that I don’t have another book in me–the next book presents itself. It happened the same way last time. I must remember to trust my brain. Please remind me to trust my brain.
So now I’m circling around that idea. Sneaking peeks at it. Making notes. Getting the characters to start to talk to each other in my head. They’re fighting right off the bat this time. Which is interesting. I haven’t had a lot of that before, not at the very beginning. Hmmm.
This new idea is coming at just the right time. With the current book off my desk for the time being, I don’t have anywhere else to escape to when I start to feel like I’m too much with myself. Too much in my own head. It’s an odd sort of healing process with the miscarriage. Sometimes I’ll feel totally fine and happy–more so than I expected to feel so soon–and then I’ll see a mom with a newborn, or a pregnant woman with a toddler, and it just kills me. I’m right back to the beginning of it again.
I’ve had a plan for my next tattoo since I was pregnant with Thumper, but I’ve been waiting for Thumper to wean because it’s not generally recommended that you get tattooed while breastfeeding. The tattoo would be a tree or tree branches across my back, and a sparrow (naturalistic) holding a scrap of paper in its beak with Thumper’s real name in my handwriting. And then I’d get another sparrow added for the second baby. Because Thumper is still nursing, it looked like I’d be waiting to get the tattoo until the second baby was weaned, and getting both sparrows at once, several years from now.
Now, though… Waiting seems harder. I’ve been thinking about it since the miscarriage… I want to honor the child I lost. I want to add a broken egg to that design somehow. And I don’t want to wait to do it. I’ve been Googling around about getting tattooed before a child weans, and I’m finding conflicting information, as tends to happen online. I’ve emailed my artist of choice (herself a mother of two) to see what she thinks. So we’ll see…
PS: Speaking of moms getting tattoos to honor their kids, check out RubyRedRuca’s new beauty.
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Thanks for the shout out! I was looking up similar sites online that were hit-or-miss on the pregnancy/ breastfeeding issue. I weaned my son at 19-months, but I was just curious about the issue. I found something that was written by tattoo artist Ashley Love saying that it may make the tattoo heal lighter, but all the research made it sound like it isn’t going to poison a fetus or a nursed baby. It was almost like it was frowned upon, but not dangerous to the children. Or at least that’s how I interpreted it.
Your tattoo idea sounds gorgeous, and I think that’s really cool that you’re going to add the broken egg. I think that will give it a beautiful and artistic touch that will bring all 3 children together. Good luck and post pictures of it right away! I can’t wait to see it!
Thanks for the shout out! I was looking up similar sites online that were hit-or-miss on the pregnancy/ breastfeeding issue. I weaned my son at 19-months, but I was just curious about the issue. I found something that was written by tattoo artist Ashley Love saying that it may make the tattoo heal lighter, but all the research made it sound like it isn’t going to poison a fetus or a nursed baby. It was almost like it was frowned upon, but not dangerous to the children. Or at least that’s how I interpreted it.
Your tattoo idea sounds gorgeous, and I think that’s really cool that you’re going to add the broken egg. I think that will give it a beautiful and artistic touch that will bring all 3 children together. Good luck and post pictures of it right away! I can’t wait to see it!
Your tattoo sounds beautiful, Cari.
It seems like you could “pump and dump” for 24 hours. That’s all we do when a breastfeeding patient goes under general anesthesia for surgery.
Your tattoo sounds beautiful, Cari.
It seems like you could “pump and dump” for 24 hours. That’s all we do when a breastfeeding patient goes under general anesthesia for surgery.
According to a friend of mine who is a LLLI leader the only reason not to get a tattoo while nursing is the risk of disease. If your chosen artist runs a clean shop then there is no problem. It doesn’t affect your milk in any way.
People are often told not to get piercings while nursing/pregnant for the same reason. Some states/shops have rules about it because of liability. I’m sure in Portland you could find an IBCLC to ask if there is a risk. Back to lurking, love the blog.
According to a friend of mine who is a LLLI leader the only reason not to get a tattoo while nursing is the risk of disease. If your chosen artist runs a clean shop then there is no problem. It doesn’t affect your milk in any way.
People are often told not to get piercings while nursing/pregnant for the same reason. Some states/shops have rules about it because of liability. I’m sure in Portland you could find an IBCLC to ask if there is a risk. Back to lurking, love the blog.
I’d be concerned about infection. Even though it’s rare. My main concern would be the physical stress, and that since you’re nursing, it would hit you harder. And I don’t know how it translates through breast milk. I have a full sleeve tattoo, and 2 kids, and I wouldn’t have wanted to go through anything big when I was nursing. (I’m not sure if you wanted input here, just my two cents.)
LOVE that rock! Portland is a nice town.
I’d be concerned about infection. Even though it’s rare. My main concern would be the physical stress, and that since you’re nursing, it would hit you harder. And I don’t know how it translates through breast milk. I have a full sleeve tattoo, and 2 kids, and I wouldn’t have wanted to go through anything big when I was nursing. (I’m not sure if you wanted input here, just my two cents.)
LOVE that rock! Portland is a nice town.
i’m no help on the weaning issue, but your design sounds beautiful. i definitely look forward to seeing it realized, whenever that may be.
i’m no help on the weaning issue, but your design sounds beautiful. i definitely look forward to seeing it realized, whenever that may be.
What a beautiful idea for a tattoo. Whenever you do it I am sure it will be meaningful and beautiful.
And how exciting about your new novel inspiration!
What a beautiful idea for a tattoo. Whenever you do it I am sure it will be meaningful and beautiful.
And how exciting about your new novel inspiration!
Your tattoo, whenever you decide to do it, is going to be beautiful. I love how you plan to honor the baby you lost – reading your description of it made me kind of teary.
Your tattoo, whenever you decide to do it, is going to be beautiful. I love how you plan to honor the baby you lost – reading your description of it made me kind of teary.
is thumper anywhere close to being weaned? sometimes you can tell when the child is close but is just looking for reassurance that it’s ok to move on. that might not be where you’re at though, so that’s ok too 🙂 as for tattooing while breastfeeding, not sure. it seems to me that if the risk of infection was high, it wouldn’t be worth it. but that’s just my opinion.
is thumper anywhere close to being weaned? sometimes you can tell when the child is close but is just looking for reassurance that it’s ok to move on. that might not be where you’re at though, so that’s ok too 🙂 as for tattooing while breastfeeding, not sure. it seems to me that if the risk of infection was high, it wouldn’t be worth it. but that’s just my opinion.
I love finding strange little evocative details around my city too. That sparrow almost looks like it was stencilled. Are there more?
I’m imaging a nest on the branch and your Thumper sparrow not far from it. And then down below among the roots–the broken eggshell. Of course there would need to be more of a tree for that and not just a branch and that may not be what you had in mind at all.
I love finding strange little evocative details around my city too. That sparrow almost looks like it was stencilled. Are there more?
I’m imaging a nest on the branch and your Thumper sparrow not far from it. And then down below among the roots–the broken eggshell. Of course there would need to be more of a tree for that and not just a branch and that may not be what you had in mind at all.
I love how every image you come up with — knitting designs, fiction, description of heartbreak, a capture of your garden, your tattoo — is profoundly evocative. From here, it sure seems like you live full and poignant. I know the art you trace from this experience will be just right when it appears.
I love how every image you come up with — knitting designs, fiction, description of heartbreak, a capture of your garden, your tattoo — is profoundly evocative. From here, it sure seems like you live full and poignant. I know the art you trace from this experience will be just right when it appears.
You choose the road of poignancy, richly emotive and entwined in body and spirit, and that is a trully beautiful road to travel.
You choose the road of poignancy, richly emotive and entwined in body and spirit, and that is a trully beautiful road to travel.
Oh, Cari, I’ve been behind on my blogs… I’m so desperately sorry. I miscarried in 2006 at 12 weeks. I remember going on a walk a few weeks later and seeing a couple with their child taking a few tentative little steps on the walking path and I simply couldn’t cry hard enough. Sobs were stampeding out of me, tumbling over each other and I felt I’d never be that woman with a small child learning to walk. Three months later I was pregnant with Blue, and she’s walking now. A miscarriage is such a strange kind of loss, seemingly invisible to those around you, and yet it colors everything in your life right now. I’m thinking of you and feeling for you.
Your next book arriving at this time is a blessing… I’ll never forget the art project I did for the month after I miscarried and the healing it provided. Take care.
Oh, Cari, I’ve been behind on my blogs… I’m so desperately sorry. I miscarried in 2006 at 12 weeks. I remember going on a walk a few weeks later and seeing a couple with their child taking a few tentative little steps on the walking path and I simply couldn’t cry hard enough. Sobs were stampeding out of me, tumbling over each other and I felt I’d never be that woman with a small child learning to walk. Three months later I was pregnant with Blue, and she’s walking now. A miscarriage is such a strange kind of loss, seemingly invisible to those around you, and yet it colors everything in your life right now. I’m thinking of you and feeling for you.
Your next book arriving at this time is a blessing… I’ll never forget the art project I did for the month after I miscarried and the healing it provided. Take care.
It’s interesting the way the mind works these things out – a little creative work, a little art on the body, a little intermittent grieving. I have no advice or anything on any of these subjects, but it was an interesting post.
It’s interesting the way the mind works these things out – a little creative work, a little art on the body, a little intermittent grieving. I have no advice or anything on any of these subjects, but it was an interesting post.
Cari, this is a beautiful idea.
Cari, this is a beautiful idea.
I like the idea of your tattoo, and adding the broken egg. I’ve never been able to come up with a design that I’d want permanently on my body, but I’m impressed with your vision!
I like the idea of your tattoo, and adding the broken egg. I’ve never been able to come up with a design that I’d want permanently on my body, but I’m impressed with your vision!