Designing a restless heart tattoo

August 26, 2007 3:42 PM

Trying to design a tattoo symbolizing a restless heart for my forearm, preferably one that will be only black (or contain just a small amount of color). Hit me with ideas, hive mind.
posted by Roman Graves to society & culture (13 answers total)

A heart with legs travelling down a road.
posted by gt2 at 4:15 PM on August 26, 2007

Akan symbols lend themselves to tattooing. Here is a list.
posted by tellurian at 4:29 PM on August 26, 2007 [3 favorites]

An anatomical heart tied by its arteries to a pole as a bindle.

A heart-shaped suitcase, with room to add stickers with the names of important places/people you've left behind.
posted by contraption at 4:42 PM on August 26, 2007

Might be far too cutesy, but you could anthropomorphize the heart and give it a restless expression.
posted by WCityMike at 4:48 PM on August 26, 2007

maybe integrating a heart with a compass?
posted by fuzzypantalones at 5:19 PM on August 26, 2007

I'm wondering if there is a symbol for perpetual motion or something you could incorporate... or something to do with fractals?

Maybe something simple and typographic? The word "restless" rendered really nicely inside of a heart shape?
posted by cusack at 5:23 PM on August 26, 2007

delurking to say:

it may be trite and the imagery might be a bit to obvious, but i have a greyscale image of a heart with wings and a banner that says "wild at heart" in latin.
posted by rinosaur at 5:26 PM on August 26, 2007

Um...you want a permanent symbol of restlessness? I assume you've thought this through and all, but if your heart ever is stuck somewhere permanently, so is your tattoo (sorta). :-)

That being said, perhaps the iconic image of the fool with the bag tied to a stick (um, is there a word for that thing?), except instead of a bag, it's a heart.
posted by Deathalicious at 5:31 PM on August 26, 2007

Deathalicious: it's called a bindle
posted by contraption at 5:36 PM on August 26, 2007

Oh DAMN. Still, what's a bindle without its fool?
posted by Deathalicious at 5:42 PM on August 26, 2007

This sounds like a job for Mitch O'Connell.
posted by jeanmari at 6:09 PM on August 26, 2007

how about something a little more oblique, like a symbol of mutability, travel, or constant change?

some examples:
water: a water wheel, a wave, a ship
a shark (has to keep swimming or else it dies)
the hobo symbol for "good road to follow" (the scandinavian o with the slash through it)
just about any symbol of nomadism
a sextant or compass
the moon (esp. a tarot card--means "inconstancy")
a knight errant or wandering minstrel
a portrait of eros
posted by thinkingwoman at 6:26 PM on August 26, 2007

I recommend against the Moon tarot card, btw-- carries other darker meanings that you may not want to wear on your sleeve.

I think something themed around a weathervane would be perfect. Doesn't need to actually have a heart in it anywhere for the meaning to stick.
posted by hermitosis at 9:15 PM on August 26, 2007