Winter Repose
Entering the chrysalis ~ surgery updates
I may have already shared this photo. Who cares! It’s beautiful :)
As I’ve briefly alluded to in previous newsletters, I’m getting top surgery next month. It feels vulnerable to share that out, excited as I am, and that feeling is compounded by the timing. Amidst crisis after crisis requiring rapid response, mutual aid fundraising, and attention, I am loath to take focus away from what are in many cases life-or-death requests. Something always feels more present, more important, and I’ve hesitated to send this news out despite there being necessary logistics to share. Time has flown by, though, and I am now just over three weeks out from my surgery date.
At the insistence of my beloved friends I’ve made a Google doc with ways people can support me during this big moment, which you can find here (if we are IRL friends message me for the care sign-up schedule). I also want to uplift the GoFundMe for Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo, an incredible artist who goes by Puppies Puppies and is fundraising for FFS. I am in deep gratitude to the people who have made me feel so supported going into this process— I count myself lucky to have a beloved network of people who have demonstrated what this milestone and its care webs can look like.
I’m booked up for tattoos through my surgery date and will be taking the rest of the year off to recover. Ellen Perry will be taking over my station at Flower World while I’m out, and I can’t recommend getting tattooed by them enough! I’ll be taking appointments for early January, so if you’d like to get on the calendar for the new year feel free to reach out, with the caveat that my response time might be extra slow. I’ve updated my webstore with new Flower World hats and some one-off ceramics for last orders before my weeks off.
To support the time away from work I’m raffling off this ceramic vase, one of my favorite functional pieces I’ve produced. Entries are $10 each and you can enter via Venmo to @tamara-santibanez or PayPal to santibaneztattoo@gmail.com with your preferred contact email as the note. Winner will be drawn a week from today on Friday, October 26th, and a portion of the total entries will go to Jade’s fundraiser.
Sustaining me lately: drinking oatstraw and rose infusions and listening to this Sade song on repeat.
Coming up:
~THIS SATURDAY Neng Jr’s is hosting a pop-up at Honey’s. Neng’s has been doing incredible on the ground work in Asheville and surrounding areas getting people hot meals, water, and other necessities. They are fundraising to keep their staff paid throughout the disaster. Not only are Silver and Cherry inspiringly community-minded people, they are also deeply talented chefs and restauranteurs. Don’t miss this one.
~This Sunday the 20th is Liberation Healing Clinic from 3:00-7:00 at Jack, 20 Putnam Ave in Brooklyn. Offering donation-based ear acupuncture and bodywork!
~I’ll be helping serve at Kaur Food’s popup to benefit RAPP, Wednesday October 23rd at Honey’s.
~Ridgewood Tenants Union is hosting a benefit for Lebanon and screening Souha, Surviving Hell on Saturday October 26th starting at noon.
~Continually amazing guest lineup at Flower World: Lupe Mota @lupemotatattoo, Dom @sweat.fm_, Valentino @tradisidente, Pony @slowpony69, and Samira @samiratattoos in the next month <3