Wairarapa’s locally owned community newspaper
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, 2018
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Tattoos to heal bereaved Emily Ireland Masterton tattoo artist Raine Mackenzie knows the struggle of losing a best friend to suicide. And it was through her artform that she has been able to lift herself out of some dark times – “it ultimately saved my life”, she said. Now, with her colleagues at Sacred Art Tattoo & Piercing in Masterton, Raine will use her art to bring healing to other Wairarapa people bereaved by suicide or affected by mental illness. Sacred Art, which is hosting a suicide awareness event on September 15, will be offering discounted ‘flash’ tattoos, donating 65 per cent of the cost to local mental health charity Suicide Awareness Matters. There will also be discounts on tattoos commissioned to cover self-harm scars, a bake sale, raffle, barbecue, and a guided meditation with koha entry. “For me, tattooing has always been something quite sacred,” Raine said. “I got given this opportunity [to tattoo] when I was in a really hard
time of my life.” “I wouldn’t have done all the things I did to better myself and get out of the suicidal frame of mind if it wasn’t for tattooing.” Raine lost her best friend to suicide last year. “The main thing I
realised when I lost her was that, there’s just so much love that comes with grief and it’s a crazy experience. “I feel like it is really easy to become divided when you are in a bad place of mental health.
“You segregate yourself from others and think maybe you are wrong for feeling a certain way.” She said the suicide awareness fundraiser would be a means to “bring people together that
have all gone through the same thing”. Sacred Art owners Sarah and Jordan Tredray said the event meant a lot to them, their staff, and the wider Wairarapa community. “We’ve had a lot of people who are very close to us that have gone
Jordon Rimene, Amy Richards, Sarah Tredray, Raine Mackenzie, and Jordan Tredray. PHOTO/EMILY IRELAND
through the grieving side of suicide,” Sarah said. “Especially in Masterton, it seems so common.” Provisional suicide statistics show that between July 2016 and June 2017, 12 people died by suicide in Wairarapa, giving the region the second highest suicide rate in New Zealand, behind West Coast DHB. Sarah said she had personally suffered with depression and suicidal thoughts for “what feels like my whole life”. “I have been that low where I have attempted to take my own life – and I know how lonely it can feel. “I worry for my children and young people around us that there isn’t enough of a support net around them to help them back out of the hole if they end up there. “If we talk about [suicide] and make it okay to talk about, then hopefully that is the first step in saving the people around us. She said she was inspired to create the event after seeing Raine grieve for her friend. “The heartache and effect it has on those left behind is devastating. Continued on page 3
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