Knowledge is the key to a better life. No one can deny that.
There are several ways through which knowledge can be learnt, and taught.
When we decided to share what we knew about Polynesian tattoos and how to create beautiful ones that are also meaningful (as every Polynesian tattoo should be), the choice to record a course seemed the right way to make it accessible to everyone.
Professional tattoo artists who want to add this style to their portfolio will most benefit from it, but anyone can learn regardless of their skills.
An in-person mentoring is the ultimate way to learn, but it takes a lot of time and a greater financial commitment.
A video course cuts down on both (how about less than 95 USD to learn drawing them?), while still delivering amazing quality.
And compared to books, it adds interactivity, and a community to turn to for any doubt.
When we had our course ready (POLYNESIAN TATTOOS 101), it was time to look for a platform to make it accessible.
Among the options we tested, Podia was the easiest to work with, and it makes also very easy for students to access all the contents from any device (even if we recommend a pc monitor not to loose the visual details).
By the way, if you are thinking of publishing a course, you can check their platform here: Podia
This fall they invited us to create a sponsored post with a Polynesian design around the Podia logo.
Let's see the meaning behind the design we created.
Very few times the path to knowledge is a straight line.
Te ara poutama is a Maori pattern that represents just that, with its zigzagging shape that shows the adjustments, turns, and corners inherent to it, flanked by shark teeth to symbolize adaptability and strength.
We also gave it a wave-like appearance to show the ups and downs that can be faced along the way.
The row of birds represents the voyage that takes the enata (person) in the lower left corner to the desired goal (the star) on the top right along the path to knowledge.
The fish hook is a symbol of prosperity and knowledge, and it's no surprise that these two meanings share a common symbol.
The path of Kamehameha laid along the path to knowledge represents a difficult track full of challenges, which finally leads to success (the sun) and freedom (the manta incorporating a Marquesan cross for balance).
The stepping stones along the bottom represent all the things learnt along the way, which become the base and foundation for a fulfilling life, while the hammerhead shark, octopus tentacle, and spearheads represent a warrior, tenacity and determination to face any challenge along the way.
And just when the path may seem harder, bringing us apparently back (the lower point in the path), the fighting spirit represented by the centipede gives us the push needed to go forward, making every following challenge smaller and smaller.
The molina motif represents a long voyage, while the fa'aanufe motif and the row of enata that we added along the path, all different, represent people from all walks of life taking the same path to knowledge to improve their lives, reaching a new start (the koru), a new prosperity (fish), and finally a higher perspective (the frigate bird) acquired thanks to the new knowledge.
With our course, we tried to make this path as straightforward as possible, ironing out as many turns and corners as we could, and we distilled the 20 years it cost us to go from this:
Here's the presentation of the course:
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Mixed Styles