Jen reached out to us after years of wanting this tattoo and not being able to find the words for it. What she wanted to express felt too large and too fundamental to fit into a short written description. That difficulty became part of the process itself, and over time, something began to take shape.

In our conversations, one text gradually emerged as the right foundation: בראשית ברא, Bereshit bara, “In beginning, [God] created.” Rather than using the full verse from Genesis 1:1, these two words captured what mattered most to her. They reflect an understanding of creation as an ongoing process, something that happens in moments of transition, in uncertainty, and in change.

A central part of the process was clarifying why this specific phrasing felt right. We explored different possibilities, from a single letter to the full opening passage of Genesis, and kept returning to the question of what was essential. Over time, it became clear that these two words held the balance she was looking for. They point toward creation without defining it too narrowly and allow space for interpretation.

For Jen, leaving out the word Elohim was significant. It keeps the phrase open and avoids fixing the meaning into a single defined image. Instead, it reflects her understanding of creation as something shared, continuous, and present both within the individual and beyond.

From there, Gabriel developed a visual concept based on the structure of the Hebrew letter bet. The design explores the idea of containment and emergence, a form that holds itself together while also opening upward. Within that movement, the letter bet appears clearly, referencing the origin point of the text and the idea of creation unfolding from within.

For Jen, the final piece reflects a process she had been engaged in for years, finding a way to give form to something that initially felt beyond language. It serves as a reminder that beginnings are not fixed moments, but something that continues to unfold. Creation is always happening.