I dont have a tattoo, but Ive always been curious aboutgetting one.
Is this what it should be?
I always want to ask,What motivated you?
Cristina Cianci
So, I asked.
The storieslike the tattoos themselvesare all different and beautiful.
I love being an EMT more than I ever thought it was physically possible to love something.
Tristen L., 18
I got my tattoo on my 18th birthday.
My tattoo is a liona male lion, even though I’m female.
I felt that a lion would help represent that inner beast.
Taylor M., 23
I got this tattoo when I was 19.
Its a word in Serbian, pronounced otporna.
It translates to hard to break, bulletproof, or resilient.
Molly S., 18
When I was 16 years old, I was hospitalized for suicidal ideation.
I felt hopeless, lost, and completely unsure of why I was put on this earth.
It was an extremely difficult and dark time in my life.
Immediately following my three-week hospitalization, I enrolled in a wilderness therapy program located in southern Idaho.
As time went on, I grew and flourished just like the sage brushes.
I began to fall back in love with life and living.
I began to see myself not as another broken teenage girl, but a symbol of strength and resilience.
My tattoo is small, but its meaning is huge.
I don’t have to hide anymore!
The longer I have my tattoo, the more I fall in love with it.
If you’re nervous about getting a tattoo, remember that it’s just another way of expressing yourself.
Don’t let fear hold you back.
I was 19 when I got it.
Growing up, I moved a lot.
I never really knew where my home was, but I yearned for a place to call my own.
by an ambulance to immediately have a titanium rod and three screws placed in my bone.
My confidence lowered substantially.
This is when I went on my journey to find my tattoo artist.
I told him my story, and we now have a bond like no other.
I decided to go with flowers not only because they are beautiful, but because they grow.
And I’ve bloomed.
I love my leg SO much now!
I have confidence and most importantly, I’m here today to tell my story.
Pauline W., 20
I was the captain of my high schools dance team.
At our nationals competition, I felt a terrible pain in my back during one of our numbers.
After we finished the routine, I collapsed while walking off the stage.
Then, I blacked out.
I ended up having a spinal injury that immobilized me for last four months of my senior year.
I was in constant pain, and after having a spinal tap, it only got worse.
Doctors thought I had ALS orMS.
I was scared and lonely, and felt as though no one understood what I was going through.
He never left my side.
He would snuggle me during my naps and licked my back and legs like he knew what was wrong.
He made me feel not lonely.
He and my family made me feel loved.
Watching him grow and me slowly being able to walk again gave me power.
I started to feel in control of my life.
We take care of each other, and I wouldnt change anything that happened.
All the sadness I felt and confusion I had was gone the moment he came into my life.
On Friday the 13th this year, I decided to engrave my best pal on my left shoulder.
He is looking up at me like he always doesready for anything.
Sorry Charlie Brown… Snoopy is mine!
Now, I feel like my chest piece was a small sign of what was to come.
Unfortunately, a few weeks later, things took a turn.
I found out I was having an ectopic pregnancy, and I would be losing my little one.
Both of these tattoos will always have a huge spot in my heart.
Seeing them every day gives me hope for the future and a reason to smile.
It shows tropical storm Allison hitting Houston and the Texas coast.
I got it when I was 27, but I had the idea for a few years.
It was my first tattoo.
Brooke L., 21
I got my first tattoo when I was 19.
Its the symbol formindfulnesscreated by a Lithuanian graphic artist.
After some reading, I found the symbol.
I instantly decided to get it tattooed.
I think I went and had it done a couple weeks after that.
Shes my role model.
Destiny F.,18
I got my tattoo about three months after my 18th birthday.
The tattoo is a black and red feather with a stream of birds, mostly black and one red.
The color red symbolizes my best friend.
I was the only one to graduate high school.
How do I feel about it?
I thought a lot about it before I got it.
Read articles about artists, shops, placement techniques, everything I could.
I’m extremely pleased with how it came out.
Shelby S., 25
My tattoo is in memory of my dad.
He passed away on Fathers Day two years ago.
He loved it, but after he died I made a few changes.
My tattoo is a very large skull because my dad loved them and had them tattooed on him.
He drew the cross himself before he passed.
Its incomplete, but I plan to finish it soon.
Lucia L., 18
I got my first tattoo just a few months ago.
Its a beautiful cobra outline.
I love the history of cobras, how their image protected the pharaohs in ancient Egypt.
A few years ago, I was in an unhealthy relationship.
He asked me if he could give me a tattoo, and I said yes.
It can get you into things that will be challenging to stop.
But love can sometimes get you out.
I play the violin, but recently, Ive been having problems playing because ofrheumatoid arthritisin my fingers.
It helps me push through any difficulties I face when practicing.
Rachel B., 33
My 11th tattoo is of a soup can, Andy Warhol-inspired.
But the true meaning behind my soup can goes beyond my love for art.
I really was confused and wondered if she had been putting soup in my cheesecake.
But I did what she said and never questioned it, hoping this wasnt a secret ingredient.
But, no, Grandma had to do it her way.
Then, one of my students suggested I put Grandmas Secret on the tattoo instead of Campbells Soup.
It was a done deal!
Morgan M., 16
My tattoo was is the first and only tattoo I’ve ever gotten.
I got it when I turned 16, on my birthday.
It is a tribute to my great-great-grandmother who is Cherokee.
All the people in my family on my mother’s side who are Cherokee have this tattoo.
I love my tattooI wouldn’t feel like me without it.
These quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity.
