Describe the tattoo which you are most proud of (ex. color, shape, style, etc.):

Tribal black-line faerie wings on my entire back.

What does it signify?


Why did you choose to tattoo?

I had been wanting a tattoo of wings on my back since I was 18 but hadn't found the right style or artist for them.  It was a way to express myself in a very personal manner.  The tattoo you place on your body becomes a part of you for the rest of your life.  It moves when you move, ages as you age, gains more character over time.  For me, it is an expression of self, inner beauty, and freedom.  My father is partially Indonesian, so it is also a love for my heritage and history.  Historically, women were tattooed in Indonesia from a very young age.  They believed that a soul can only feel at home if the body is decorated with markings on the skin.  

How do you feel as a woman with a tattoos?

When I see a well done tattoo on a woman, it is beautiful, adding a little something extra to the way women shine.  It tells a story of who they are, their dreams and wishes.  It lets them communicate with the world around them without having to say a word.  I love that today women can display tattoos openly without nearly as much ridicule as in earlier times.  A tattoo today doesn't mean that you are a whore or slave, as it used to in many cultures.  It means she is free enough to have expressed herself through her skin.





Describe the tattoo which you are most proud of (ex. color, shape, style, etc.):

It's an Old School style skooner. I love Old School. I wanted a Sailor Jerry style boat, but the artist didn't want to copy another person's style. He just whipped this together on a spare sheet of paper and two hours later, it was done.

What does it signify?


Why did you choose to tattoo?

I've decided to start a half sleeve on my left arm. The sailboat tattoo is all by itself right now, but I'm going to add a ton to it. I like how it's popping out, though. All of the other tattoos I have are hiding. I have some on my wrists, one on my ankle, and another one on my back. That one is an Old School heart with a banner. The banner has "Tilly" written on it. Tilly was my favorite cat. She lived 18 years, and I loved her very much.

How do you feel as a woman with a tattoos?

I love love my them! I love my tattoos and I want more! I think they show a lot of someone's character. My parents were kind of disappointed when I got my first one. I was eighteen and I kind of did it just to be different. My family is totally used to them now, even though no one else in my family has them.

I think that at first, I only got tattoos to be different. Now I get tattoos because I honestly love them. I don't really care what others think about them, but I do feel more confident about myself now that I have them. I worked at Little Tijuana's in Minneapolis for a while, and I got a lot more tips when I showed off my tattoos. I'm very proud of every one I have, but I love my sailboat the best.



Describe the tattoo which you are most proud of (ex. color, shape, style, etc.):

A Scottish thistle with a banner running across the bottom. There's a very special date printed on the banner, too.

What does it signify?


Why did you choose to tattoo?

Because tattoos are very meaningful in my family. We are very much a tattoo family. My uncle is completely covered... like head to toe. Even my ultra conservative aunt got one! It's just totally normal for me. I wanted to remember my wedding, so I got a tattoo. No one in my family thought anything of it.

How do you feel as a woman with a tattoos?

I don't think it changes me as a person at all. I think that if you want to get a tattoo to change the way people look at you, then don't get one. My tattoo is special to me and reminds me of my husband. That's all I need.

It did make me feel pretty tough to get it, though. I just laughed the whole time. I thought the process tickled. After I got mine, my husband got his from the same artist. The tattoo guy said to my husband, "Okay, you better not make a sound cause your wife just took the whole thing laughing and smiling. You'll look like a sissy."




Describe the tattoo which you are most proud of (ex. color, shape, style, etc.):

A solid-black tattoo of my astrological sign, Pisces.

What does it signify?


Why did you choose to tattoo?

I wanted a tattoo I would not regret in old age. Of course I could not guarantee this would be the case, but I will always be born on March 6th and thus will always be a person who resides in that place in the sky where Pisces lives.

How do you feel as a woman with a tattoos?

I remember when I got this tattoo; I was so proud. I went with my friend; we both got tattoos for my birthday. We actually got them in the same room at the same time. It was actually kind of cool. I went to work and one of my co-workers looked at it and said, Isn't it kind of trashy being on your boob?" Trashy, heavens no, but maybe it was. I quickly discounted the boy 'not yet a man' for his haphazard comments. As a woman I felt empowered with my tattoo laden breast. It is a symbol of my own duality nestled on my bosom as if my child in need of nurturing. I will forever nurture this aspect of my life, and so my tattoo sits in an appropriate location- a place that helps to define my womanhood.




Describe the tattoo which you are most proud of (ex. color, shape, style, etc.):

It is the Chinese character for friend.

What does it signify?

It all started by turning 18, I wasn't one of those girls who broke the rules, in fact I never really went against the rules but in May of 2002 I was graduating high school in a few days. My best friends and I were eager at the prospect of finally getting out of high school and terrified of facing life without each other. We'd been friends since we were in early elementary school. We had each others back the whole way through middle school and high school. We were best friends, comrades, confidants, and everything else a best friend should be. But soon college and life would break us up so we decided to do something completely uncharacteristic of all of us, something that would bond us, and assure that we'd never forget how much our friendship did and would always mean to us, we got matching tattoos.

Why did you choose to tattoo?

For me the motive was doing something no one ever thought I'd do. I was tired of the mold I'd made myself in high school and this was my way of showing everyone they didn't know me as much as they thought.



How do you feel as a woman with a tattoos?

In the end I got the shock factor I was looking for from my classmates and when the back lash settled from the parents none of us regretted it. I wish I could say we were all friends and all as close as we used to be. That some how the tattoo really would be our symbol to stay friends for always, but life has other plans. But I don't regret getting the tattoo it still symbolizes a very important time in my life and reminds me of some great people, some great friends, and I wouldn't want to change anything about that.





Describe the tattoo which you are most proud of (ex. color, shape, style, etc.):

The tattoo that I am the most proud of is my turtle. I have a large turtle in the center of my back with a map of the world in the shell of the turtle.

What does it signify?

I had the design for my turtle in mind and had talked to a few different tattoo artists who said they couldn't do it, or that they had no interest in drawing a turtle with a map on it. I eventually found an artist to who agreed to do it. My turtle means different things to me. First off, I just love turtles. They are beautiful and prehistoric. I just find turtles fascinating. My family lives all over the world, mostly in Europe and I miss them a lot. My turtle reminds me that even though we are apart, we are really all together. Mostly though, my turtle is a daily reminder not to carry the weight of the world on my back. That is why it's on my back. I tend to have a personality that worries about things I have no control over and it's something I'm trying to work on.

My turtle is my favorite tattoo, but all of my tattoos are original and meaningful. I have 9 tattoos at this time, which is likely to change at any given time. I have my children's names on my lower leg from my knee to mt angle along with images of the meaning of their names. Rachel means "little lamb,"Ryan means "king," and Julia Rose means "youthful rose." I have my children on my right side and it is my children that hold me up every day. Just like my legs. Everything I do is for them. My children are my foundation and they keep me going every day. It seemed appropriate that my children be on my leg. Although my turtle is my favorite tattoo, my children are the most meaningful.

Why did you choose to tattoo?

For all of the above reasons. I always wanted this tattoo. I have several tattoos, all of which are originals that I had designed for me. Each tattoo has a meaning special to me and I love when people ask about them. It's a great conversation starter; shy people who would never otherwise open up seem to have no trouble talking about tattoos as a common connection.

How do you feel as a woman with a tattoos?

I think my tattoos show to the rest of the worlds that I don't need society to decide what is beautiful. I want to be different from everybody else. I don't want to be another cookie cutter version of what society tells me I should be. I will be my own person, I will have my own opinions and ideas, and I will decide what I will look like. It's very empowering to show the rest of the world that you are strong enough to beat your own drum.




Describe the tattoo which you are most proud of (ex. color, shape, style, etc.):

It's called a Norther Knot. It's in black. There's a circle in the center and sort of a four-pointed star intertwined with the center circle.

What does it signify?

The vikings used this symbol as an amulet to promote healthy relationships. The center circle represents me and the intertwining star is all of the relationships in my life. It has extra meaning for me because I am Norwegian, like the vikings.

Why did you choose to tattoo?

I guess it's a way of carrying a piece of art around with me, as a reminder that all of the lives around me are connected to me. I think that tattoos are beautiful and can mean so many things to the person who has them. Not to mention the artist who actually applies the ink. And they don't go away. No matter how fickle or impulsive you are. So in a way, my tattoos are like a catalog. Some I'm proud of; some I'm not so proud of. But they are all a part of me. I'm a photographer, and in my profession, it's all about capturing a single moment and preserving it. My tattoos are moments of my life; my state of mind, my beliefs, my focus. And they're all there. In a little catalog for others to see and for me to remember.

How do you feel as a woman with a tattoos?

For the most part, I'm just damn proud. I'm tough. I'm daring. I don't scare easily. I don't subscribe to everyone's standard of "normal."