“My body is my journal and my tattoos are my story.” – Johnny Depp
What’s in a tattoo?
This was my question when I thought of shooting an editorial on people with tattoos that tell their story, for a magazine back in 2010. The shoot and story did not push through, and to this day I still long to make it a reality.
I have always been drawn to people with tattoos, not just because they look good, but also because – for me – tattoos are silent stories. One has to look closer, ask questions, dig deeper to understand why they are there on someone’s skin – for good.
(I acknowledge, though, that there may be tattoos that are there just because; that there is no “deep” reason why they are there, and that is perfectly fine. To each his own.)
I got my first tattoo in 2008, a butterfly on my right lower back, from Ricky Sta. Ana. It was a tribute tattoo to my dad, who passed away in 2001. It took me years to decide to get a tattoo and the design I wanted it to have, before I walked into Ricky’s Quezon City studio one cool Tuesday evening.
“Was it painful?” Friends would ask later on. “Yes,” I would answer, “like your flesh is being sliced while you are alive.”
“But it was nothing,” I would add, “because I did it for my dad.”
Whether they understood or believed, I really didn’t care. I never walked around showing my tattoo off. It was there for me, a mark of my dad on me. I felt complete to have it, and I would not have had it any other way.
I got my next three tattoos in 2014, from Sushi Doll a.k.a. Joanna Lytal. Two of them were the words “Love” on my left wrist and “Live” on my right wrist, perfectly visible to me. They were reminders to Self, so I would not forget to love myself and to really live each day of my life.
Are they unique? No, not really. I have seen several people have the same tattoos, too. But does it matter? No, not really. What matters is when I hit a low point, I see them and I am reminded to send kindness my way, something I easily forget.
This 2016, after a tough 2015 and an even tougher start to the year, I decided to have my butterfly covered up, by Minnehaha Calleja of Good Hand Tattoo. I had gone full circle and felt that I am over that part of my life. This new tattoo is still in progress, but I love it already.
I asked my friends to tell me the story behind their tattoos. Here is what they shared:
Happy Andrada, designer
Her tattoo: A pin-up girl
Studio: P&P Tattoo
“It means everything to me. It reminds me of girl power and strength. I get my strength from my mom, she’s my role model.”
Laszlo Lim, marketer and strategist
His tattoo: His daughter Luthien’s name and a Tolkien feather
Artist: Dyun Depasupil
“Tattoos have always been personal for me. Some are just designs that I like, while others bear more meaning. These two in the image are because of my love for Tolkien, but the script also represents my daughter.”
Iya Consengco, model and vlogger
Her tattoo: A stylized cross on her right arm with a rose in the middle
Artist: Emao Clemen, P&P Tattoo
“It is a memorial tattoo for my grandmother who passed away. When I finally got the tattoo done, it was a way for me to finally deal with the grief. It makes me feel strong that I always have a reminder of all of the memories I had with her.”
Abbie Remo, PR and communications practitioner
Her tattoo: The sun and a star kissing Artist: Ricky Sta. Ana
“My tattoo means ‘I will miss you forever’ – like the stars miss the sun in the morning sky.”
Joel Varias, communications and language trainer
His tattoo: the medallion and prayer of St. Benedict Studio: Island Tattoo
“I got this tattoo to keep me safe from bad vibes and to keep me safe while travelling. All my tattoos are biblical because I was in the seminary for seven years.”
Geoff Dizon, creative director
His tattoo: Words on both arms – “justified. sanctified. saved.” (right arm) and “chosen. redeemed. sealed.” (left arm)
Artist: Kenneth Iwarat “My tattoos are faith-related, things Jesus did for me.”
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