inked stories
This is a collection of narratives gathered from people who use their skin as a canvas. I am fascinated by the stories behind tattoos, whether it be a simple joke or a deep revelation or a tribute to a loved one…these stories mattered enough to be worn permanently and I believe that matter enough to be shared…
Ashley Fry //
“No group development game or intricate activity has to be meticulously conjured up by The Wilderness to bring out our true nature, it happens naturally as you throw people out into it and to be able to be a part of that is one of the most special things in my life. The wilderness, whether looming or unassuming, is inspirational in the way that it takes all the comforts away from a person and what's left is our basic instincts and character, sometimes selfless and other times selfish. The way those visceral reactions to conditions outside our norm or status quo present themselves and what we do with them is what is intriguing to me. Further, each landscape brings about different hardships and lessons of introspection. Will you freeze your fingers to numbness on the South Rim in Big Bend to make dinner after an exhausting peak hike with a 50lb pack? Or endure a second water dromedary that your mate can’t handle anymore while hiking up never ending rain in the Guadalupe Mountains? Or will you only try to catch a bit more sleep and pretend not to notice while your tent mates get flooded on the other side of the tent in the Pecos Wilderness? Where is your line? What landscape brings out the best and worst? What will you do with that knowledge of yourself? The landscape on my arm is a momento to The Wilderness, valuable lessons learned, and ones that have yet to be.” - Ashley Fry
Hayley Prine //
“The Pecos taught me of: true beauty, perspective, eternity, observation, strength...Exodus 21:5, I’ve chosen my master” - Hayley Prine
Anthony Carrillo //
“The rose on my arm is from the musical The Phantom of the Opera, in the musical (and more specifically the movie adaptation) the rose with a black ribbon is what the phantom uses as a memento for his love interest. It’s how she knows it’s from him specially. It’s a way he expresses his love for her without saying anything. So I got it because I thought the imagery was not only beautiful but fitting as a tattoo. I could express my love for something without saying anything at all.
Then the two tattoos on the back of my arms are for my wonderful, beautiful sisters. I got two hands holding each of their birth flowers respectively, with their birthdays. Notably, their birthdays are written without spaces or slashes, and in a font typically associated with addresses because home is where the heart is and all that jazz.” - Anthony Carrillo
Tylor Masor //
“(Fun): I went to a party at SDSU, I woke up and all my friends were laughing- they tattooed my finger while I was blacked out. (Rose): I was feeling spontaneous that day, my roommate, Brent dared me to do something I had always wanted to do, so I took a dab and went and got the tattoo I had wanted for over a year”
- Tylor Masor
Shiloh Fox //
“So the 12:12 stands for Romans 12:12, which says “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” I used to live overseas and things were a bit crazy, so I tried to keep it written on my wrist as a daily reminder. Because God really is constant and true. I made a bet with my dad that I wouldn’t get a tattoo, so I wrote it on my wrist almost every for 4 years. But then last Christmas he surprised me and took me to get it tattooed. What makes it special is that it’s in my handwriting. And since I wrote it on there for so long, it immediately felt normal to have there almost every day.” - Shiloh Fox
Amber Philipp //
“My tattoos are reminders. Lessons that are not to be forgotten and tributes to past times. Now i may or may not want these memories to be a visible part of me, but i had once decided all of them sacred enough to have on my body permanently. My tattoos are reminders of my journey, my ignorance, my passion, and my story.
Ankles: Walk with grace/abroad, but not by sight.
Centipede: do not act out of fear
Arrow: to keep a free spirit asserted and grounded
Fern: abiding with God is not restricted to a certain place
Iceberg: there is always more
Rune: breath, learning wisdom
Dot+Arrow: searching for, journey to” - Amber Philipp
(to be continued…)
