Alberto’s Phoenix Tattoo Story
The story goes that when a phoenix dies, it falls into ashes, and from the ashes it is reborn. The reason why i got my phoenix tattoo was because i always was someone else, and not being my true self. Well my previous life has died, that chapter of me no longer exists, and the new me (the pheonix) is the new chapter of my life.
-Alberto
More Phoenix Tattoos
More Tattoos on Shoulders
The flower tattoo on my shoulder is a lilly/orchid hybrid designed for me by a friend at work 7 years ago. I handed her pictures of 3 flowers, and she amalgamated 2 of them into a great design. My artist from Club Tattoo 1, in Tempe, Arizona made the tattoo even better than the original with the coloring and the shading. I’ve worked on saving up for this tattoo for 7 years, and it was worth the wait.
-Robynn
Done by Denise from CT1
This is my second tattoo. I got it on April 9th, 2006. It is the Japanese Character for “adopt” or “foster” I am adopted, have known that since birth. My dog’s name is Foster, named partly after Jodie Foster and partly because, like my folks, I took him in.
I moved to Japan in 2001 and studied Japanese for 1.5 years, so I have a basic knowledge of the language. I despise people who get Asian characters but have never studied the language. I choose red for China, where I am living now. In Chinese, the character is close to what one would use for ADOPT as well, but they use one more character.
- Tanya
BlackWork Shoulder and Face Tattoo
The first tattoo was a present 4 myself on my 19th birthday, the second one just now.
I have a hobby since I was 17 years old, its aggressive inline. I’ve got my favorite skate producing company- Salomon, and i was riding with them some years. So I designed my salomon skate as a tribal tattoo, cuz I knew, even if i don’t skate some day, its been a big part of my life, and is worth to be inked on my body, cuz I love this art.
My favorites are especially tribal tattoos, so next one is just a piece of art with no meaning or story under it, except that the idea of it came out pretty silly. I had 2 scars on my eyebrow from piercings done. I loved them, but the 1st one I ‘knocked out’ by falling down on it while skating, the second just came out 
and so- if I can’t pierce this eyebrow anymore, I thought I could tattoo the scars over (cuz many people do that on their scars). It was a joke at first, but as I loved this art even more, I just felt I needed a tattoo on my face :] I’m now a month happy with it and yeah- the scar on the eyebrow was most painful when tattooed :/
-Anna
Designed by: Anna
Inked by: Vadim – Vadim Tattoo (Latvia)
I just turned 38 this April and wanted a present that was something that would be more than an average birthday gift. I felt I needed something that made my mark, and that mark had to be ink. I have been wanting a tattoo for a long time but didn’t want anything that someone else had. I needed something that was me. The reason I wanted a tat in the first place was because I love to write and felt the ink in my tattoo would be a representation of that.
I write poetry and feel that my words are forever a statement of who I am. My life, thoughts, feelings get thrown into the world and won’t be removed. So my tattoo if you look at it closely is two quills. The words “Poet Speak” is the title of one of my poems that I feel explains why I write. My favorite poet made the design for me which makes it even better. I have my permanent “River of Ink” added to my body.
-Nae
I am a female to male transsexual who has gotten sex reassignment surgery and have been on hormone replacement therapy for the past 2 years. Not only have I physically evolved, I feel as though I have experienced an emotional and intellectual transformation as well. I continue to find ways to grow as a human being through lessons I learned during my transition that pervades every aspect of my life.
I have been very active in LGBT activism and Transgender awareness in the past few years and have come across some extremely ignorant people. “Evolve.” is what I would like to say to them. The word is as much symbolic as it is a command for society as a whole to evolve into a more progressive and tolerant mindset.
-Eddie
I guess I’m a bit of a tree hugger. I’m worried about the destruction of the rain forest and wanted to show my concern and raise awareness of the problem. Maybe it sounds a little corny but that’s my story.
-Jess
This tattoo is in memory of my past as a whole and has been a work in progress – the tigerlily was my mothers favorite flower, the garland surrounding it from the pattern in my father’s baby ring – the writing says “strength, courage, wisdom, faith” – which has been my mantra for survival.
-Bobbi
