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Elliot’s Serenity Prayer Tattoo Story

I got this tattoo in Casa Grande, Arizona. It is a tattoo of a prayer called “The Serenity Prayer.” The prayer reads as follows.. God grant me the serenity to accept the things i cannot change, the courage to change the things i can, and the wisdom to know the difference between the two. The name of the Shop is called Aces and Eights.

The motivation for me to get this tattoo was that i have had a problem with
drug addiction since i was about 16 yrs old. I pretty much was using cocaine about 4-5 times a week thru all 4 years of college. I managed to graduate from college (took me an extra year, so i graduated in 5 years)and all while being on a full athletic scholarship. My senior year with about 2 weeks left before winter break i got busted by campus security(luckily not police) and i od’ed and got kicked off campus and almost lost everything but i managed to work out a deal where if i could complete 60 days in a treatment center and then pass random drug tests and do outpatient 3 hours a week for rest of my senior year i would be able to stay in school and continue to play on the athletic team i was on.

Every day in treatment at least 3-4 times a day we had to recite that prayer and it just started to stick with me. I got the tattoo a week after i graduated and have been drug free since the day i got it. The tattoo stands for my sobriety and the commitment i have to myself and everyone that cares about me to stay that way.

- Elliot

Brittany’s Unbreakable Tattoo

A few months after I turned 18 I went with one of my friends when she got a tattoo. Looking back I probably should have waited to look around at other shops to get such a large piece on my back but, I got it and even with its flaws, I love it.

Up until I was 17 I suffered through sexual abuse when I was very young, never having a real father figure, finding a suicide victim when I was 12 (my step father), being prone to severe depression and when I was 17 losing my mom and big brother within two weeks of each other. Honestly, I dont like to lay it all out there but it needs to be known for the reasons of my tattoo. I got it to remind myself that no matter how hard a situation, I can get through it; no matter how much it seems like Im going to break, I wont.

Ive lead a hard life up until the age of 17 and Im not ’screwed up’ because of it. I managed to still have a pretty level head on my shoulders and not let hard things get in my way of living life. Unbreakable represents how I live. It represents everything Ive gone through and how I plan on living the rest of my life.

The word Unbreakable represents me. The cherry blossoms remind me to live life to the fullest and no regrets. Its on the back of my right shoulder, taking up basically the whole upper right section of my upper back. I plan to add more to it later on.

- Brittany

Asher’s Star Tattoo

When I was 13 I really started to have problems with depression and mood swings and I was diagnosed as being Manic-Bipolar. I started struggling with school and family and friends. In my freshman year in Highschool, I hit rock bottom and turned to cutting to help relieve the stress and pain I was feeling. No one seemed to understand so it became my own secret.

Over the years, I have been working on overcoming this choice or release. I needed to find something that would help me stay away from hurting myself. I started sketching and came up with this design. I chose the star design because of my love for celestial things and the colors are my favorite, red and black. I decided to put it on my left wrist because that was my arm that is the most scarred, that way I could look at it whenever I was feeling down or depressed.

The spiral stands for the path that I don’t want to go down again. To me, it’s a downward spiral that I’ve fallen down before and I know that I’m strong enough to handle my depression. So now, if I ever get the urge to hurt myself or I get really down, I can look at my wrist and know that I can over come it.

- Asher

Tattoo artist: “M” at Aftershock Tattoo in Olathe, KS

Dragonfly Tattoo with Tribal Markings

I have always been fond of Dragonflies ever since I was a child. their free spirited movements, lust for life and never-ending vast array of color and structure always mystified me.

A few years ago I experienced a life changing event and realized that unbeknownst to me, I truly was a dragonfly at heart. I decided to tribute this piece to myself and my new life. I am an emerging free spirit with a zest  for life and change.

The artist-ink pusher is Pike, and at the time he was at Shivas in Ybor City, Tampa FL.

Death Tattoo inspired by The Sandman

This lil ink blotch was probably around ten years in the making. It has been in my mind in some form for at least that long. About a year ago I decided to put things into motion and finally commit to getting it done.

I had originally intended to do the art myself but my once upon a time talent has over many years of neglect and un-use eroded away like a sand castle at high tide. I spent a few days doing very rough sketches and jotting down notes in the margins trying to get all the info from lo those many years onto the paper so I could hand it off to another more capable illustrator to bring to life.

I then put together a very short list of artists who had worked on The Sandman that I thought would be right for the job. I settled on Richard Case (remembered most for his classic run on Doom Patrol) for many reasons including a) He’s a super nice guy. b) He’s a fellow NCer. c) He worked on one of my fav arcs of Sandman. d) His style is very similar to where my own style was headed. and e) His art looked like it would translate well to being tattooed.

Rich took my sketches and notes and did an amazing job. There was very little that I asked him to change from his earliest sketches. I took his finished art and laid out the text in a graphics program myself.

Last but not least was the search for a Tattoo artist that I thought was good enough to do the work. No hacks for me, only true artists. My first choice fell through. He’s a busy, busy man. I settled on Sarah Peacock of Artfuel.inc studios in Wilmington, NC a lovely and talented British lady. She did a marvelous job, especially in helping me add a touch of color to the piece which I really wanted.

Eventually it will be a half sleeve but I’m still working on what I want as the background. Then I will book more time with Sarah. There is loads of symbolism packed into the design including a Blue Jay perched on the cross that is in memory of my Dad whose name was Jay. When Mom passes a Bumble Bee will be added to honor her, her name is Bea.

It’s all about the yin and yang of life and death, light and dark and how they balance and define each other. The Gaelic on the base of the cross is roughly translated as “My heart is within you”. All comments are welcome and appreciated.

Thanx.

Ivory

Design: Ivory, Richard Case
Tattoo Artist: Sarah Peacock, Artfuel.inc studios, Wilmington, NC