Personal and Permanent: Hamline through Tattoos

by Sabrina Merritt

As more and more young people are allowing their skin to double as canvas, the culture around tattoos is changing rapidly. And of course the Hamline community are at the forefront of this ink movement.

From cultural roots to creative expression, humans have been tattooing skin for a very long time. According to the McGill University article “What is The History of Tattoos,” tattooing practices have appeared in just about every human culture in historic times. A long way from traditional application styles involving tapping ink into the skin through the use of sharp sticks or bones, modern electric tattoo machines deliver pigment through needles that move 50 to 3000 vibrations per minute. While some industries are more tattoo-friendly than others, a growing number of individuals are entering the workforce holding résumés with ink-covered arms. That holds true on Hamline’s campus. Students senior Lucy/Luca Fisk (she/her/hers or he/him/his), sophomore Emily Hilderbrand (she/her/hers or they/them/theirs), and senior Molly Landeta (she/her/hers) and Untold’s own advisor and Assistant Professor Jen England (she/her/hers) are sharing their stories of the permanent and personal art on their bodies.

Who, or what, was your first exposure to tattoos? Were tattoos stigmatized when you were growing up?

Lucy/Luca: My mother had given herself tattoos when she was in college, the word “love” on her arm and a heart with an arrow shot through it. They are light green and barely visible, but as a kid I liked looking at them.

Emily: I don’t know what my first exposure to tattoos were, I think I just always knew about them. In my household growing up, my parents were always anti-tattoo. Like, “no one in this house can get tattoos until they’re 60 and they’re bad, and they’re on their body forever and they’re bad!” And I don’t know when their attitude on that changed as I got older...from there they relaxed their view on tattoos quite a bit.

Molly: My situation is kind of weird because while I grew up around tattoos, my dad has a bunch of big pieces, but I also grew up with the stigma that I wasn’t supposed to get them. It wasn’t explicitly said...but some of my other immediate and extended family were not super into tattoos. They have since warmed up to them (more as a “as long as it’s not in my face” kind of deal), but it definitely came from some deeply imbedded misogyny since it was okay for my dad but not for me, a girl.

Was there a particular catalyst for getting (a) tattoo(s)? Or was this something you always knew you wanted?

Lucy/Luca: I got my first tattoo with my best friend, it’s black line art of two cherries on a stem. It wasn’t really spur of the moment because I had bought some temporary tattoos and had been working myself up to get one.

Emily: It was something I wanted to do

right about as I turned 18, because I just thought it would be a good exercise for me. I say it would be a good exercise, I mean that it would be a good exercise in kind of loving and seeing my body as a piece of art that can hold something cool and meaningful to me.

Jen: The earliest I remember wanting a tattoo is 13. I didn’t buy the demonizing arguments about tattoos. But I also knew that the sky would rain blood before my parents would let me get one. So I waited until I turned 18 before disappointing them.

Prior to getting your tattoo(s), did you worry about negative reactions from family members, or friends or employers?

Lucy/Luca: The tattoos I have are purposely easy to hide because in my field (STEM) tattoos are seen as undesirable. Otherwise my partner is afraid of snakes [one of Lucy/ Luca’s tattoos], so he squirms a little if he looks at my other tattoo but it’s in good humor.

Emily: I did! I did worry about having negative reactions from my friends because I got my first tattoo when I was 18 and I still had a semester and a half left of high school. And I was definitely worried about what people would say about being a high schooler who got a tattoo, even though it wasn’t a huge tattoo.

Molly: I did worry a bit about my family, but by the time I knew I was ready for a tattoo, I knew I was ready to defend myself, if necessary. My older sibling had already gotten some, which helped my case, and like I said my dad has a bunch... So I knew it would be okay. Jen: I knew my parents would be pissed, and they were. My friends were supportive of my choice to do what I want with my body. In fact, several of my tattoos are designed or picked out by friends. Was I worried about employers? Honestly, yes. But I decided early on that if having tattoos is the thing that prevents someone from hiring me then I don’t want to work for them.

How many tattoos do you have? Do you have favorites?

Lucy/Luca: I have two but I have another one planned. The other one besides the cherries is a full color illustration on my ribcage. I guess that is my favorite, because it was like a full-year process. Honestly though tattoos become a part of you, I don’t think I notice it anymore than a mole on my skin at this point.

Molly: I have one professional tattoo and five stick-and-pokes. The sun on the back of my neck is probably my favorite because it’s so sneaky. I have to wear the right shirt and the right hairstyle to show it off, which makes it extra special.

Jen: I have 14. The two on my upper arms are favorites because they’re a bit more meaningful, but I also love the one on my neck because I think it’s hilarious in a millenial dark humor kind of way.

What is a meaning or story of one of your tattoos, particularly of one of your favorites?

Emily: I have a tiny, tiny equal sign on my finger. That’s for LGBTQ rights. That was prompted for me to get that tattoo after I led a walk-out for LGBTQ rights at my high school...That event empowered me to continue doing activism work….[the tattoo] is a reminder that me, as a queer person, I’m equal to other people.

Molly: My “GRL PWR” tattoo has a lot of significance for me. Part of it is simply the message behind it, because I’ve spent my whole life fighting to be a powerful woman, and because of it’s placement. It’s on my upper thigh, where I have scars and stretch marks, both things that have made me the woman I am today. It’s private, and it’s just for me to look at. It empowers me every time I see it.

Jen: My mid-20s were rough mental health-wise. I spent the better part of a year quite literally fighting to survive. When I finally got help (thanks to some amazing friends) and started working on recovery I “treated” myself to a tattoo. It’s based on a Nietzsche quote roughly translated to “... throw roses into the abyss and say: ‘here is my thanks to the monster who didn’t succeed in swallowing me alive.” It’s my permanent reminder of overcoming.

Do you have any ideas about your next tattoo?

Lucy/Luca: I want to get a black line art piece of an armadillo being hoisted by balloons that are tied around its torso. Pretty whimsical, I guess. Emily: For my next tattoo, I want to do a circle of flowers up here on my other forearm. I want it to have a lyric from a hymn that I heard that really impacted me once. It’s Draw the Circle Wide, and on the inside I’d like the line “draw it wider still”. It’s a reminder to always be welcoming people in and to include other people.

Molly: My next tattoo is either going to be a baby mangrove tree, which I planted while doing my study abroad in Thailand, or the outline of a cute picture of my dad and I walking on the beach.

Jen: I have TOO MANY ideas. The majority of ideas are for another Stephen Kingrelated tattoo, either Misery or The Stand. But I also want a tattoo of my dog Charlie. Because she’s an angel and deserves to be immortalized on my body.

*Photos of tattoos courtesy of interviewees