By Marlon Villa
Tattoos are a way of expressing yourself. For some, they might hold deeper meaning, but that doesn’t always have to be the case.
At the age of 19, I got my first tattoo as a way to prove to myself that I could make decisions without looking back.
My first tattoo was the moon and the sun combined together which for me represents the aspect of my personality that is always searching for the bright side within dark situations.
When reflecting on my preferred style, I’ll always recall Johnny Depp speaking about his tattoos in an interview a couple years back, stating how his tattoos are like journal entries about his life. This is one of the reasons I was inspired to go with the patch work style myself.
A way of remembering moments in my life is how I’ve started to see my tattoos and I’ll attribute them to the things I was feeling when I got them.
What’s interesting about tattoos is that a lot of people could have the same one, but the story behind it could be completely different.
Another one of my tattoos is two hands reaching toward each other. Many associate it with religion, but to me the meaning represents me reaching for my grandpa’s hand, as I would always reach out and hold it for a few seconds.
As the years go by and you are faced with different experiences, you could always add different meanings to your tattoos.
I have a swallow bird tattoo that I had originally I got because I thought it looked cool, but as the years have passed by, I now see this tattoo as a reflection toward me always being there to protect the people I care about.
My most recent tattoo is a unique design that incorporates geometric art aspects and depicts the Greek god Atlas holding up the earth.
My most recent tattoo, atlas holding the world with aspects of geometry added to it. Photo credit: Marlon Villa
This is another tattoo that over time, I’ve been able to add my own meaning to. I see it as a display for the deeper message that no matter what weight you might be carrying on your shoulders, you’ll always have the strength to keep moving forward.
Three years after getting my first tattoo, there are absolutely none that I regret. They bring something special to my character, causing me to grow to love them more each and every day.
