Amy DeLira

What inspired your most recent tattoo?

My most recent tattoo is a fusion of two milestones: the African Adinkra symbol for leadership, and the words “Ashe Elle,” meaning “Grateful Six” in the Maa language of the Maasai people. I got it while in Kenya, celebrating two major life events—earning my Master’s in Transformative Leadership and reaching six years in recovery. “Ashe Elle” was a gift from the Maasai community I connected with during my visit.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

If my ink could speak, it would say: She turned her pain into power. One arm, black and gray, tells of my first year in sobriety—shadowed, raw, and necessary. The other bursts with color, a celebration of my spiritual awakening and the vibrant life that followed. Together, they swirl across my chest—dark and light dancing as equals, showing that healing holds both. If my ink could speak, it would say: She lived. Fully. Fiercely. And she walked through fire to meet her purpose.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would expand The Mothership, a free healing workshop series I founded to nurture women through community, recovery, and leadership via movement, music, nature, and story. This funding would help me develop a shareable manual, bring workshops to new communities, and deepen the impact of this work rooted in love, belonging, and transformative care.