Cindy Martinez

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

I had a falling out with my kids and recently reconnected with my eldest daughter but it took a lot after everything I put them through. I lost custody of my kids in 2017 because I was severely depressed after the suicide of my brother. Which bright me to commit suicide by fire. It was a long road filled with being disowned, living in a nursing home, becoming a heroin addict, becoming homeless and losing all hope. Then I was given another chance…

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

I think the ink that I lost in the fire would probably speak loudest, but my ink now would tell you different things. My first ink would tell you that the person that got them at that time was young, naive and inexperienced. My ink that I got when I became a mother would tell you that I’m even more loving and nurturing mother. And my most recent ink would tell you my story is still unfolding.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I want ink everywhere that I don’t have skin grafts because I know it’s not recommended to get ink on them. Since my canvas is now limited since I’m 33% skin grafts, I would use the $25,000 to tell my story through art.