Dara Goldberg

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

I only have two tattoos but it was inspired by a dream I had of a cardinal blossoming from an iris. I decided to go a different direction with the memorial tattoo featuring male and female cardinals to represent the loss of my grandpa, mom, aunt and other loved ones.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

I think it would speak via soundtracks of tributes to each loved one who has passed. The opening song on this playlist would be a song my grandpa would sing to my grandma but as he started to lose his words and memory we sang to him. I have so much to write if I win I would for sure go into more detail about my life of loss, trauma and the deep invisible scars they have left. My stretch marks I consider being my wounds trying to escape me.

What would you do with the $25,000?

Should I win I would get my memorial tattoo fixed. Especially the clock which numbers are done incorrectly and is the most significant part of the memorial. I would get another tattoo and pay to have it be a triptic that when with my brothers who would be gifted tattoos would read as a story of our lives. I would also use some of the funds to get laser hair removal which is my biggest insecurity since childhood and would set aside remainder of funds to buy a place to permanently set roots.