Elias

What inspired your most recent tattoo?

The inspiration behind my most recent piece was space. Not just the galaxies and planets above us, but the spaces we explore everyday. We are the astronaut. I used to sit on my parents front porch with my husky Bullet, watching the sky, no job, no responsibilities, telling myself there is a whole world out there, I want to see it, I want to be apart of it. 20 years later I have explored more “space” than I could have imagined. I’ve lived in 6 states, and I’m not done yet!

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

If my ink could speak it would serve as narrator of my journey. My first tattoo is a wolf, my favorite animal for many reasons. The second, an S on my right wrist, depicts my birth name, I am a proud transman. Another tattoo, Spider-Man with a camera depicts my relativity and love for Spider-Man and Peter Parker, nerd turned hero, using loss, emotions, and a newfound identity for good. The ink that means the most right now, a soundwave within an arrow of my son laughing.

What would you do with the $25,000?

With $25,000 the first thing I would do is put something back for my kids. My son will be 8 this May and my daughter will be 1 in November. My spouse is active duty Navy so we’ve lived away from everyone including my son for about 2 years now. While his service is almost complete, everything that comes with being a service member and the spouse of one has taken its toll on us in many ways. I would use the remainder to assist us in securing our own home when we move back to OH.