Gordy Cucullu

What inspired your most recent tattoo?

I wanted a tattoo that would remind me not to be anxious, so I got two birds flying opposite one another on my torso. They are on a circular plane and diagonal from one another playing off of the yin yang. They are a swallow and a hummingbird because of the verse in the Bible that says to look at the birds of the air and how much more valuable to God we are than they. The swallow is because of their grace in flight and the hummingbird because of how still they can be, despite moving so quickly.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

Some of my ink speaks of those close to me who have passed, others show the different paths of wisdom and folly one can take, some speaks of my own wondering down those different paths. It tells the story of how I have tried to figure out who I am, it tells you about my encounters with death and how I have been made new. While each tattoo captures a different aspect of my life, together they harmonize to sing about who I am and where I have come from.

What would you do with the $25,000?

With the $25,000 I would like to make a down payment on a house with as many rooms as possible so that I could help homeless people in the area who want help with a place to stay as they began their path to recovery. The current homeless situation is really difficult to navigate and having money seems like a way to bypass the complicated systems and get people immediate help so we can address larger underlying issues.