Jimmy Malta

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

My most recent tattoo is a yellow and red American traditional style hibiscus flower. My family drove to Florida every year for spring break where we would visit grandparents and friends who had moved. The car ride was long, ranging from 22 to 28 hours; everyone was exhausted by the time of arrival. The hibiscus flowers I saw growing prolifically in Florida always made me feel like I was somewhere very far from home and I loved seeing my favorite yellow color all over the environment.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

I’d like to think that my ink would tell me to be kinder to myself and to experience life fully in old ways and new. Most of my tattoos are themed around my own struggles with mental fitness and remind me to revisit what that strife has numbed and hidden away from me. My right side has black ink while my left side has color, showing visually the intense split I feel at times. I’m open to some color on my right side to remind me that there’s light in the dark.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would put the $25,000 towards a down payment on a home. Houses are becoming evermore expensive and I’d love to get closer to owning my own home.