Miguel Badillo

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

My final tattoo was born from two great loves: my reverence for elephants and the unshakable bond of family. Elephants, majestic and ancient in their wisdom, are symbols of loyalty and unity — they walk through life in close-knit herds, never abandoning their own, no matter the hardship. I carry my family with me — not just in memory, but in the marrow of who I am. They are part of every step I take, just as the elephant carries the weight of its lineage with grace and quiet strength

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

If my ink could speak, it would say, “I carry the weight of love that isn’t always easy. I hold the names, the fights, the silence, the laughter — all of it. I’m a reminder that even when life gets messy, you don’t walk away from your people. I’m not just art — I’m scars turned sacred, pain turned into promise. I stay, like they do. Like I always will.”

What would you do with the $25,000?

With $25,000, I would finally be able to lift a weight that’s been crushing me for years. I’ve been drowning in debt, to the point where bankruptcy has started to feel like my only option. This would give me something I haven’t felt in a long time: peace. The kind of peace where I could finally exhale without fear. I could lift my head, feel light again, maybe even smile — not the kind you wear to get through the day, but one that comes from a place of hope. A real one.