Mikaila Dorn

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

In May, I unfortunately had to put mychildhood cat down. He was my soul animal. I've never been more connected with an animal than I was with him and I needed to immortalize him in memory. He helped me survive the abuse in my childhood and I genuinely wouldn't be here without him, so I got his paw prints tattooed on my collarbone so he is always with me.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

My ink would tell you about who I am as a person. It would tell you that I'm a survivor, but it would also tell you that I'm creative and impulsive. I jump at the opportunity to be spontaneous.

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would definitely start work on my back piece, but a majority of the money would go towards funding some of my education. My goal is to get a PhD in psychology and start changing the way the world views mental illness. I hope to one day own my own practice that approaches therapy as a conversation between friends, rather than a doctor and a patient. People are more likely to talk to someone if they feel the other person can relate and provide genuine insight into a problem.