Paula Mallen

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

My most recent tattoo is on my left ring finger—a yin and yang symbol that mirrors the one my wife wears. We got them in 2023, the year we married. Instead of traditional rings, we chose something permanent, etched into our skin. Yin and yang represent balance: light and dark, strength and softness, individual and union. It felt like the perfect symbol for our unity and how we complete each other not by being the same, but by embracing each other’s differences.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

If my ink could speak, it would whisper stories too sacred for memory alone. It would tell you where I’ve been—every heartbreak, healing, and quiet triumph etched in lines and color. Pooh on my thigh would giggle softly, reminding me not to take life too seriously—to chase sweetness, even in sorrow. The ring on my finger would hum with devotion, echoing the steady rhythm of love chosen, not just felt. Each tattoo would be a voice in my chorus, harmonizing the contradictions: st

What would you do with the $25,000?

That’s the sweet spot right there—meaningful and sweet. After paying debts. 1. A trip with a story. Take your partner on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Somewhere that’s always been on your “one day” list—like Greece, Iceland, or a quiet mountain cabin. Make it about experience, not just luxury. Rent a car, get lost on purpose, collect stories. Book sessions with your favorite tattoo artists across the country. Each tattoo tells a story.