Rachel Banas

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

i have a tattoo that represents my dog and family. i grew up in a theater & my family did one musical together, where we were all involved. i have the lyrics from a song "you'll never walk alone" (forearm) with my dogs paw print in water color. the lyrics say "walk on thru the wind, walk on thru the rain, though your dreams may be tossed and blown, walk on with hope in your heart, and you never walk alone" it's something that helps keepme strong when it's dark & when

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

it would share a message, that everyone deserves a second chance, that no matter our past or mistakes, recovery is possible. that even those with the darkest history can have the brightest future. if i can make it, anyone can! we all have a past, we are capable of greatness inspite of all that. i want to inspire emotional responses from the art on my body. i want to make people think and have something to relate to. i want to help open a dialogue about my own experiences and stigma.

What would you do with the $25,000?

TRAVEL and work on my bucket list. I would love to do good along the way, & help raise awareness and end some stigma. but, first i would go to alaska! my grandparents always traveled, they told me so many stories of the places they would go. They loved the frontier land, i want to travel across Alaska, then go to Iceland. Any money left over would help me along my journey, and of course allow me to get more tattoos!