Willy Bearden

Connect What inspired your most recent tattoo?

Two grizzly bears, growling at each other on my inner right bicep. They’re me and my twin brother—spirit animals with bad tempers and worse decision-making. We grew up like a backyard WWE match—always fighting, always laughing, occasionally breaking furniture. We’re cut from the same cloth, just stitched in different directions. He’s the calm to my storm, I’m the storm to his calm… and sometimes we’re just two storms in the same kitchen. But when

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

If my ink could speak, it would roar like a Viking war cry and whisper like waves over a shipwreck. It would tell stories of my ancestors—Swedish and Dutch warriors who braved oceans and storms. It would speak of survival, strength, and love—every fish a family member, every line a scar, every wave a chapter. The lighthouse is my hope. The armor on my right shoulder? That’s for the battles I haven’t faced yet.

What would you do with the $25,000?

If I won the $25K, I’d invest it into building my production company, 16 Cent Studios—named after the lowest point in my life when I had just sixteen cents to my name. I’d use it to create raw, real content that tells stories of resilience, recovery, and brotherhood—especially for first responders and veterans. And yeah, I might finally finish my sleeve… but only after I build something that lasts longer than ink.