Lucy Smith’s tattoos showcase their personality. Claire Runkel.
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“Tattoo Tales” is a series in which The Butler Collegian speaks with a Butler community member about their tattoos and the stories behind them.
Lucy Smith is a sophomore in gender, sexuality, and anthropology and has been tattooing for just under two years. Every tattoo is a unique memory. Some of their nine tattoos have a special connection to family members or musicians.
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN – Can you tell us about the inspiration that led you to get tattoos?
LUCY SMITH: My brother, probably. Before I got my first, he got several. He actually went with me to get my first one, and it’s a matching one with him. So it’s special, but I just always liked how they look.
TBC: How many tattoos are you carrying?
LS: Nine.
TBC: What was the first one you had?
LS: I received two of them on the same day. I got “We’ll be alright” for Harry Styles and my matching [with my brother] Mac Miller from the K.I.D.S album.
TBC: Do your friends and family support your tattoos?
LS: I’d say yes. My mom still gives me the, “Are you sure you’re gonna want that on your body in 40 years?” but you know, I enjoy it at the moment. It is meaningful in the present. It is a good reminder of the past. So I’m never gonna look back on any of the tattoos and be like, “Oh, that’s absolutely foul.”
TBC: Could you list all your tattoos?
LS: I have “Divine Feminine” on the top of my back [and] My neck. On my right arm is a stamp with strawberries and poppies, and an eight for August, my birthday month. Then, I have “You are loving” in my dad’s handwriting from a note that he wrote me before I went off to college. I have two koi fish that represent perseverance, and they’re in the shape of the eating disorder recovery logo. On my left arm, I have my “We’ll be alright.”
My Mac Miller was then [the tattoo]Matching with my brother. I count 333 as my angel number. These are the strangest-looking sun and moon humans. [They] have feminine bodies but then the head and head of the moon. [On] My thigh [I have] another Mac Miller one for the song “Surf.” It’s a body with flowers growing out of it and a watering can. The lyrics are “There’s water in the flowers, let’s grow.”
TBC: What’s your most painful tattoo?
LS: Probably my 333 because they’re filled in. [It was painful] It was especially close to the ribs.
TBC: Do you have a favorite tattoo?
LS: I’d probably say my favorite is still my “K.I.D.S” one. It’s matching with my brother, it’s really sentimental and it was done really well.
TBC: What’s your most recent tattoo?
LS: I [recently] got the “Divine Feminine” on the back of my neck and my postage stamp on my right arm.
TBC: Is there a tattoo artist you are passionate about?
LS: Illinois has one. I don’t have one here at school. They’re called Blacksoul Ink. It’s Sneaky and Jessie. It’s an uncle-[and]-niece run-business. They’re both incredible; they’ve done over half my tattoos.
TBC: What are your plans for future tattoos in the near future?
LS: I really want to get one for my dog Mabel, but I’m not sure what yet. I don’t want it to be cheesy, but I want it to be sentimental.
TBC: Have you got any other thoughts about tattoos?
LS: I love tattoos. I’m also so glad that the workforce specifically is becoming a lot more lenient because it’s just another way to express yourself and art on a different canvas.
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