Steve: Do you have tattoos?
Alana: Yes, four at the moment.
Steve: What are your four tattoos of?
Alana: Two different butterfly tattoos on my wrist, a cross on my upper arm, and a rose heart with a hummingbird on my shoulder blade.
Steve: What do those four tattoos symbolize?
Alana: The tattoo on my shoulder blade is a memorial for my mother. It also represents my brothers’ family as well as my own. The cross helps me stay connected to God. The first butterfly, which is made up of a cross, reminds me that every day is a new chance to make my life better. The second butterfly tattoo, which is a made of a semicolon, is a reminder that God isn’t done with me. Even after several suicide attempts and my self-destructive ways when I was younger.
Steve: What made you want to get tattooed?
Alana: A group of my friends were getting tattoos and during that time, they talked me into getting one too. Then I became addicted.
Steve: What was the pain like?
Alana: The very first tattoo that I ever got, which was covered up by the cross, hurt the most but not from the process of the tattooing itself, as that pain came from passing out afterwards and that led to a concussion. The one my shoulder blade probably hurt the most as far as actual tattooing. That one is close to my spine. As for the other two tattoos, I didn’t feel any pain at all.
Steve: Any other tattoos that you want to get in the future?
Alana: Yes, three ideas at the moment.
Steve: Which ideas are those?
Alana: 1. A set of three arrows that say, “Follow your arrow”, 2. Flowers and butterflies to cover up a scar, and 3. A charm anklet with a heart, anchor, cross, and awareness ribbon on it.
Steve: Any advice for people who want to get tattooed?
Alana: Be sure it’s a design that you really like and eat before you get a tattoo.
Steve: Did getting tattooed have an emotional or psychological impact on you?
Alana: To me, tattoos are a way to express myself, thoughts that are always on my mind, and thoughts that I can’t always express on paper in the form of poetry and/or words. They give me a sense of peace. And since they give me peace, they have both an emotional and psychological impact on me.