I’ve wanted tattoos as far back as I can remember, but it wasn’t until I was 30 that I got my first one. It’s a purple rose in memory of my mother who passed away in 2010. But, I’m on a mission, of sorts. I suffer from dermatillomania, or compulsive skin picking, where I pick at blemishes in my skin leaving behind scars on every reachable surface of my skin. Every day is a fight against this disorder. The damage I’ve done and the ugliness of it breaks my heart every time I look into a mirror. I’ve decided to start a life-long project. I want to eventually end up tattooed from my shoulders to my feet not simply as some kind of counter-cultural statement, but as a means of reclaiming my skin and making it beautiful again. One tattoo down, zillions to go. LOL
