Jayce is a social worker who has gotten multiple tattoos on his dominant arm. “I want people to see it” says Jayce. He is very open to talking about meaning, and finds that random people ask about his tattoos more than those close to him. He finds that tattoos give him the opportunity for self-expression and a reason to be able to talk about loved ones that have passed on. By doing so, Jayce breaks down the stigma associated with tattoos as deviant behaviour and embraces his self-expression.
Heart with “J” and Anchor
Jayce’s older sister passed away at an early age due to cancer. She used to sign her name with a heart and a ‘J’. One of the last things she did was draw this for Jayce. “She did that for me… I felt it was a sign.” When thinking about the tattoo in a healing sense, Jayce states that he doesn’t know how much it’s helped, but spoke to the general significance of these tattoos for him. “It’s permanent… so that I can’t forget… that person’s that important that I marked my body permanently.” For Jayce, the tattoos serves as a reminder of his continuing bonds. “It’s something I’ll just never forget… I never wanted to forget it.” The anchor is another tattoo that serves as a memorial for his sister. Jayce never liked anchor tattoos and found them rather cheesy; however, his sister loved them and wanted to get one. So, he honours her memory by having an anchor tattoo. Jayce spoke of how people get weird about death; he loves these tattoos because they give him the opportunity to talk about his sister.
Wishbone
This tattoo is an ode to his bond with his mother, whom Jayce cracks wishbones with whenever he sees her. Jayce spoke of how she will keep all the wishbones from when he is away to crack with him when she sees him again.
Tragedy Heart
Another tattoo that signifies healing and growth after tragedy is Jayce’s tragedy heart tattoo. It serves as a reminder to himself that he has gone through the death of loved ones, like his sister and grandparents, and that he is still here.
Seagull
Jayce’s uncle John was the first person in his life that had tattoos; his seagull is a memorial to him, as John used to refer to these commonplace birds in Newfoundland as “shit hawks.” Jayce speaks about how silly tattoos can still have meaning and is a form of self-expression. They hold “lots of meaning, even small silly ones.”
Andy Cap
Andy Cap is a working class character from daily cartoons found in newspapers. Jayce got this tattoo as he resonates with the working class, and his dad used to read this comic. Despite his dad not liking the tattoo, Jayce says that it is for him.
Candle Burning at both ends
Jayce was working full-time and doing his master’s full-time when he got this tattoo. In essence, a professor told him, he truly was burning the candle at both ends. Jayce felt burnt out by the end of this endeavour; however, he made it through and is now a practicing social worker. This tattoo is for this period in his life.
STORIES FROM THE SKIN 