The Empowerment of Getting a Fandom Tattoo

I am no stranger to a tattoo that’s centered around my favorite character or franchise. All of mine are “nerdy” in some way or another and, at this point, I have 11 of them. But there’s a beauty in having a tattoo on you that means something more than just representing a fictional character. From the first tattoo I got on to my most recent, they’ve all been rooted in my love of pop culture and also significant moments in my life. My first tattoo ever was a Spring Awakening tattoo because I wanted to star in a production of the show, which I went on to do.

I just kept getting tattoos for characters who helped to inspire me or in honor of something I love coming to an end. I have a Deathly Hallows tattoo, and while I no longer support the Harry Potter series thanks to J.K. Rowling’s continued attacks on the trans community, I don’t regret the tattoo because it is representative of me and my best friends and something that we did together. So, even though my love for the series has waned, my love for that tattoo won’t because it has a meaning outside of just me liking something. And I think there’s an empowerment there for all of us to have, especially when we find peace in whatever thing we’re getting tattooed on us.

The power of Wanda Maximoff and Yelena Belova

My most recent tattoo is one that brings two of my favorite Marvel characters together: Wanda Maximoff and Yelena Belova. You can see in the post below that I also have a Spider-Man tattoo with a red star for Wonder Woman next to it and it’s representative of my favorite heroes.

But the tattoos are more than just characters I love. For me, it’s about what they represent specifically to my journey. Wonder Woman is someone who I looked up to growing up, Peter Parker was always my comfort character, Wanda Maximoff helped me understand how my grief can be different and my own journey, and Yelena Belova is someone I can find strength in. They all remind me that I have the ability to be my own hero. My Wanda and Yelena tattoo was done by the incredible Kreg Franco at East Side Ink!

Leia and Carrie’s strength

Another tattoo that I have that serves as a constant reminder to keep moving on is my Leia Organa/Carrie Fisher tattoo. I’ve loved Carrie Fisher my entire life, and while I have another Star Wars tattoo (a quote from Rogue One), I wanted one specific to Fisher/Leia for how they have helped make me into the woman I am today. So I thought the perfect way to share that love is by doing a Leia picture with a Carrie Fisher quote, and it ended up being a beautiful nod to two of my favorite women.

Leia/Carrie was done by the amazing Jes Valentine!

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Tattoos aren’t for everyone, but if you find comfort in them, they can be some of the greatest ways to cope and I love all mine very much.

(featured image: Marvel Entertainment/Lucasfilm)