16 Tattoo Stories That Will Inspire You To Get Inked

    We asked BuzzFeed staffers to tell us the stories behind their tattoos.

    by
    Julia Pugachevsky
    by Julia Pugachevsky

    BuzzFeed Staff

    ,
    Matt Ortile
    by Matt Ortile

    BuzzFeed Staff

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    BuzzFeed / Joel Greengrass

    "I have a 'Team Greengrass' on my right bicep — it's my family's multiple sclerosis charity. I was diagnosed with MS eight years ago. My family, led by my wife Carla and oldest daughter, Aly, made the decision to becomes advocates for MS. Through MS runs, walks, rides, climbs, and mud runs, Team Greengrass has raised over $150K for MS!" —Joel Greengrass

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    BuzzFeed / Lara Parker

    "Harry Potter was my best (and sometimes only) friend growing up. The stories had such an impact on me. No matter what happens in my life, I can always count on Harry Potter to make me feel at home again. This tattoo, as stereotypical as it is, represents the bond that I have with these books that will never be broken.

    HP4LIFE.

    ALWAYS? Always." —Lara Parker

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    BuzzFeed /Emmy Favilla

    "There's an Italian espresso maker and cup of coffee tattooed on my side. I'm an Italian-American with a father who was born in Italy, so these little stovetop espresso makers were a prominent feature in my childhood! As a tiny tot, I used to get super excited about helping my dad grind coffee beans in this old manual coffee grinder before he'd make espresso, and they also remind me of big family gatherings and my grandparents having people over for desserts and coffee. It's both an ode to my dad and my Italian family (whom I credit for my crippling, lifelong addiction to caffeine) and to my love of delicious coffee. (PS: This sort of looks like a prison tattoo because it's really teeny and kind of to the side of my boob, so I had to zoom in.)" —Emmy Favilla

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    BuzzFeed / Joe Bernstein

    "It's a partial quotation from the last line of Richard Ellman's biography of James Joyce, which goes '...one of life's celebrants, in bad circumstances cracking good jokes, foisting upon ennuis and miseries his comic vision.' It just means that you should try to find the humor in every situation, especially bad ones." —Joe Bernstein

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    BuzzFeed / Natasia Hanratty

    "Done by Matt over at Invisible Ink, this is a depiction of the Greek myth of Apollo and Daphne. Apollo gets himself in trouble with Cupid, who has him fall madly in love with Daphne, but also has her want nothing to do with him. Apollo chases and chases Daphne until she's finally fed up and tired of running. She asks her father (a god) for an out — he turns her into a beautiful laurel tree. Despite being a tree and never returning the feelings, Apollo continues to visit her every day and sing her songs of love on his lyre. It's a classic story of the unrequited. I should probably also mention my first girlfriend's name is Daphne. That might have something to do with my fascination as well." —Natasia Hanratty

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    BuzzFeed / Allison Lucas

    "I always wanted a tattoo but was too scared. But after having two kids, I figured I could endure anything and so I got my first tattoo at 38. I now have three, but I love the second one that I got for my 40th birthday the most. I had a consultation with a woman who is well-known for her watercolor ink, and told her what I wanted. I came back six months later (because it was actually a six-month wait!) and the sketch she made was nothing like what I wanted; apparently I told her the wrong type of flower. She ditched the carefully sketched one done in advanced, and sketched out a new design in 30 seconds. I absolutely love it." —Allison Lucas

    10.

    Twitter: @madmultiplied

    "I got it when I was having a rough time dealing with life. It's John Lennon's song 'Imagine.' I'm obsessed with the song, and every time I hear it I feel peaceful. It also reminds me that it's OK to have big dreams and aspire and want more in life than to settle for something that doesn't make me happy but I'm doing it because I believe that I have no choice...or I feel cornered or stuck." —Tasmai Uppin

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    BuzzFeed / Joe Bernstein

    "To me, LucasArts will always be the logo that I saw before Grim Fandango. They were also the company that made possible this one small moment in my life, which no one else will ever think about but which I will always remember." Read the rest of the story here. —Joe Bernstein

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    BuzzFeed / Natasia Hanratty

    "My grandparents had their own Polish radio talk show over in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, for many years. They both won awards for their hard work, and this microphone was on most of the plaques my family grew up seeing. My brother Tommy and I had planned on getting matching tattoos of the microphone in their honor. When he passed away, I got it in his memory along with theirs. Below it, I added his signature." —Natasia Hanratty

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    BuzzFeed / Emmy Favilla

    "I have two swallows on the back of my thighs that say "love" and "luck," respectively. A little of both is what all you need to live a satisfying life, IMHO." —Emmy Favilla

    For more BuzzFeed staffers and their tattoos, check out this BuzzFeed video!

    Have a cool story behind your favorite tattoo? Share it with us in the comments below.