Laura Elisa from MIAMI, FL
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in sunny South Florida. Moved a lot
of times, but never out of state.
How was it growing up there, would you say that
it influenced you?
I would say growing up in Florida was probably
the greatest state I could have been raised in. I learned how to be an
independent, confident, aware, and ambitious woman by the many different people
I was surrounded by as a child, till now. I grew up with mainly my 28 year old
brother because my parents were divorced when I was about 10 and my mother
worked all day everyday so, I was basically attached to the hip with him. I was
put out into the world, on my own, at the age of 17 and ever since then I’ve
noticed myself constantly becoming a stronger, independent woman.
When did you start getting tattoos?
I started getting tattoos when I was about 17
years old. I had a friend who tattooed me twice under the age of 18 (illegal
I know) and after I turned 18, it was
ON! :)
How would you describe your style?
I would most definitely describe my style as unique. If you take my tattoos into consideration with my look, you would certainly agree. :)
I would most definitely describe my style as unique. If you take my tattoos into consideration with my look, you would certainly agree. :)
Do you consider tattoos as a serious art form?
I DO! I think the talent of some of these tattoo
artists are by far some of the most amazing forms of art I’ve ever seen. For
instance, the artists who tattoo portraits on people that actually look like
real life printed photos, so realistic, you almost wouldn’t tell its ink on
skin. There are many of those tattoo artists out there and I think they deserve
some of the most credit.
How do you see the tattoo culture right now?
I see it GROWING tremendously! And also progressing artistically. It has really blown my mind how much tattoos have become so accepting nowadays. From young teens, to parents, to authority, just about everybody near my generation has at least ONE tattoo. And if it’s only one, it’s probably only one, “for now”.
I see it GROWING tremendously! And also progressing artistically. It has really blown my mind how much tattoos have become so accepting nowadays. From young teens, to parents, to authority, just about everybody near my generation has at least ONE tattoo. And if it’s only one, it’s probably only one, “for now”.
What has been your inspiration for getting them?
My inspiration for getting tattooed developed
when I laid eyes on the first, "Suicide Girl", model I saw online who had some
REALLY dope work. I noticed her tattoos weren’t just random symbols and words
with no meaning. It really inspired me because the tattoos I’ve usually seen
are sometimes a little star, Chinese symbol, butterfly, etc. I absolutely
respect other people’s ideas and tattoos, completely, but for me personally, I
knew if I had gotten a tattoo it would have personal meaning and would relate
to my past. Considering my age, how much I’ve gone through, and my experiences,
I probably could have my entire body covered by now. I’ve concluded I’m a 22
year old in a 28/29 year old body lol.
What’s your favorite piece?
Well, I can’t choose just one of my tattoos as a
favorite because I love all of them. But my, “Strength/Struggle”, (Ambigram)
tattoo on my upper back and puzzle heart on my shoulder are my favorites...they
have the most meaning and tell big stories.
Do you catch people starring at you because of
your ink?
ALL THE TIME! Especially elderly people. I feel
like they look at my tattoos as a disgrace. But that’s ok, I accept their
opinion. Men also stare. It seems to be a good, "pick up", line for them, haha.
Asking to see a tattoo, what it means or says, is one of the most common ways
I’ve been approached for conversation.
In your opinion, do your tattoos change your
mood often?
In a way, sort of. My tattoos change my mood when
it comes to the way I feel like dressing. Sometimes I like to cover myself
completely so none of my tattoos are showing and other times I like to wear
less, depending on where I’m going or what I’m doing.
What’s your most significant tattoo and why?
My most significant tattoo would be my, “SORELLA”, tattoo on my left side/ribs. It says SISTER in Italian. Me and my sister had
the idea to get the exact matching tattoo because we wanted something on our
bodies that we would remember forever when we saw it. She came down about 5
years ago and it was the first time we had met. My parents never told me about
her, (long story) but she knew about me. She called me out of the blue one day, leaving me a message explaining how she was
my older sister, where she’s been, why I didn’t know about her, and that she
was coming down from Washington to visit. As soon as she came down, that day
she arrived, we got our matching tattoos. It was one of the most memorable days
of my life. :)
Another one of my
most significant tattoos is my zombie pin-up girl on my ribs. She’s me 100% but
as a zombie. She’s got a big booty, my tattoos, looks like me as a cartoon, but
with zombie features. This tattoo is actually also one of my favorites, along
with the 2 others I mentioned above. Zombies have been known to control,
dominate, and over power anything in its path and they almost relate to my
personality (except with the eating people part, haha EW).
What’s your next tattoo?
I can honestly say I think I am done.
Why?
Because I feel if I got anymore, it would limit me with my modeling career. I
am a full-time model and trying to reach many goals within. Even though I have
15 tattoos, I have opportunities with many companies that normally don’t accept
heavily tattooed models, and that’s because most of mine aren’t entirely
noticeable. Certain angles of me actually show more than others and sometimes
you can’t even tell I have one. I placed my tattoos that way specifically
because I didn’t want to limit myself to strictly alternative modeling and
other job opportunities in the future.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to
get their first tattoo?
BEST advice I could give is, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW
THAT WHATEVER IT IS YOU WANT, YOU WANT IT ON YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
I’ve seen so many people out there getting tattoos that they regret a week
later. If you’re a person who gets bored easily, I would consider drawing the
tattoo you want on your body in permanent marker or something that will stick
for about a week and make sure you’re happy with it even after. It’s also important
to remember where you’re placing the tattoo, because you would not want to
prevent yourself from certain future opportunities. Also, I’d tell the person
that it PROBABLY won’t be the only tattoo they get after the first one.
Do you have a favorite quote?
One of my favorite quotes is tattooed on my right
ankle. “LEARN. LIVE. HOPE.”
LEARN from yesterday.
LIVE for today.
HOPE for tomorrow.
www.LauraElisa.com
LEARN from yesterday.
LIVE for today.
HOPE for tomorrow.
www.LauraElisa.com