My beautiful Medusa done by the lovely Gen.

The story behind Medusa was a sad one, she was a human priestess of the goddess Athena. She swore celibacy but that was forcefully taken from her in Athena's temple, as a punishment the goddess Athena turned her into a gorgon.

Medusa has become a symbol of strength for sexual assault survivors. I got this tattoo to commemorate surviving my SA and overcoming so much trauma after 10 years of PTSD. This tattoo means so much to me and having the amazing women of Vesper and Quill there supporting me during my 4 hour long tattoo was everything to me. This tattoo is a symbol of strength and resilience. Of never letting the monsters win that hurt us. ❤️🐍

I am a middle child of three, older brother and younger sister, but I love my built-in- best - friends!

Growing up, we didn’t have much money and so not a lot of toys; but I will never forget the summer days we used to run around the garden and try find dragonflies. We used to play as “Scientists” who needed dragonflies to save the world. 

So, thank you Vesper & Quill for giving back that memory ❤️

Thank you for immortalizing a best friend/brother. He sits right next to my 2 daughters which you guys also did so the most important people to me are all just a glance away. If I'm ever missing my kids or thinking about them I just look down. And even though it isn't possible if I ever stopped thinking about someone who was taken away from me way too soon I just look down and I'm reminded of him and how much he meant to me. I know it's not the biggest of tattoos but it means the world to me and I want to thank you for making that possible and to keep his memory to me alive forever

One of my favorite tattoos done by Gen, one I had wanted for years.

It’s Stitch from Lilo & Stitch with the words “Little and broken but still good.”

This quote comes from a childhood favorite movie, one that has meant different things at various points in my life. But when I finally got it, the meaning behind the shortened quote became much deeper.

From age 16 to my mid-20s, I went through a lot—struggles, heartbreaks, ups and downs. At 22, I was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety, though I knew deep down I’d been battling these issues for longer than I realized.

On bad days, it felt like either the anxiety or depression would win. I saw myself as broken for having these struggles, feeling like there was something wrong with me—like it made me unworthy of love or happiness. For a while, it seemed like life wouldn’t give me a break.

But what I didn’t see at the time was that, despite all the bad, there was still good. My mom and I moved to Cape Town, where I met my fiancé. I had friends who stuck with me through the hardest moments, and we built new connections that turned into bonds stronger than blood. When I began to realize all of this, I understood that admitting you have struggles doesn’t mean you’re broken—it just means you’re human. I started to learn how to deal with it, live with it, and see it in a positive light.

And that’s when the quote really clicked for me: “Little and broken but still good.”

It means, yes, I have depression and anxiety. I may feel broken sometimes, but I’m still good. Still worthy of love and happiness.

And it’s not just about me. My family may be small and broken, mostly made up of found family rather than blood, but it’s still good. Just like Stitch, over the years, I found my family, and they’ve stuck with me through everything—through me and my mom.

This is one is my favorite tattoo, my second one ever and the first I got from my go-to girl, Gen.

I got it two months after my rabbit, Lex, passed over the rainbow bridge. I brought him home when I was 13, just 6 weeks old. He lived nearly 11 years, healthy and full of life. He was like a part of my soul, with the biggest personality you could imagine for such a small rabbit. I always thought I had more time with him.

In January 2021, Lex was one of the first domestic rabbits to be affected by a disease that had started in the wild rabbit population. It turned out the disease had made its way into some of the food sources for rabbits. The way it happened was so sudden, one minute he was fine, and the next, he was gone. It felt like my heart had been ripped out.

To keep him with me, I decided to get this tattoo. Gen, with so much care and love, gave me this beautiful memorial. She captured him perfectly, and it was such a meaningful experience. Since then, she’s done all of my tattoos.

Gen, you gave me one of the most beautiful tattoos, and I’ll always be grateful for it. You’ve helped me carry my boy with me in a way I never imagined.

Sometimes you read something that simply makes you stand still for a second. At least it's that way for me. From the moment I read Wendy Cope's poem 'The Orange' it stuck with me. 

It has meant so much to me and I'm so happy I went to Vesper and Quill. I've found artist who understand how to create visual art from the poem I've fallen in love with. 

I'll just leave this here... 

The Orange

At lunchtime I bought a huge orange—

The size of it made us all laugh.

I peeled it and shared it with Robert and Dave—

They got quarters and I had a half.

And that orange, it made me so happy,

As ordinary things often do

Just lately. The shopping. A walk in the park.

This is peace and contentment. It’s new.

The rest of the day was quite easy.

I did all the jobs on my list

And enjoyed them and had some time over.

I love you. I’m glad I exist.

— Wendy Cope