Junior Jake Kraus has several tattoos, but the tree representing love and appreciation of nature is his favorite. Photo by James McIntosh.
When nature and family intertwine with the symbols of self-expression and free-spiritedness, there’s more to body art than the fear of regretting it.
Although he has five tattoos, Jake Kraus, a junior at the University of Rhode Island finds meaning in each and every one.
Kraus has multiple tattoos on his right arm but the ones that sticks out the most to him are the constellations of his mother, father and sister’s zodiac signs.
“I feel like my family will always be there for me,” Kraus said.
However, Kraus’s favorite tattoo is of a tree on his right forearm. It represents the love and appreciation he has for the outdoors and how he enjoys nature overall.
Kraus is planning on getting more tattoos because of how he’s able to express who he is without verbally saying who he is as a person. He’s had his eyes set on getting another tattoo of the moon sometime in the future.
“There’s just something I like about the moon,” Kraus said. “The moon is always changing yet it’s just simple but people can still admire its beauty.”
All of Kraus’ tattoos are on his right arm, and he likes the idea of having all his tattoos on only one side. All his tattoos only required about 30 minutes at the most to complete.
“They are mostly all simple line work and it didn’t require too much time,” he said.
Although he has many tattoos, Kraus is always thrilled for the next tattoo he will be getting. Unlike many other people, Kraus has a high level of pain tolerance and enjoys the feeling of getting a tattoo.
“Getting a tattoo feels therapeutic,” Kraus said. “ I enjoy the process of getting a tattoo and how it feels.”
Throughout his college career, Kraus has gotten a tattoo almost every year since he was a freshman. His mother is looking forward to getting more tattoos with him whenever he has the time. When his tree tattoo was done, his mother had the chance to accompany him.
“My mom also had a tattoo done when I went to get mine. She got three dandelions on her left forearm,” Kraus said. “She wasn’t there for every tattoo, but she is going to come with me for my next one.”
Kraus embraces the tattoos he has and does not let anyone talk bad about the decisions he’s made about them. His friends and family are open to the fact that he expresses his character through his body art. “They like them and they lack offense,” Kraus said. “They are open and understanding of me having tattoos.”
Kraus believes that having a tattoo is your own personal choice. He understands the fact that if it’s what you want on your body, then nobody has a say in whether you should get a tattoo or not.
“I feel like people are very adamant and against tattoos,” Kraus said. “I would say tattoos are a way of people expressing themselves without having to say who they are. It’s just different and more self-representative.”