lily dozier

Tattoos and Togetherness

When MU graphic design student Hannah Gundlach got her first tattoo, she said it boosted her self-confidence. Now a tattoo apprentice at Iron Moe’s in downtown Columbia, she aims to help others feel more comfortable in their skin, too.

“Even when I'm having a bad day, there's always at least some part of me that I like. I thought it'd be really nice to just be able to do that for other people,” Gundlach said. “If I could put something on somebody that helps boost their confidence and make them feel better, it’d be a pretty important thing to do.”

Gundlach also sees tattooing as a way to get out of her comfort zone. She grew up an only child, and attended a small private school before arriving at the University of Missouri. She said she has always been very introverted, but working with clients challenges her to get out of her comfort zone. She said she enjoys figuring out what she has in common with the people who receive tattoos from her.

“It's just kind of fun seeing how much you have in common with all these people. It really makes everybody feel a little bit more similar; a little more together,” Gundlach said.