Creating art on your body can be a beautiful way to express yourself. However, when you go against what people consider normal, you might face criticism from those around you. Richard Huff, a 51-year-old who loves tattoos and has more than 240 of them, shared how online bullies often call him a bad parent and a “monster” just because he’s covered in tattoos.
Richard Huff, a 51-year-old dad who really likes tattoos, talked about how people react negatively to him. Richard and his wife Marita have seven children, and they see themselves as a regular family. But because Richard has a lot of tattoos all over his body, strangers on the internet often make fun of them.
Richard got his first tattoo when he was 17 years old. “It became an addiction, I started with my legs and worked my way up,” he said. Now, about 85% of Richard’s body is covered in tattoos. This includes the names of his kids and even his daughter’s lips.
“I want to be 100% covered in tattoos, probably within the next four years,” said Richard. “I don’t know if it’s the pain or the artwork that you put on you, but it just becomes fascinating when you’re able to do this.”
Richard’s wife, Marita confessed she was initially scared of his appearance as well, “I did judge Richard based on his looks at first but as I got to know him a little bit, he is actually a big-hearted person.”
“If somebody can make negative comments like that, there’s something wrong with them themselves that they would have to judge somebody else,” said Richard. “This is what we did and we’re happy. We’ve been together six years, our kids are happy and to us, that’s all that matters.”
Richard mentions that although the hurtful comments online can be extreme, they don’t affect his love for his family. “Having tattoos does not scare my children, it does not make me a bad father, it makes my kids get a different perspective on life.”