Surrounded by geometric constellations and celestial patterns, a jellyfish swims along public health junior Sofia Ortiz Neidhart’s spine. Her 11th tattoo, the design is a tribute to the immortal sea creature and Neidhart’s carpe diem philosophy.

Neidhart said a spiritual conversation with a friend inspired the ethereal jellyfish. 

“We were talking about longevity,” Neidhart said. “We were talking a lot about different organisms, like deep sea creatures. A jellyfish came up, how there’s a jellyfish that’s immortal. Every time I think about this tattoo, I think about just going about your day, doing your thing and living peacefully.”

Neidhart commissioned the jellyfish from tattoo artist Puka Zúñiga while visiting family over winter break. Although Zúñiga fosters a more traditional style with bold colors and thick lines, Neidhart said he relished the challenge of her more delicate commissions. The intricate spinal jellyfish is the eighth piece he has tattooed on Neidhart. 

“His signature style is definitely not my style, but that’s one of the things that attracted me to his artistry,” Neidhart said. “He likes to experiment in a lot of different things. I had presented this idea to him, and we worked very well together to create it and to bring it to life.” 

Neidhart’s other tattoos include two birds resting together on a branch, meant to represent her mother and her. She also commissioned Zúñiga for two koi fish inked in red along her ribs, a testament to time spent with her sister in Vietnam. Although she has several tattoos dedicated to family members, she wouldn’t call all her designs family-inspired. 

“(The tattoos are) more like experience related,” Neidhart said. “I have one that’s just volcanoes. I got it after I had climbed them. I am very much about experiences.”

When Neidhart gets an idea for a design, she Googles similar pieces for inspiration before sending them to Zúñiga via Instagram direct message with some additional instruction of her own. He then edits the photo, often combining online pictures and his own art, to create a mock-up. 

“I want to trust the artist,” Neidhart said. “With (Zúñiga,) I saw his process of designing each tattoo. (For my next tattoo,) I want to do a picture I saw of these two women, one of them is the sun and one is the moon. I want to get one of them on the backs of each of my calves.”

Above all, Neidhart values a personal connection with her artist. Zúñiga, she said, feels almost like family. 

“Intimate settings are important,” Neidhart said. “The quality of the experience (with Zúñiga) is a lot better. During the session, we’ll be listening to music and singing — just super casual and super comfortable. That’s very important to me.”