Healing, Honoring, and Holding Space with Clare Storck
In this episode, I sit down with Clare Storck- a midwife, mother, and longtime friend—who shares the powerful journey that led her to get an intuitive tattoo during one of the most challenging seasons of her life.
Clare opens up about her daughter Tilly’s diagnosis, the intensity of a 70-week chemotherapy treatment, and how she found strength in marking that experience through deeply meaningful body art. She shares how she felt called to get a tattoo placed exactly where her daughter’s tumor had been, how Tilly’s favorite color “rainbow” shaped the design, and why the experience was more than just an image—it was a spiritual experience.
We also talk about what it meant to bring her daughters into the studio space, how consent and communication are at the heart of both midwifery and tattooing, and how a previously painful tattoo experience was transformed into something joyful and bright.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Clare’s experience navigating her daughter’s spinal tumor and chemotherapy journey
- Why she chose to place the tattoo over the exact site of her daughter’s tumor but on her own body.
- How intuitive tattooing became a form of healing and empowerment
- Redesigning a past tattoo that held emotional weight—into a rainbow sunburst of joy
- The sacred overlap between midwifery and tattooing: presence, consent, and care
- Letting tattoos become memory-keepers and vessels of meaning
This conversation is a reminder that even in the most difficult times, there can be moments of joy, beauty, and transformation. Clare shares her journey with so much grace and strength—and witnessing the way she mothers, heals, and creates space for her daughters' voices is something I’ll never forget. I’m so grateful that our paths crossed again. This was one of the most meaningful tattoo experiences I’ve ever had the honor of creating.
If you’re feeling called to mark a moment, honor a story, or co-create something meaningful through tattoo—whether it’s clear or still unfolding—head to https://www.justinealmaraz.com/
Connect with Me:
Instagram: @thejustinealmaraz
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JustineArtStudio
I’d love to connect.
