We often tend to judge people by what we see on the outside. We might see them on the street or perhaps at the store but in either case, we tend to size them up immediately.
I’m sure many people who saw the 51-year-old man in this article would immediately feel a judgment coming. He expresses himself through tattoos, and so far he has more than 240.
Richard Huff chose this form of self-expression and he considers it to be an art form. He also calls himself an ink addict and he has a family with five children and a wife.
Many times, his wife posts pictures and videos of him on social media. They are proud of his look and what he does but not everybody is on board with it.
One thing that Huff would like people to know is that his family is not any different from any other family. Strangers will mock him online, however, because of his outward appearance.
He spoke about the journey he had in life. He said: “It became an addiction, I started with my legs and worked my way up.”
At this point, about 85% of his body is covered in tattoos. Some of the tattoos include his daughter’s lips and the names of his children.
Richard also said that he is not finished. “I want to be 100% covered in tattoos probably within the next four years. 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.”
He does say that there are specific problems associated with having that many tattoos. Some of the children that go to school with his kids find him to be frightening. His daughter said: “They say, ’ah it’s a bit scary’ and I say ’no, my dad is not scary, he is good with tattoos.
Marita, his wife said that she was also frightened of Richard when she first met him. She admits: “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.”
She often posts pictures and videos of her husband on social media and talks about how wonderful he is to the family. She had three children from a previous relationship and Richard has become more of a ‘real father’ than their biological father.
Richard said: “I participate in the PTA, I go to all my kids’ functions.”
Many people have commented on his tattoos, with some saying that they aren’t against tattoos but wondering if he really needs them on his face. Others defend his decision, saying that as long as he is a good father, he can do what he wants.
The negative comments have also affected Richard on a personal level at times. He said: “If somebody can make negative comments like that, there’s something wrong with them themselves that they would have to judge somebody else. 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.”
Despite the negativity that sometimes occurs, he still cares very much for his family. He said that his tattoos don’t scare his children or make him a bad father.
