Ryan Ruiz
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A professional dancer, a creative entrepreneur and a cycling instructor. These are just a few of the many accomplishments Ryan Ruiz already has in his bag. Learn more about his journey through his favorite tattoo.
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Tell us about yourself. What does it mean to you to be a person of substance?
Hi I’m Ryan. Born in Jersey but raised as a Californian, I am a taurus, dancer, cushion creator, and fitness instructor based out of Los Angeles. Im probably the busiest person you’ll meet who is constantly on the move. That may be through my various jobs or just commuting all over LA. Busy should’ve been my middle name. A person of substance to me means being a person who is constantly striving to develop and better themselves adding value to this world we live in. Just being a good person creates value in life.
What's your favorite tattoo? Tell us the story behind it.
My favorite tattoo. That is a very hard question to answer. It’s between my cool bean tattoo and Achilles but I would say Achilles is the winner. Achilles was a hero of the Trojan war. He was invulnerable in all of his body except for one heel aka “Achilles’ Heel”. The Achilles heel is a weakness in spite of overall strength, which can lead to downfall. In 2019 I snapped my achilles tendon while doing some tumbling training. As a dancer and fitness instructor your body is your everything. This injury put a full-force stop on everything in my life at the time. No working, no dancing, no moving. With this injury I had to get surgery and was told by my physical therapist that it would take at least 9 months of rehab unttil I would be somewhat close to the level of physical health I was before. I said to myself “f**k that” in my head and became more motivated to get fully healed. I started dancing and teaching fitness in about 6 months. My tattoo of Achilles is a reminder to myself to keep moving forward and that I can overcome any challenge I face in life.
How do you think this story mirrors some of your personal values?
As a person who was always on the move, staying busy constantly, doing nothing is extremely uncomfortable for me. Laying on my bed for an extended period of time gave me time to think and reflect. I revealed to myself that sometimes a break is needed and that it takes extremes for me to learn my lesson. I like to be independent and would usually do things on my own or refuse help, but after this major injury it was made clear that accepting help from others is extremely important to get where you want to be.
What would be your recommendation(s) for someone thinking of getting a tattoo?
I was that person that thought every tattoo had to have some big meaning behind it. It doesn’t need to be. You don’t need to explain it or give a reason for the piece you get. I found that saving an image or idea for a long period of time to determine if it still felt relevant and right to me later on in my life was very helpful. Do not be afraid to speak up about what you want and any changes needed to satisfy your vision. It is going on your body and you should always have a say.