What Makes Daryl Alive?

On Exeter's streets, spontaneous conversations with creative individuals often reveal deep passions and unique journeys. In this feature, we connect with Daryl to talk about his love of tattoo culture, his artistic ambitions, and what truly brings vitality to his life.

For Daryl, feeling alive is all about following your calling:

"Doing what what I love, man... working at the hospital, but trying to... get into tattoo right now... So you see a bit of ink, trying to get into tattoo right now. So that makes me feel alive doing what I love."

Reflecting on why tattooing holds such deep meaning, Daryl highlights its connection to his heritage:

"Mainly because I think it's a big part of the culture back in the Philippines... Tattoo has always been integrated within our culture and I think it's a great way to express oneself, how we feel, what we like, showcase it basically to the whole world."

Opening up about the hurdles he has overcome, Daryl shares his perspective on resilience while moving away from home:

"Being from the Philippines, poverty is a big, big thing. It's hard to get like a proper job, and especially like outside of the country... I think that combined with like how difficult it is to come outside the comfort zone and start living in a new environment, I think that makes you get stronger, resilient."

Closing our conversation, Daryl shares an uplifting and positive message for the world:

"Peace, man... Just be happy, do what you love and don't mind others and just keep it positive."