The interviews on StoryCorps really caught my attention. The layout of the site and the striking portraits are just a couple of reasons I ended up clicking through over 40 interviews, and wondering where the time went. Of all the stories I heard, Dawn Maestas’ was one that I remembered so vividly. Dawn is in charge of a tattoo-removal site, and using her business she helps victims of domestic abuse. She offers to remove tattoos that women have received while in their abusive relationships. She herself is a victim of domestic violence, having been tattooed by her ex. Having gone through so much, I found her story inspiring. Not only did she escape her own relationship (which included having a gun held to her head while her ex was high), but she uses her success to help others who were in a position similar to hers.
The power of the story was personally what I found most compelling about the interview. I am usually someone who relies on imagery, but the way they spoke and the emotion in their voice drew me in almost immediately. It was moving to hear the raw emotion with which she speaks. I personally would’ve liked to learn a little more about Dawn’s business as the link provided was invalid, and I want to know if it is primarily used to help victims of abuse, or if she had only helped this one woman. Other than that, I found the digital story to be much more entertaining than I expected.
Justine Martinez 