In the Untethered

Narrative by Whitney Dunlap-Fowler, Posted March 8, 2026

Image courtesy of the author

Semioticians analyze symbols, so for this series, we’ve asked 25 of our semio colleagues from around the world to explicate the symbolism of… one of their own tattoos.

I’ve never put much thought into most of the tattoos I’ve gotten over the years. In fact, my first experience with ink was born out of a dire need to get over my fear of needles. Several tattoos and piercings later, and I still find myself holding my breath at the doctor’s office longing for the comfort of my mother’s hand in mine when the nurse says “you’re going to feel a little pinch.”

My most recent tattoo, however, has a completely different origin story. When you’re a woman, the world tends to tell you who and what you’re supposed to be based on your age. I was in my thirties and my life looked nothing like the way society said it should. This was an element that I thoroughly enjoyed about myself. I’ve lived a life full of risk, often taking giant leaps into the unknown — and I have always managed to land right back on my feet. The thrill of leading a life of my own choosing, without societal interference, has always sparked a relentless energy within me, one that propels me to my next big dream or chaotic idea.

A few years ago, I began researching what it meant to be a perpetually single, childfree woman with no desire to succumb to the burden of asset ownership. For many years, I danced around my differences and even hid them for the comfort of others… but in 2023, I decided to lean into them.

I landed on the idea that I am, in many ways, an “un” woman. I’ve lived most of my life detached from social expectations and by definition this makes me a bit Unorthodox, Uncommon, Unfamiliar, Unexpected. But perhaps most fittingly, Unconventional. I decided that this was the right word to lean into for my next life chapter, so I began the process of designing a way for it to exist in tattoo form. The end result is an “out of the box” expression — with the idea that the word, like myself, is incapable of being fully caged.

This little symbol, which subtly sits on the inner part of my left bicep, serves as my daily reminder that I am exactly who I think I am. An unconventional woman, living a full life as defined by me, in the Untethered… though still completely terrified of needles.

Tags: Tattoo You

Whitney Dunlap-Fowler is a seasoned semiotician and brand strategist specializing in helping clients build culturally intelligent brands. With more than 12 years of brand building expertise, she equips clients with the cultural strategy and foresight tools needed to insure their insights today will positively impact their bottom line beyond tomorrow. Before becoming an independent strategist (Touch of Whit Creative), Whitney held roles at Kantar Added Value and Kelton Global and obtained her Masters in Media Culture and Communications at NYU. Today, she continues to work with clients across a wide variety of categories including Sephora, Meta, Target, ESPN, Oribe and more while overseeing Insights in Color, a diversity initiative for multicultural market research and insights professionals rooted in disruption, which she founded in 2020.

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In the Untethered