Meet Trina | Tattoo Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Trina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Trina, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
It has become more of an imbalance than a balance due to the dedication it takes to be an apprentice and having to work other jobs on the side to be able to support myself. There was one point in time when I worked for two and a half months straight without having a single day off. You sacrifice a lot of the “life” balance as an apprentice but that just proves how bad you want it. I’ve worked service industry jobs since I was 16 and didn’t start my apprenticeship until I was 23, so after spending years of just working to get by to now working to learn a craft I’m passionate about has naturally incentivized me to make work a priority above anything else. With tattooing being my main focus right now, I see it as a vehicle to get me where I want to be in life in terms of both material things and inner fulfillment so I am content with the imbalance I am experiencing right now in order for my future self to be able to exist more harmoniously. With that being said, I do try to make a conscious effort to get outside, make art outside of tattooing, meditate, and spend time with friends because all of those things are what keeps my head above water and allows me to be as present as I can for my clients and coworkers.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am blessed/cursed with perfectionism so I really pour myself into each art piece and become really obsessive. This works in my favor in terms of progress and rate of growth because every time I finish a piece I hold myself accountable to the expectation that the next one will be better. Born with the artist brain, all I can ever see in my work is where I’ve made mistakes that no one else usually seems to notice. This is why drawing every day and practicing not only what you’re bad at, but more importantly what you’re already good at, is so vital to fine tuning your skills as an artist. I’ve already noticed a lot of progress in my work since starting tattooing in February so I can’t even imagine what 5, 10, 20 years from now will look like for me. When it comes to inspiration for tattoo designs and flash sheets I’ve always gravitated toward gothic/mystical imagery. A huge inspiration for me has also been 90’s/2000s alternative and pop culture. I love Avril Lavigne, Jackass, and nu metal as well as the whimsical fashion, sounds, and media of the 90’s so I try to incorporate those types of vibes into my drawings.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m going to pretend it’s summer and I have an unlimited budget and say we would go to January Coffee and then drive up the canyon to go swimming at the creek. After that, we’d go get some curry ramen from My Ramen & Izakaya. The next day we’d go to the Dushanbe Tea House and after that head over to Long’s Gardens to walk around the iris fields. The next day I would take us to the Butterfly Pavilion to hold Rosie the tarantula and see all of the butterflies. As for the rest of the week I’d probably drive us down to Buena Vista/Twin Lakes area and spend a few days lying in the sun by the river, swimming, hiking, and camping.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mentor, Rachel, has played an insanely pivotal role for me this past year or so. Rachel took me on as an apprentice when she wasn’t even looking for one and has since taught me everything I know. The mentor/apprentice dynamic is by nature a very intimate one simply because of how much time you spend with one another so I feel very lucky to have landed such a good one with someone who I get along with so effortlessly. Rachel has a very natural teacher quality to her which has made the learning process super smooth for me and on top of teaching me how to tattoo she has also been an excellent role model in professionalism, organization, and just overall being a good person. I couldn’t just recognize Rachel without also thanking the rest of my coworkers at Shield Maiden Tattoo who have been so incredibly welcoming and supportive. I also have to thank my mom for being my biggest support my entire life, for always instilling the right wisdom in me when I need it, and for dog sitting while I finish my apprenticeship.

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