A Chat with Heart - with Christina Martin
Canadian singer-songwriter Christina Martin started a podcast to hold sacred conversations with friends, family, and colleagues, gathering resources to help people navigate their own life, with expert tips and tricks on how to support a path with heart and personal growth. Authentic, playful and free from regulations, A Chat with Heart gives listeners an opportunity to call the Heartbeat Hotline, help shape future episodes and be featured on the podcast.
A Chat with Heart - with Christina Martin
Hilary Wood - Bliss Tattoo Artist
In this episode Christina lays down and gets her new finger tattoos touched up by Hilary Wood, the owner of Bliss Tattoo!
Hilary has been hand-poking since 2019. After getting tattooed for over 10 years and seeing various artists in different cities, she determined that not all tattoo experiences are positive ones. She was inspired to create a safe, relaxed, and even fun space for clients to get a permanent piece of art on their bodies in Charlottetown, PEI.
For more information and to book an appointment visit Bliss Tattoo ❤️
Got a question for Christina? Call her Heartbeat Hotline in Canada: 1-902-669-4769
Explore Christina's music, videos and tour dates at christinamartin.net
Hilary Wood
Christina: [00:00:02] Welcome to a Chat with Heart Podcast. I'm your host, Christina Martin. I'm here to help guide heartfelt conversations with new and old friends I've met from just being alive or touring my music around North America and other parts of the world. I chat with people I feel a kinship with and that I genuinely believe we can learn from. Our personal stories have great power to heal, influence and inspire. All we have to do is show up for the conversation.
Podcast Theme Song 'Talk About It': [00:00:30] If we just talk about it, we could shine a light. We can break a dark day. If we just talk about it, we can cut a way, we can make a brighter day.
Christina: [00:00:57] It feels like we haven't chatted in a while. You know why? It's been super busy. Um, yeah. I mean, I guess I'm still working on working, you know what I mean? We went to the East Coast Music Awards in Halifax for a whole week and a bit. I got to play twice with my band and had a lot, like 22 fun meetings with, you know, festival bookers and music supervisors who place songs in film and television. And I ran into so many friends at the East Coast Music Awards. I really love being in the city. Um, the energy was buzzing. Yeah. Anyway, the whole week got my head kind of back into the game. My game of, you know, making things happen in my music career because it's been on and off a struggle coming out of the pandemic, when before I was, I just was going so hard for so long and had this momentum and, and like I couldn't be stopped. And and then everything stopped. And I think I kind of crashed as a lot of people did. Um, so yeah, the ECMAs was really rejuvenating. And it wasn't like an album year for me. Like I didn't have, you know, nominations because there wasn't anything new that I had submitted, but I felt it was important to participate and submit for showcasing, leading up to a new album. And it was kind of part of my bigger plan, you know? So I'm really glad I did it.
Christina: [00:02:45] I actually, a year ago, submitted and was accepted for showcasing and I, I backed out. I just wasn't like fit for some reason. The timing, everything about it was like, don't, don't go, don't do it. And maybe that was a mistake, but I don't, you know, I don't regret it. It's just that wasn't, that certainly wasn't like me. That's not something I would have done in the past. So it felt really good to go and give it our best. And we had a great time. The band did fantastic and it was just really great to not go into this with this same kind of anxiety or panic that is kind of, a lot of us have been experiencing, or I have been anyway, you know, throughout the pandemic. It felt like old times. So, yeah, I've been ongoing, I mean, I think about this a lot, like having faith in the unknown and believing in myself when my mind is really challenging me with like negative self-talk and fear based thoughts and imposter syndrome. And I've just been trying to focus on like, facts, like what do I know to be true about my abilities? You know what I believe I'm capable of? What do I want to do? And also like thinking about things I've done in my life already, instead of believing like, Oh, you can't do that.
Christina: [00:04:13] Or who do you think you are? Kind of buying into that that vicious cycle that doesn't seem to ever go away. It's like, Oh, how do I just kind of, I know that's there, but I really just pour my faith into, 'No, wait a second. I got this like', you know, these are things I can actually do and achieve, and here are the steps and I'm acting responsibly. I'm going to go and do this now. So, yeah, as hard a time as I've been having moving forward with certain things, I also have to remind myself, I'm continuing to create and collaborate and make beautiful things from nothing so I can stop being hard on myself. I've always had trust issues, but I have to have trust that my heart isn't lying to me and I have to trust in the process. I have to have faith that something good will come of the work I'm doing, even though it may not always feel comfortable or good. You know, I have to have trust. And I have to remember that as long as like, my actions are fueled with like, kindness and good intention and the people around me, we respect each other, we love each other. It's all fucking good. Okay. Oh, geez. I'm so glad I got that off my chest. Anyway, I had a dream as part of my new album marketing plan to design unique merchandise items, I knew I wanted to make custom puzzles and custom temporary tattoo packs.
Christina: [00:05:50] That's all I wanted for merch, apart from CDs and vinyl, which I've also got coming. But I'm not doing tshirts. I'm not doing like whatever other traditional merchandise items are. I'm doing CDs, vinyl with beautiful lyric books and artwork. Custom limited edition puzzles, five different puzzles that feature the single and the album cover artwork and these beautiful little packaged temporary tattoo Storm packs. And it was all so much work. It wasn't cheap, but I followed my heart and it's here. Now. I have to just chill out and have faith that people will want these fun, beautiful items because they're really special to me and they're totally linked to the music. And it's totally okay if, you know, they don't sell out or sell like hotcakes. Like it was just really fulfilling to, you know, see that project come to completion. And now these items live on my Bandcamp and I don't regret a thing, end of story. Not really. It feels like the beginning. The temporary tattoo packs are now available on my bandcamp for purchase and I'll have them at my future shows as well as my limited edition puzzles. Well, no, that's not true. The puzzles will actually only be available on Bandcamp and like local shows because I cannot carry these things around with me.
Christina: [00:07:19] I'll probably sit on them and destroy them or something. Um, yeah, but I think it's all limited edition. Like I don't think I'll be making any more. I'm kind of tired of storing CDs and merch and I think it's okay to just have a set amount and then let it run out and move on to new music and other unique items down the line, you know? So get your goods while you can. Visit my Bandcamp and pretty soon I will have the pre-order links for the CDs and vinyl up. Maybe they'll be up by the time this airs, if not soon after, and I'll ship any of the new album stuff you order with a personalized thank you postcard. And the postcards. God, you're going to get sick of me talking about this. The postcards are also printed on Wild Flower seed paper. Am I an overachiever? Absolutely. Honestly, I don't know if these seeds really grow wildflowers. Like I've not tested them. I hope they grow something. But maybe you want to keep my postcard and you don't want to plant it. That's also fine. But know that in 100 years, after we're all dead and our belongings are decomposing, my postcard to you might grow a flower that might feed an animal. So together, you and me are saving the world by buying my merch. How was that pitch? Okay, this episode is super fun because it's unique in that I was lying down while recording it, while being hand-poked by Hilary Wood, who does tattoos at Bliss Tattoo in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Christina: [00:09:02] Okay. I've been thinking for a very, very, very long time that I wanted finger tattoos and this kind of came up over the last couple of years when I started thinking about wanting to design the temporary tattoo packs. And yeah, I saw Hilary's work online and she was willing to do the hand tattoos and she does a great job at them. And so I tried her out and this episode, she's actually doing the touch ups. So my second trip over. Which is, on fingers, quite common to have to have a touch up, particularly with the hand poking technique for tattooing. Anyway, we get into it all. So if you're on the fence about getting a tattoo or you already love getting tattoos and you just want a really amazing, another experience, have a listen to this episode and share it with your friends. Yeah, who knows? Maybe book a date to go on a trip to be hand-poked by Hilary Wood at Bliss Tattoo.
Christina: [00:10:24] I'm here with Hilary and we're at Bliss Tattoo. That is the name of your place, right?
Hilary: [00:10:29] Yes.
Christina: [00:10:31] I didn't want to get that wrong. Uh, you know. But it is a very blissful place.
Hilary: [00:10:38] This has been my favorite word since I was a kid.
Christina: [00:10:41] Oh, yeah.
Hilary: [00:10:41] And that's why I picked Bliss. But. It's actually like I've had a few clients, like a number of clients who have finished a tattoo and they're like, This is blissful. And I'm like, Oh, that works.
Christina: [00:10:55] It is very blissful. I wasn't I mean, I might have been nervous coming the first time because I haven't, um, had tattoos in a while, and I didn't know you. But now, this time, I was still excited. And now this time coming for the touch up. I'm. Yeah, I'm really happy. And, like, I have no fears. No fears. Yeah.
Hilary: [00:11:16] So I'll get you to hop up. Either side is good.
Christina: [00:11:22] What is this? This is a massage table. So this is the follow up visit, and I'm going to assume that. It's a little more relaxed because you don't you know, there's no guesswork for this one.
Hilary: [00:11:41] Yeah.
Christina: [00:11:43] Or not guesswork, but.
Hilary: [00:11:44] How long did we take just doing the stencils last time?
Christina: [00:11:48] Ooh, the stencils. Probably because let's see, there were eight, there were eight little tattoos and we had to get the size right and the placement right. And it probably took us an hour and a half. Yeah, I'd say. And then I was here for a full, was it four and a half or longer hours.
Hilary: [00:12:08] It was something like that.
Christina: [00:12:10] I got cozy. Yeah. Maybe we could get a the sound of the needle stabbing me a million times. Or we could, like, inject that somehow.
Hilary: [00:12:20] We can hear it sometimes.
Christina: [00:12:22] Oh, yeah,
Hilary: [00:12:22] A little. Like, almost like. I don't want to say popping sounds. That sounds gross, but.
Christina: [00:12:27] It does sound gross but yeah.
Hilary: [00:12:29] People are like, Is that my skin? I'm like, yes.
Christina: [00:12:33] Maybe, I'll hold it up at some point. Yeah.
Hilary: [00:12:36] It doesn't really do it on fingers that much.
Christina: [00:12:39] You can you could just poke another part of me. I don't until you get a sound. This is feeling great. So when you first started like you notice the the needle but it's not like, oh my God, it hurts. It's more like a prick, you know? Like as if you're, Maybe you're reaching for a rose, and you you prick your finger with the thorn for a second. But because I know you're not trying to kill me, I'm not going to pull my hand back. And it's. And then you're repeating it. So it's not, it just doesn't bother me. It becomes this sort of kind of almost I don't know, this sounds like, but like, relaxing. It's kind of relaxing.
Hilary: [00:13:31] You're not the first person who's described it like that.
Christina: [00:13:34] I want to talk about hand poking and and using a tattoo machine. Like what are the differences and why did you decide to hand poking? That's what it's called, right? Okay.
Hilary: [00:13:51] Like poke or stick and poke stick. The terms are interchangeable. Hand poke to me. Sounds a little more professional. I think that's why I use it a bit more. Um, but yeah, tattoo machines use electricity and so the electricity moves the needle itself. Whereas with hand poking, you're just holding the needle and you're manually poking dot by dot, um, into the skin. I got into hand poking, um, kind of randomly and it was the fact that it is hand poking is what made me drawn to it. I feel like there's less of a learning curve and it's a little more accessible for people to kind of try out tattooing. Um, tattoo machines are definitely intimidating, like even for me. Still, I haven't used one I might in the future or I might like kind of throw it in the mix with some larger pieces at some point. But for now I'm really happy with hand poking and a lot of my clients, um, well, dare I say, most of my clients are just they like having the alternate way to get tattooed, um, because my studio mate and I, we were the first, you know, quote unquote professional hand pokers on the island. So no one had been able to have an experience like this at an actual tattoo shop. So it was really great just to bring it to the island and give people the choice of having one or the other really.
Christina: [00:15:29] Have you had the other?
Hilary: [00:15:31] Yes. Most of my tattoos are the other. I started getting machine tattoos, like when I was, you know, 15 or 16. Um, and that is, I would say 85% of my tattoos are machine. And I think I just kind of stick to that now because it's kind of the kind of all the same vibe, the same style. So I don't really mix in the more simple fine line hand poke as much.
Christina: [00:15:59] That's what I like about my finger tattoos though the fine line. But it was just a style. Like I saw your, I saw this on your Instagram and for what I was looking for for my hands, I was like, That's perfect. Um, is there a time like, is it just is it faster with the machine?
Hilary: [00:16:20] A lot faster.
Christina: [00:16:21] Okay.
Hilary: [00:16:23] And that's like, you know, it kind of depends on the client, right? I can do a lot of the same, you know, style tattoos that a machine could if it's kind of, you know, a little more simple kind of line work. Um, but where something might take them 15 minutes, it might take me 45 to an hour. So if clients are willing to kind of sit through the longer session to get a hand poke, um, that's great. And a lot of people do choose that. I have a lot of clients who have always gotten machine or have gotten a machine tattoo in the past and they're like, That's not for me. And they come try out hand poke and they're like, This is it for me. This is what I love and I'm never going to go back to machine or like I'm going to, you know, get most of my hand poke from now on.
Christina: [00:17:11] Yeah, I'm trying to think of like, you know, for anyone who has never had a tattoo and is nervous because I love getting tattoos, I don't have that many. Well, I guess now I have eight and nine, ten, 11. Um, but you know, for somebody who's like, afraid of needles, what would you say to them?
Hilary: [00:17:39] I always, I guess with anything that people may be nervous about, I think like for myself included, if I'm nervous with something, I want to have the most information on it as possible. Yeah, like I want to know what the process is, what it's going to look like, what it's going to be like in the sense of a vibe, I guess. Yeah. And so that's why I try to like make my website and my social media kind of people can kind of see what their experience might be like or get a feeling for what the shop is like through my socials and through my website. And I try to put like so much information on my website that people are just like any question they have, they can find an answer for it. Yeah, that can kind of like quell any fears they might have. Um, and yeah, just keeping like open lines of communication. Like, I won't know what someone's nervous unless they tell me, Right? Yeah. And, and with needles specifically, Um, a lot of the times we'll like, check with people like, Hey, can I open these needles in front of you? Or, like, can I wrap these needles in front of you? Or we'll do it like, you know, kind of below the bed or you'll look away or.
Christina: [00:18:47] Yeah, like, I'm actually not. Watching you poke me right now?
Hilary: [00:18:52] Yeah.
Christina: [00:18:52] Hand poke. Um, because I don't like to see needles really entering skin, but I don't mind the feeling of it. And I know it's there. Um.
Hilary: [00:19:07] A lot of people are the same.
Christina: [00:19:10] I will say that there was so much that I really appreciated about the process before, like how you set everything up. Your openness before I came in, because that's important to me too. Like, I wanted to know. I wanted to be able to see before coming in because I don't I don't always trust myself in the moment, making a decision, you know, like the people pleaser in me sometimes will be like, I guess I'll just get this done and they like it. And so being able to see the designs before was really helpful and got me excited and calm my nerves about it. But you were also incredibly open to like the style, the design like. And you asked me like, Is there anything you want me to change? You know, I didn't even like it was just nice that you offered all of that. Do you think sometimes that's not the case.
Hilary: [00:20:19] That it's, like not nice?
Christina: [00:20:21] No, I just mean, like, do you think sometimes people don't are not always given those options or feel comfortable?
Hilary: [00:20:32] Yes, absolutely. I think that's kind of the way the industry runs a lot of the time.
Christina: [00:20:38] Like you get what you get.
Hilary: [00:20:40] It's really common for you not to see the designer getting until you get into the appointment and like, you know, it's not like a 100% bad, awful thing, but I just think that it does help if I show you the design beforehand and I usually only just show my designs like a day or two beforehand because that's when I draw them usually.
Christina: [00:21:01] Yeah.
Hilary: [00:21:02] Um.
Christina: [00:21:03] That's what we did.
Hilary: [00:21:04] Yeah. And like, I don't know, it just, you know, if I drew something and then the client came in and they hated it, two things would happen. I'd have to either sit there and take a bunch of time redrawing it, or they would lie and say they liked it and then walk out with something that they hated. Yeah. Which is awful and horrible. And I hope that never happens. So that's why I like to personally, you know, show the designs beforehand and have like try to ask like, open ended questions about them too, because I feel like people are just they feel obliged to be like, Yeah, I love it. Awesome. Like right away. Yes. And through email it's a bit easier to say, No, I don't like it. Or Can you change this?
Christina: [00:21:49] Yeah. I certainly appreciated it. Tell me about when you first were starting to set this up. Like, what was that like? Like, were you nervous or were you just excited or.
Hilary: [00:22:05] I was definitely nervous. Um, I mean, I kind of started on like, friends or, you know, acquaintances who I kind of knew and, you know, not total strangers, but the word of mouth just really got around. And so, you know, the more and more people that contacted me, I was like, oh, my God. Like, why are these people letting me put permanent things on their body? Like, I just started this, you know, like I wasn't fantastic. I, you know, my lines weren't very straight. And it's like anybody just starting out. But I had a lot of willing people and I don't know, I look back on those people a few years ago who had those kind of first bliss tattoos. And I think like it's like a little piece of my history. Like I don't see them anymore as like, Oh my God, like a bad tattoo. Or I could have done that better now. Or it's like, no, I don't know if I had someone's like, first tattoo, I think I'd feel, like, proud of it in a way, I guess. And I have some clients who I tattooed back then and I still tattoo them now. And it's cool to see like how far I've come with the tattoos, like side by side. Yeah. Um, so yeah, I was definitely nervous and I definitely struggle a lot with imposter syndrome still to this day.
Christina: [00:23:24] Yeah, I hear you. Yeah. What's the that just goes to show like. A lot of people who are doing the thing that they've always they've wanted to do or like live in the dream, still have like struggles. And, you know, it's it's not that those fears necessarily ever go away. They may quiet down but you know, it's it's sort of about just how do you just continue to show up and work through the fear. Like the fear doesn't necessarily disappear entirely.
Hilary: [00:24:03] Yeah. You just learn to manage it a bit better.
Christina: [00:24:05] Yeah, That's the cool thing about getting older is, you know, I was afraid of everything last time this new thing happened, and I did it anyway, and I didn't die.
Hilary: [00:24:18] Yeah, so it's so true.
Christina: [00:24:21] Yeah. So what about when people ask you about, like, people who are afraid of the sight of blood? Is there a lot of blood?
Hilary: [00:24:30] No, there is, I would say like little to no blood all the time. Some people are like, you know, bleeders, I guess. Yeah. So they'll like, I'll see like a little more blood than normal, but it's like little tiny droplets. Okay, I'll poke in, like, a little tiny bit of blood will come up. But, you know, even that, like, it's basically nothing.
Christina: [00:24:59] I can feel you wiping away stuff, but that's probably just ink.
Hilary: [00:25:02] Yep. Yeah. Exactly. And I put like, so when I put the ink on the needle and put it in your skin, it almost like spreads a bit. So then I wipe it away and that can show me like the line that I just made and I can make any, I can go over it again if I need to.
Christina: [00:25:19] Oh, let's chat tattoo aftercare, because this is important and I want to know why. Because mine apparently look amazing. So I've done a good job. But you do. You do a great job of letting your customers know exactly what not to do and what to do. But can you walk my little Heartbeat listeners through tattoo aftercare just so they know that, you know, there's a few things you got to pay attention to.
Hilary: [00:25:50] Yeah, I would say like, number one, you can't go into water. Like you can't have your tattoo submerged in water for a couple of weeks after you get it. So it's a bad idea to try to book a tattoo appointment before a trip down south or like, you know, if you're an avid swimmer or. I actually we kind of slow down in the summer because a lot of people don't want to get tattoos in the summer because they go to the beach every weekend. So I would say right off the bat, that's kind of like something I always mention. And in all my emails in the summer, I always put something at the bottom that says like, Yeah, you can't go to the beach if you get this tattoo. So yeah, but that being the main thing, um, when booking an appointment to kind of think about, but just for basic aftercare, the bandage that your tattoo artist puts on you and they should always put some sort of a bandage on you. You, the artist, will always give you their own aftercare instructions. And it does differ from artist to artist. And some people are like, you know, how can aftercare differ? But every body is different. And so I feel like artists kind of usually go with what has worked for them. And then obviously, like, we trust our clients to give a little like a little bit of leeway with what their own body is showing them, right? So, you know, once you get once you take the bandage off after a couple days at home, then you have to be really good at washing your new tattoo, at least, you know, 1 to 3 times a day with a fragrance free, gentle soap and clean it. You know, really well, but gently and dry it with a paper towel. No, like washcloths or anything like that. And for your tattoos in particular, because they're on your fingers, it's a little bit harder.
Christina: [00:27:48] It was hard. Yeah. I would say, let's let's just get that out of the way. I was I was so paranoid. I was like, I'm going to fuck this up. I'm going to fuck this up.
Hilary: [00:27:55] But like your paranoia paid off.
Christina: [00:27:58] Thank you.
Hilary: [00:27:59] Yeah, because you were like, I can tell that you were constantly thinking about them and like, trying to keep them dry and trying to keep them clean. And that's why your results are as good as they are. Um, I think I may have told you this story when you were here last, but there was like a client a couple of years ago who They got a tattoo on their wrist, and then they emailed me a couple weeks later, and it had almost totally faded. And I was like, I got so. Down on myself. Yeah, I had messed up somehow and I did not understand what went wrong. Because the wrist is a place where a tattoo shouldn't fade. Anyways, I found out from one of their friends, like later on that they had went to the beach the next day. Oh, okay. And when in the water and like. So it's just, you know, you have to be smart and you have to be honest too, with your tattooer. Um, because I was really wracking my brain with like, how did I go wrong here? Right? Yeah. Do not mess this up for my next client. But aftercare is so important.
Christina: [00:29:03] I bought from you this spray bandage, which was helpful for the finger tattoos. So I used that. And then, like, I was kind of looking forward to not washing dishes, but I felt guilty. And then I was like, I could just wear gloves. So there's a lot of things I just did with gloves. And I and I did that thing where I knew I wasn't going to be traveling and washing my hands obsessively. Um, so the point of my story is January is a great time to get your tattoos done.
Hilary: [00:29:41] Especially like over the holidays, you're usually kind of maybe off work or, you know, not going too far from home. Yeah. So it's nice to kind of just chill.
Christina: [00:29:52] I remember getting the other tattoos though, and like, you know, if they're on your forearm, that's a little. You know, it's a little easier to protect and cover up with a bandage for a long for two weeks, the fingers was a little bit more tension. But I'm loving it. Yeah. Yeah. No regrets.
Hilary: [00:30:11] And the thing with fingers, too, is like we we keep mentioning how, oh, they look great. Like, you know, I can't believe how good they look and, you know, your hard work paid off. But this is kind of just specific for fingers, right? Like if you got a tattoo on your forearm, you shouldn't need a ton of touch ups to it. You know, you might need a few spots with a with a hand-poke tattoo. It's common for there to be a little spot here and there that needs a little bit of ink added to it. But, um, for the most part, they should heal like pretty great and really easily. But fingers are just a little bit trickier.
Christina: [00:30:48] You know, I'll be honest, like I think. It's hard to find people who will tattoo your fingers because they do fade like. And I know that too. Like going into that, you need to know. Because you wash your hands. You're using them all the time. They're in the sun, but you can also get them touched up.
Hilary: [00:31:09] So yeah, and I always tell people that too, like, you know, before we sit down to do it, I always go over the fading thing and. There are some people who are like, Oh, like I don't know. Or I get a lot of emails, you know, Can you tell me about fingers fading? Like, are they going to fade totally. How much will they fade? And it's like you never really know until you get them because everybody is different. Even if you do. Amazing aftercare still might have some some fading. Yeah.
Christina: [00:31:42] We're not doing any shading on these tattoos because I like the way they look without the shading. But you were saying last time that if we were to shade them, it's pretty quick because you're changing the the the number of needles in the needle. Is that how. Yeah.
Hilary: [00:32:01] So there are liners and shaders which are mainly the types of needles that a lot of hand pokers use and liners have a little kind of bunch of needles that are kind of tied together in a little circle. And then shaders have the same thing, but they're a little more spread out. So there's more space between each needle. So it covers more surface area. So when you are shading, you know, you get more done. Yeah. Whereas the liner is kind of like you pull a tighter line with those and then the sizing works like, so right now I'm using a five liner, which means there's five teeny tiny needles. Wow. And then if I wanted to say shade this heart that we're doing on your ring finger here, yeah, I'd probably use maybe like a five shade or two or maybe even like an eight shader. And that would kind of like get it done faster. Um, but the smaller it is, the more you can kind of get in the nooks and crannies too. So it kind of depends on the design and the place that you're filling in. So you just kind of have to look with like look at what the design is and what the client wants in terms of like, do they want a thick line? Do they want a thin line? Are they asking for something specific like that or do they not care? And so what do you think is best? And it is like it is true that a thicker line is going to, you know, stay better and has a better chance of, you know, lasting a whole lifetime, whereas you might you're going to see some eventual fading, you know, as you get older, especially with the finer line. Tattoos. Yeah.
Christina: [00:33:43] Who taught you all this? Just yourself. Just like just trial and error. Yeah. The internet. Yes. Seriously.
Hilary: [00:33:51] Trial and error is like that's how I learned how to actually tattoo and then just kind of like the knowledge and stuff behind it was definitely just through resources on the internet and other tattoo artists. Um, yeah, it's kind of scary, but anybody can pick up a needle and call themselves a tattoo artist.
Christina: [00:34:13] You know, there's so many ways to learn a new anything you can learn by going to a class and watching someone else do it. But ultimately you have to start doing it yourself. So whether you're learning from an instructor in person or on a video, I don't think there's really any difference. I mean, I, I take vocal and piano lessons online. I've taken it in person when I was a kid and I prefer online and like, you know, and then the rest is like the time you put in just doing it yourself. So I don't think it matters if you went to Harvard to learn how to tattoo or just do it, just start doing it and then developing your own what? Well, another thing is that's curious to me is just how you land on your own. Your own style. Really.
Hilary: [00:35:11] I don't think many artists really get a quote unquote style down. Like for a couple years, a few years into their career. Um, some people definitely do. And that's amazing. I'm jealous of those people, but I don't know, I just I know the kind of pieces that are more drawn to really, like I get really, really excited about, um, and then I know the ones where I kind of like maybe only take on a couple of those a month because they're not really my strong suit or just things I'm not super interested in doing Right. Um, but I definitely, I don't see myself having a style, but I've heard from other people like, Oh, I love your style. And I'm like, Can you tell me what it is?
Christina: [00:35:58] Well, I think if you go on to your you have a page on your website and is it called Flash or.
Hilary: [00:36:05] Yeah, those are like the available designs that I have for people to pick from.
Christina: [00:36:09] Yeah. So I think if people go on there, like if I go on there and look, I think, I mean I did get a vibe for sure but I, but I also think there's a range of like. I don't know. I can't even describe what. You know, when I see it, I'm like, okay. No, I get. I get the range of things that she's done that she likes to do. I can get a sense for what you really like to do, I think. But also it helps when you just say and sometimes on your post you're like, This is my favorite or whatever.
Hilary: [00:36:43] Yeah, like I love doing vases. That's like my favorite thing to do.
Christina: [00:36:48] So yeah, if you need a vase, come to Bliss Tattoo. She's your woman.
Hilary: [00:36:55] My studio mate, Pokey. She has an incredibly distinct style. You can really spot her tattoos, like out in the wild from, like, a mile away.
Christina: [00:37:06] Are you jealous of her nickname Pokey? Like, are you like, Oh, man, I wish I would have.
Hilary: [00:37:11] No, I'm jealous. It's really good. I like my name. But she definitely like,
Christina: [00:37:17] You have a nickname or.
Hilary: [00:37:19] No, just like people.
Christina: [00:37:20] That is her name?
Hilary: [00:37:21] No, that's not her name.
Christina: [00:37:22] Okay. People just call you Bliss.
Hilary: [00:37:25] People call me Bliss sometimes. And people call her Pokey. And a lot of people don't know my real name and a lot of people don't know her real name. So, like, sometimes I'll see someone out and they're like, Oh, are you Bliss?
Christina: [00:37:35] Oh, that's cool.
Hilary: [00:37:36] I'm like Yeah. And then they're like, I have a tattoo from Pokey.
Christina: [00:37:40] Oh, that is so cool. That's a great stage name too. If you ever want to get into performing on stage. And then,
Hilary: [00:37:48] Oh, I thought you meant like, stripper.
Christina: [00:37:50] Well, hey, that. Yeah, that could work. Actually, it is a great stripper name. I think Pokey is as well. I like the vibe in here. It's a lot brighter than any other tattoo parlor I've ever visited. And I'm not opposed to the dark. You know, I love my wardrobe is black, like my. My stage clothes and, like, everything's just black. But that was something I noticed is, it's very bright in here. And there's beautiful, there's a lot of different colors. And so was there a lot of like thought involved in that or not?
Hilary: [00:38:33] Um, I think me and Hannah naturally have kind of similar likes when it comes to style and design. And so that's one of the many reasons like we're such a good pairing, but we also definitely wanted it to be just like funky and quirky and cool and a place where you come in and you're like, Okay, yeah, I fit in here, right? Like, that's how we want our clients to feel. And there's lots to look at. Like, you know, it's not just like bare walls that, you know, you can't distract yourself with anything. So yeah, it really just worked out in a really great way that we have similar styles.
Christina: [00:39:20] That's great because it's a small right now it's, it's a small room and if you didn't like working this closely with somebody, it probably wouldn't last very long. No, you and Pokey, you start getting into fights like it's not, and you've got needles like right next to you and it could get really nasty.
Hilary: [00:39:42] Yeah, I'm pretty lucky to have like, we went to high school together and we weren't like close friends or anything, but we both just got into hand poking around the same time a few years ago and. Met up for coffee one day and we were like, we should team up and and do this together. So that's what we did. It's been a fairy tale ever since.
Christina: [00:40:06] That's awesome.
Hilary: [00:40:07] Yeah.
Christina: [00:40:08] It's really bliss when you find the right, right collaborator. And it is so it's just you know, it's we don't really I don't know if anybody achieves anything without some kind of help. That's true. You certainly do it a lot faster if you do.
Hilary: [00:40:28] Yeah.
Christina: [00:40:29] Does anybody ever cry or complain about the way it feels?
Hilary: [00:40:35] No.
Christina: [00:40:37] Like this, the pinkie's a little more sensitive, but it doesn't. Not enough for me to leave.
Hilary: [00:40:43] Good. Um. I had this precious gal in once and she was getting this little thing on her finger and it was very small. Took me maybe ten minutes and the whole time, God love her. She was like, Out, out, out, out, out, out, out, out, out, out, out, out, out. It was so cute. Adorable. Yeah. It doesn't happen very often, though. And I think I've maybe out of the hundreds of people I've tattooed, I've had maybe I can think of one. And there must be maybe another person that have said they think that this hurts more than machine. Okay. Yeah. It also is really dependent on like, the placement too though, so. Right.
Christina: [00:41:32] That's another thing that people often ask me. Does it you know, I'm going to get a tattoo. I don't know where to get it. I hear it's it hurts more if it's close to the bone. Like, what are.
Hilary: [00:41:43] Everybody's different.
Christina: [00:41:44] Okay.
Hilary: [00:41:45] But there are some, like, you know, spicy zones. Yeah. Like your back. Your stomach hands. Especially, like, top of your hands. Inner thigh feet.
Christina: [00:41:59] Okay, That's a lot of spots. Okay, so we're covering the whole body surface.
Hilary: [00:42:04] Like your arms and your legs are great spots. If you're kind of maybe a little worried about pain placement and pain. Yeah.
Christina: [00:42:14] I found my forearm. That's what that is, right? Yeah, The forearm was great. That was. That was machine. Um, but, you know, larger tattoos and. Yeah, I think maybe I forgot. Maybe. Mostly. These look so good? Yeah. Yes, I love them. I've gotten nothing but positive remarks. And, you know, I didn't think I was a nervous. My mother in-law would would say, but she she didn't say anything. So that either means I don't care. But like that she, you know, she's not a fan of tattoos and doesn't understand. But I was like, oh, good. She just didn't say anything. That was better than her being like, Why did you get the tattoo?
Hilary: [00:43:08] Yes.
Christina: [00:43:09] Um. But my mom thinks they're cute and yeah, a lot of positive, a lot of people saying, I've been thinking of getting that. And I'm like, I'm doing the whole like, Look, I'll drive over with you. I'd love to. Yeah.
Hilary: [00:43:26] I'm gonna do some alcohol.
Christina: [00:43:29] Okay.
Hilary: [00:43:30] Sorry to your hangnails.
Christina: [00:43:33] It's okay. Did you get any more tattoos done, work done over the break?
Hilary: [00:43:40] Yes, I finished my back piece over the weekend.
Christina: [00:43:42] What?
Hilary: [00:43:43] Yeah, I just got back from Halifax this morning.
Christina: [00:43:45] Oh, my. God. Yeah.
Hilary: [00:43:47] Um, so it was the fourth session on Saturday.
Christina: [00:43:51] How was it? How did it go?
Hilary: [00:43:54] It was brutal. Yeah, I mean, we're done, so I'm fucking happy.
Christina: [00:43:57] Oh, are you sore? Because that's a big. It's a big piece.
Hilary: [00:44:01] Yeah, I am sore.
Christina: [00:44:03] Oh, you're a trooper. And.
Hilary: [00:44:08] They do get like a little dull after you've been working with it for a bit.
Christina: [00:44:13] What?
Hilary: [00:44:14] The needles.
Christina: [00:44:14] Oh, yeah.
Hilary: [00:44:15] Yeah. So, like. It's not like a sharp whenever you and I don't mean like literally I mean literally it is more dull now, but the line is not as sharp and crisp. Okay, so I like to get a new needle sometimes.
Christina: [00:44:31] And that was a new needle when you started.
Hilary: [00:44:34] Oh, gosh. Yeah.
Christina: [00:44:34] It's always a new needle.
Hilary: [00:44:36] Always a new needle.
Christina: [00:44:36] And you're saying this like it could be disastrous if it's not like you can't just sterilize. Sterilize the needle?
Hilary: [00:44:44] No, not needles.
Christina: [00:44:45] Really?
Hilary: [00:44:46] No. Okay. Okay. That's going into your skin.
Hilary: [00:44:50] So, like, I would never.
Christina: [00:44:53] I'd be cool if you just wanted to burn it over a flame and then stab me with an old needle. As long as it's not rusty. I'm like, Look, I'm. I'm. I'm all for preserving, reuse, reduce, recycle.
Hilary: [00:45:10] This is not the time to be an environmentalist.
Christina: [00:45:12] Okay? What do you do with the needles? Like after? Where do they go?
Hilary: [00:45:17] They go in a sharps bin immediately. So, like, before you even leave, You know, usually if I remember, sometimes I forget, but I'll put them immediately in the Sharps bin as soon as I'm done poking you so that people know that they're never reused. It's like when you get a piercing, a really good piercer after they pierce you will show you the needle and they'll bend it and they'll show you them bending it and putting it in the Sharps bin.
Christina: [00:45:38] So they never reuse anything. Okay? Yeah.
Hilary: [00:45:45] And then I take it to my local pharmacy and they dispose of it.
Christina: [00:45:49] Okay. That's very responsible of you. I had no idea the life of, the afterlife, of the the needle. I wonder what they melt them down and then reuse them. I mean, that would.
Hilary: [00:46:02] I was actually just talking to my mom about, like, what happens to all the sharps.
Christina: [00:46:06] Yeah. So what? How would your mom know? Does she know? Is she a pharmacist?
Hilary: [00:46:10] No. No.
Christina: [00:46:11] You were just like me. Just talking to your ass, like, okay. My mom might actually know she was a nurse, so maybe she knows.
Hilary: [00:46:22] Because in Nova Scotia, I guess I think it's a relatively new rule, but I think most pharmacies won't take um needles like from me. Or maybe an acupuncturist. Like, they'll only take, like, needles from, like, diabetics or. Or. Yeah. So it kind of makes it hard to dispose of. Like, my friend's an acupuncturist and Nova Scotia, and she, like, took her needles in one day and he was like, I can't take those sorry. And she was like, Well, I'll just go scatter them all over a park.
Christina: [00:46:53] Yeah, what the fuck?
Hilary: [00:46:55] He's like, Fine, I'll take them this one time. But I guess I have to like, pay for her service to come collect, come to your business and collect them in Nova Scotia.
Christina: [00:47:04] I'm at the point in the appointment where I'm like, I could fall asleep. Like, it's that comfortable.
Hilary: [00:47:11] I love hearing that.
Christina: [00:47:12] Yeah, these are fun facts for anyone thinking about getting a tattoo. Who might be terrified. What do you what's your advice for anyone who's been for years, maybe dozens of years? I wish I. I should. That'd be so fun. And then they just don't. Let's convince people.
Hilary: [00:47:34] Okay. Peer pressure? Yeah. Um. So I think. Uh, we could have a whole other episode about the tattoo industry itself and how I don't like a lot of it and the problems with it. But I think, you know, a main reason why a lot of people are afraid to get a tattoo is because a lot of conventional shops are so intimidating. Yeah. Whether it's, you know, the artist themself, whether that person may be had a bad experience at a young age at a shop and then just like has never went back because they think, you know all shops will be like that because sometimes that is the case. You know, the majority of shops can be really intimidating and unfriendly environment and. I think a lot of people it's hard to. It may be hard for them to see themselves in a place like that. Right. And, you know, I don't belong there. I don't fit in. I'm not cool enough. And I'm saying this as someone who said all of those things to myself for the past ten years, and I still continue like when I go to those shops, I'm like, I don't belong here. Like, this is not the space for me.
Hilary: [00:48:42] Yeah. And it's really hard to speak up in those spaces too. And that's why I'm really I'm really glad to see the industry changing bit by bit and. So I think that with our shop, not to toot our own horns here, but you do it really like we strive like client care after safety is our main priority. Right? So. We want to make sure that people feel super comfortable, super heard. Um, and so a lot of it's word of mouth. I'll tattoo sometimes like, you know, a young gal and then her mom will email me like a few months later, like my daughter got a tattoo and it's just so cute. I didn't know they could be that small. I didn't know they could be that delicate. And your shop seems so nice. And she had so many good things to say. And I really want my first tattoo in 20 years. Like I had a bad experience. Or I have a tattoo I hate. So it's like I feel like we are kind of changing the landscape of tattooing on P.E.I., which is really nice. And so it does make it a more kind of inviting, you know, space for people to come who might be nervous about getting a tattoo.
Christina: [00:49:50] Yeah.
Hilary: [00:49:51] Um, my favorite. Not to say I have, like, favorite clients, but I love
Christina: [00:49:56] Is me. You're welcome. Yeah.
Hilary: [00:49:58] Yes, you're right. I love doing people's first tattoos. I love it. I love it. I love it when someone comes in like I have no tattoos. I have no idea what to expect. I'm like, You have found your place. Yay! I adore it because I want to set the bar high. I want to set their standards high so that if they do go to other shops, they know what they should expect for themselves. And what if they're, you know, they have the know feeling. If they're not feeling super comfy, they can be like, I know that I'm not being treated right or I know that this isn't right and I can leave if I want to, Right? So,
Christina: [00:50:32] Yeah. I've been trying to convince my husband to get a little tattoo. Then there are people who just are not into, you know, people who aren't into, I guess, wearing jewelry or, I don't know, any piercings or. Some people are just unconvinced by all. But I still, deep down, think that my husband, who will be editing this episode, that he will find the perfect tattoo and the perfect moment will be together. And it'll be fun. It might be the first time I see him cry, discover that he actually has zero pain tolerance.
Hilary: [00:51:26] I think for a lot of people with their first tattoos, they put a lot of emphasis on it, having to have a lot of meaning, like it has to be the perfect thing. It has to be the exact thing I need it to be. And once you do that, then you'll put anything on your body. Yeah.
Christina: [00:51:46] Yes.
Hilary: [00:51:46] Oh, it's this easy.Okay, cool.
Christina: [00:51:49] You know what? My. My first tattoo, which is my Zodiac sign. I'm a Gemini. And for me, it was just important that it was something I thought at the time I would never get sick of now. Maybe that's just everyone thinks I'll never get sick of this tattoo. But I was like, Well, I'm not going to get sick of my Zodiac sign. And like, it's not going to change. It's not going to change. It's on my back or my shoulder. I don't you know, I started I started with the places where not everyone would see it, but I kind of wanted people to see it if I was wearing certain things like dress or. Off the shoulder shirt or something, because I did pick something that I felt. Um. Yeah, it was me. I'm. But yeah, but then when I was a teenager, I remember thinking just getting a big yellow smiley face would be cool. But I'm really glad I did not do that for myself because I know that I would have gotten sick of the big yellow smiley face because I'm super sensitive to, like, colors. And, you know, you could be. Yeah. Happiness. I don't want. I don't want to promote that too much. You know, life sucks. Um, let's just. Emojis. I guess that's what it is. It's an emoji, right?
Hilary: [00:53:25] Emoji. It's the OG emoji.
Christina: [00:53:28] Gosh.
Hilary: [00:53:31] My first tattoo is the word Imagine on my wrist. It's a John Lennon tattoo. And I got it when I was 15 because I was in love with John Lennon. And I loved that song and what it meant. And I will probably get it covered someday.
Christina: [00:53:49] But that sounds so, that is a cool story. And like if you just said. I just got the word imagine but didn't have the John Lennon story. Some people might think that was not as cool. Yeah. I think it is brave to get words tattooed and names.
Hilary: [00:54:11] It is? Yeah.
Christina: [00:54:13] Unless they're your child's name, I suppose. But what if that your child becomes like Jeffrey Dahmer? I mean.
Hilary: [00:54:21] Or what if your child changes their name to.
Christina: [00:54:23] Oh, that's right. Or their, you know, like, love my little girl Sally. And then Sally wants to change genders or like. Yeah. So, yeah.
Christina: [00:54:35] Have you ever had a. Tattoo removed?
Hilary: [00:54:39] No.
Christina: [00:54:40] What's that apparently like? Do you know.
Hilary: [00:54:44] Like painful? Really? Yeah.
Christina: [00:54:47] What do they. How does it work?
Hilary: [00:54:50] Like you can look up videos and it's like. It's like, zap, zap, zap, zap, zap, zap, zap. And you can see it like, almost, like, pulverizing these little bits of tattoo. And then it like. It looks like it, like, instantly. I don't know enough like, scientifically about it to actually, like, educate anybody, but, like, it looks like it's like burning the skin. Okay. It looks more painful than actually getting tattooed for sure. Okay. But I can't speak from experience. It's actually something I'm kind of interested in, like looking into, like, learning how to do. Okay. But I don't know. Who knows?
Christina: [00:55:22] People come here for the Bliss experience and the terrible ainful removal of.
Hilary: [00:55:30] Well, removing a tattoo could be, like, really great, too, right?
Christina: [00:55:33] You're going to make it that.
Hilary: [00:55:34] Yeah. Yeah.
Christina: [00:55:37] Yeah. So I guess that would be great for the summer season where when people aren't getting as many tattoos, you can then turn to removal.Yeah.
Hilary: [00:55:47] I'm curious. I wonder what the aftercare is like. Like, I wonder if it's kind of similar to getting a tattoo.
Christina: [00:55:53] If it's for a burn. Uh. Yeah, it probably is similar.
Hilary: [00:56:02] It's expensive. Most people get tattoos they don't want covered up. Right? Unless it's like I think a big thing with, like, tattoo removal is if it's in a place that you really regret getting, like maybe on your face or your chest or something. But I see a lot of. Videos of tattoo removal is usually on places like that.
Christina: [00:56:27] Have you done any tattoos on people's faces?
Hilary: [00:56:34] Um. But, um.
Christina: [00:56:37] I wonder if I saw one right by the ear. Yes. That was cool.
Hilary: [00:56:43] I love doing that one.
Christina: [00:56:45] A better question might be, what's the oddest place you've tattooed or someone's asked you to tattoo that you're like, Yeah.
Hilary: [00:56:55] Oh, someone did message asking about, like, nipple tattoos, like getting like, ornamental work, like, right on the areola.
Christina: [00:57:05] Ouch.
Hilary: [00:57:06] It looked gorgeous. Like the picture she sent me looked really great, but it was just. It's something I'm not, like, totally comfortable doing. Not like because they're nipples, but just because of, like, the actual work itself.
Christina: [00:57:22] How it'll turn out. Yeah, you're going to have to do your own and test it out. How do you test that out without like, you'd have to get someone who's just like, I don't care what happens here. Yeah. Just, you know, just whatever. Get what you get. Yeah. I'm not going to volunteer my nipples. That's. Oh, my gosh.
Hilary: [00:57:41] Yeah.
Christina: [00:57:42] So there are places you would not like. No, I'm not doing that.
Hilary: [00:57:46] Yeah. I also don't tattoo behind the ear, which is like, Oh, yeah, most people do. I just. I just don't like doing it.
Christina: [00:57:53] No. Does it scare you?
Hilary: [00:57:54] You have to, like, hold the person's ear down, like, bend it down and then all their hair is in the way and you're trying to, like, maneuver this long ass needle, and it's just, not my favorite thing to do,
Christina: [00:58:08] Right.
Hilary: [00:58:09] And I was doing it for like the first probably year, year and a half. And I was every time I finished, I'd be like, I fucking hated that. And now I'm like, Why did I do it that? So I just decided not to offer that anymore. And some tattoo artists like, you know, they have certain areas of the body where they don't really like tattooing for whatever reason. And yeah.You know, yeah.
Christina: [00:58:31] I ask most of my guests this like pivotal moments in your life where you went through a really tough time, but, you know, you obviously came out like on the better end because of it.
Hilary: [00:58:44] My daughter definitely changed my world, but I feel I don't feel like she changed me. And I think that I hear it. A lot of moms who have babies and they're like, you know, I mean, it's a totally different person. And I see the world in a different way now. And I think that's great. And I think that every person's experience is like, you know, their own and valid and all those things. And that's what I was expecting to happen. But I just feel like I'm still me. I just now have a daughter who's, like, the coolest fucking thing in this whole world. And I think I like. I like that it's like that for myself because. Before we made the decision to have a child, I wanted to make sure like I felt like my head was on straight. Like I wanted to feel like Kay, you know, I dealt with things I want to deal with in my life, and I kind of feel like I'm on a good track, like mentally more so than anything, right? And I feel like I feel really well enough to bring a child into the world. And I think that's why it didn't really like I didn't have this whole pivotal moment. It was like. I don't know. She's just an addition into her life. Yeah, she just fits in perfectly.
Christina: [00:59:59] She came into your life. That's. Well, that, you know, a lot of people have kids before doing any of that work that you did. So that makes that makes sense. Um. And of course, everyone goes through their personal, you know, like work. Let's say a period of like where they're having to do that more than ever in their life, or just a sense of like a awakening or becoming more woke and self-awareness and awareness of what's going on around you. Some people go through that in their 60s, their 70s. Like, not in between the age of 30 and 40 or in their 20s. Certainly not in their teens. You never know. But that's cool. That's cool to hear.
Hilary: [01:00:52] Yeah. I'm very like, I've always been someone like I'm very sure of myself and I'm very I trust myself and I always have trusted myself. So. I don't know. I'm just I'm proud of my life. I'm proud of the decision I've made so far. And there's been nothing that's really happened to me where I've had to, like, take a step back and, like, readjust everything around me, I guess. Um, which has been really nice. And I'm sure, you know, my spiritual awakening time is probably coming.
Christina: [01:01:26] Next week.Yeah, for sure. Next week.
Hilary: [01:01:28] But yeah, I don't know. I feel like. I feel pretty lucky in that regard. Obviously I've had struggles, but.
Christina: [01:01:41] You didn't stay stuck for too long?
Hilary: [01:01:43] No.Yeah.
Christina: [01:01:45] That's good. You know, I want my tattoo artist to be. To trust themselves. Um, so this all makes sense to me and makes me even more confident with what you're doing to me right now.
Hilary: [01:02:01] Awesome. Yeah.
Song 'I Don't Want to Say Goodbye To You': [01:02:11] I don't want to say goodbye to you. I don't want to say goodbye to you.
Heartbeat Hotline: [01:02:25] Welcome to the Heartbeat Hotline. 1-902-669-4769. I'm the host of a chat with Heart podcast, Christina Martin, and I'm so excited you called. Leave me your question, suggestion for the podcast, oor a comment about this episode. Please be aware your message may be used on the podcast and social media.Tell me your name, where you're calling from, and it's also fine if you want to remain anonymous. Thanks for listening. Have a great fucking day.
Christina: [01:02:59] Thanks for listening to A Chat with Heart podcast produced and written by me, Christina Martin, and co-produced and engineered by Dale Murray. Check out Dale's website dalemurray.ca. The podcast theme song 'Talk About It'and 'I Don't Want to Say Goodbye to You' were written by me and recorded by Dale Murray. You can find my music on Bandcamp and all the places you stream music. Visit my Patreon page to become a monthly or yearly supporter of this podcast and my music endeavors. If you're new to Patreon, it's a membership platform that helps creators get paid. Sign up at patreon.com/ChristinaMartin. I would love it if you had time to share, rate, leave a review and subscribe to A Chat with Heart on all the places you listen to podcasts. Wishing you, my little heartbeats, a great day.
