We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Trang Huynh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Trang, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
The process of building my confidence and self esteem took years of work that expanded well into adulthood. If we rewind my journey, I grew up in a negative and trauma filled environment. I lived a very sheltered childhood. My parents created a strict routine for me and my siblings that didn’t allow for any distractions outside of school, chores and homework. Extracurricular activities, hobbies, and a social life were non-existent. Naturally that lead me to become rebellious and experimental as a young adult. I honestly have no regrets in most of the decisions I made throughout my 20’s. In hindsight, those experiences actually helped shape my identity. It forced me to be out of my comfort zone and to eliminate self doubt. But, I have to say that the major pivoting moment for me is when I made the decision to go to culinary school. I discovered artistic skills I never thought existed. I began setting goals for myself that aligned with my interests. From there it enabled me to embrace my talent, strengths, weaknesses and achievements.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My creative journey started in 2006 as a pastry chef turned cake artist and now fast forward-a tattoo artist and the owner of Revel in Artistry. A cosmetic brow tattoo is what sparked a career change in the beauty industry. I picked my artist’s brain about her profession and realized In some ways, there are technical aspects of being a chef that are transferable-just translated through different mediums. So in 2021, I took a huge leap of faith and enrolled in a training program to be certified in ombré powder brows. From there it eventually lead to me to a couple more certifications in fine line tattoos and scalp micropigmentation.
I see people as art canvases. Whether cosmetic or body art tattoos, my vision is to celebrate the uniqueness and beauty in each individual. I love that I’m able to help my clients build confidence and promote self expression through my creativity.
It’s incredible waking up everyday knowing I have full autonomy over my work. The creative process behind tattooing is super intriguing to me. In future state, I definitely see myself training other permanent make-up artists in linework tattoos and offering apprenticeships.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My top three-
One, not to be afraid of failure. Instead of viewing failure as a setback, take it as an opportunity to learn and grow from your mistakes. By learning to persevere through failure, we develop resilience, determination, and the ability to achieve success.
Two, be authentic. Stay true to who you are rather than living up to societal pressures and expectations. Make decisions based on your own values. It empowers you to embrace your uniqueness and contributes to your overall happiness.
Three, practice self-care. Engage in activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Our emotional, mental and physical well being is so important in managing stress. The burnout is real as an artist and business owner. Work life balance is key in being a better you in all aspects of life.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
I’m impatient with the fact that I’m still a small business. My mind wants to tell me to “make it big”, but I continue to remind myself to enjoy the pursuit of growth as an artist. Passion supersedes any amount of money or fame. I actively explore and challenge myself with new techniques in my craft to allow more doors to open. I know those steps will eventually guide me to more opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://msha.ke/revelinartistry
- Instagram: @revel_in_artistry_ink
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/revelinartistry
