Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joaquin Villarino. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Joaquin, thanks for joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

My first dollar earned as a creative was at San Diego State University. At the time I was studying Graphic Design and one of my classes was Oil Painting. After we finished the first painting of the semester, the professor told me that the school was doing an exhibition and that I should submit my work to be part of it. Without hesitation, I did what he said. My painting was chosen to be part of it and in the end, it was awarded with best painting of the show. The school bought my painting after all and is currently exhibited in the Provost building until today.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m originally from Chile. I moved to the States 11 years ago to try a different air and ended up staying for good. I started my art career around 6 years ago after graduating as a graphic designer at San Diego State University. I moved to Los Angeles in 2020 right before covid started so in order to make a living I was painting murals and selling art. That did not go very well due to the situation in the country, so I decided to start my career as a tattoo artist. After a year and a half, I saved enough money to open my own studio with my Partner Maximiliano Novoa, and that’s when Alium Tattoo studio was created in Culver City. We have been open since July 2022 and the whole experience has been a journey. In the back area of the tattoo shop is where I have my art studio, where I spend most of my time painting and planning my next show “The Shedding”. I think what sets us apart from others is the great environment and team that we have at Alium. In a short period of time, we already partnered with big names such as Tinder, been invited to many events, and people keep rewarding us with 5-star reviews! you guys can check our work at @aliumtattoostudio and my personal work at @villano_artist

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The feeling of doing what you love and what makes you fall in love with is with no doubt the best life to live, but being an artist as the poet Rilke would say, comes as an internal obligation. I must paint, I must create, I must obligate myself to follow the deadlines, Which can be a blessing and a course too. But even tho I am bound to express myself in a canvas or in any other way of art it is still the most exciting life I could ever imagine.

The reward of being an artist is not being able to be anything else and somehow being everything and everyone in what I create.

I think that most artists would agree on this one, what can be better than doing what you love for a living? The gratification you feel every time you finish a piece of art is hard to explain. that goes with paintings, tattoos, murals, sculptures, and anything related to art. that we are not slaves of our gift. As an artist, you need to have a schedule,

I think that most artists would agree on this one, what can be better than doing what you love for a living? The gratification you feel every time you finish a piece of art is hard to explain. that goes with paintings, tattoos, murals, sculptures, and anything related to art. The feeling of doing what you love and what makes you fall in love with is with no doubt the best life to live, but being an artist as the poet Rilke would say, comes as an internal obligation. I must paint, I must create, I must follow the deadlines, Which can be a blessing and a curse too. But even tho I am bound to express myself in a canvas or in any other way of art it is still the most exciting life I could ever imagine.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I started my business I was not very good at managing people. This certainly challenged me in deeper ways than expected. At some point, that damaged my career and my relationships due to how I approached and dealt with situations. Being a leader is not easy and you need to understand how to approach each individual differently, that is something that I had to work for and I still do, to be a better person and a better leader. Seeing people leave my business due to my actions was something very stressful and helpful too, because it made me realize I was doing things the wrong way and something needed to change.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @joaquinvillarinoart