October 11, 2024 • 53 mins
Ever wondered how art can offer healing in times of emotional turmoil? Join us as we welcome J. Salvador, the creative genius behind Super Emo Friends, who reshaped his artistic journey by turning superheroes into relatable, humorously sad characters. Jay’s story truly highlights how art can serve as a bridge to mental well-being. From his early days as a touring painter to an unexpected transition into tattooing, we discuss the therapeutic nature of art for both creators and those who engage with it.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Jay Salvador from.
Super Emo Friends and I'mexcited to be part of the new
season of our Oasis communityright here.
I hope to hear you guys soon.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Hello beautiful souls and welcome to our Oasis
community podcast.
I am Dr Roldan, your host.
I am a doctor in clinicalpsychology, a BIPOC therapist
professor and a mindful somaticcoach.
While I am a therapist,remember I'm not your therapist.
This podcast is not asubstitute for professional
(00:34):
mental health care, but we haveresources in our website and
Instagram to support you in thatsearch.
Join us for a cozy, feltconversation about mental health
, personal growth andmindfulness.
We explore tools to care foryour mind, your body and your
soul.
Check the footnotes fordisclaimer, trigger warnings and
(00:56):
additional resources for eachone of the episodes.
So grab your favorite cup oftea, coffee or hot chocolate,
wrap yourself in a warm blanketand find a coffee spot here with
us to be kind to be brave, loudand strong in your search of
(01:17):
mental health wellness.
Welcome to your Oasis, to youroasis.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
My name is Jay Salvador and I am an artist
living in Los Angeles, but Iwill soon be traveling a lot.
I've got a bunch of cons that Ido.
I sell my art at comicconventions.
I've got a lot of fans andcollectors.
I've been doing it since about2009,.
(01:42):
And it's just been the mostrewarding, craziest experience
I'd ever had.
Yeah, so at this point it'sbeen about what 12 years or
something that I've just kind ofbeen doing this.
I haven't worked really.
I haven't had a job.
(02:09):
It's really surreal to be inthis place, but my art is unique
because it has sad characters,but they're funny and sometimes
people laugh.
Yeah, there's the book.
Sometimes people laugh,sometimes people cry.
Sometimes it's just supposed tobe thought-provoking and
emotionally charged, butemotionally being funny is kind
(02:31):
of the primary emotion that Iwant to convey through my art.
Along the way of conventions andtouring around meeting people
in all these different cities,there was always like a little
niche of therapists andcounselors.
(02:53):
They would just be like yourart is great.
This is what our communityloves.
We need to talk about feelings.
We need to normalize depressionfeelings.
We need to normalize depression.
Um, and having having sadfeelings are even superheroes
(03:13):
get the blues is one of these umheadlines.
That a podcaster, so they wentviral in 2009.
There's all these articles thatcame out and they're and
through that I was just kind ofsurprised.
I was like, wow, I was justbeing a sad Batman, you know.
But there were so manydifferent layers to it for
people and for therapists thatthey were really attracted to it
(03:34):
.
So I illustrated a book, atherapy book for somebody.
Of course, I met you, doctor,and just being able to find a
crowd that was more in the helpand the self-help, because
sometimes I feel like my art,like what's the point of this
art?
It's just like it's not doinganything to make the world
(04:00):
better.
And people always say like no,no, your art is healing, it
helps.
It's like so therapeutic, and Isay, okay, well, if that's the
case, I'll keep doing it.
So, yeah, I continue to keepdoing it and I've slowed down a
little bit right now becauseafter over a decade, I mean
(04:21):
burnout is real.
I feel like I've done and saidwhat I needed to do with it.
You know, I'm going to the samecause and I'm just there's so
many emo friends I have toeither get rid of some, make
room for new ones, like how manymore do I need to tell this
(04:41):
story?
Do I need to tell this story?
And?
But recently I started totransition to learn how to do
tattooing and that's just kindof like we'll be artists, so now
you're doing tattooing too,yeah.
And it's funny because I washelping out at a shop last night
(05:02):
and this woman comes in and itwas like a Friday the 13th flash
, so tattoos were 20 bucks andyou could get like, and this
woman comes in and it was like aFriday the 13th flash sale, so
tattoos were 20 bucks and youcould get like these little
tattoos.
And this woman comes in andshe's just like I think I need
to come back, like tomorrow, andit's like oh yeah.
She's like, yeah, this istherapy, like for real, like
(05:23):
this is therapy, and I'm likewhoa, so tattooing is therapy
too.
Real, Like this is therapy, andI'm like whoa, so tattooing is
therapy too.
So I'm still in the right worldBecause, yeah, I would just
tell the customers there's a lotof first timers there and we're
just like welcomed Somebodywho's like welcome to the
disease or something like that,where you're just addicted to
this physical pain of the needleand the ink.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
And hearing that as kind of a form of therapy was
fascinating to me, so yeahthat's my spiel.
Thank you so much for that.
So I or community or Oasiscommunity, what we do is give us
space to grab what you need, uh, and take a break, kind of like
it was a bow tie for you, whenyou say, oh, burnout, because
(06:12):
even artists and when we do ourpassion, we love it right, but
also when we overdo it, itbecome not anymore healthy for
us um and yes that Salvador andI we met when I was not a doctor
yet, I was still in school, ohwow.
And yeah, like was back in theday.
I remember when I was you know,like becoming a therapist is
(06:37):
very, very strict, the way thatthey teach you and do and
whatever and I was like, no, ithas to be more than just this
type.
You know, like I, I can reacheither teenage years or, in my
case, I work with firstresponders in active duty,
talking about heroes havingfeelings oh, wow, and I show
them yeah, and I remember thatuh one time in those uh crazy
(07:01):
conventions uh I met him and saythere is any way that you can
give me all your tissues.
He was looking at me like whatRemember.
And he was like what do youwant tissues for?
Because that was a reminder tomy clients.
I will give it to them and saygo check this, find your
favorite character and we talkabout it.
(07:22):
And then we'll find somebody andthat will open it to talk and
to heal because, like you say,it's so representative of
stories that we have gonethrough or um, you know it's
easier to talk in a third personversus your own story we can
talk about.
Uh, for example, I'm a superfan of studio jubilee, as you
(07:44):
can see, I have two of yourthings.
And even the tattoo too.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
So that's why I was like you do tattoos, Tattoos.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
And it's because their stories are so beautiful
and so mindful.
And the same with my clients.
Right, I have like three ofyour books in my clinic and I
always say grab your favorite uhor characters to talk.
So my question to you is how doyou start to do this cartoon?
(08:12):
So this art for us is art, andwhat drive you to it?
It was just something that justhappened, or you do it as a way
to find a voice, or it was ahealing process for you.
Can you walk us through that?
Speaker 1 (08:26):
yeah, I mean, it's kind of interesting.
I was, um, you know I'm meetingas I'm getting into the tattoo
world.
I'm trying to like find amentor and like, hey, I want to
learn tattoo, will you teach me?
And they're like who are youright?
Well, I'm this artist that didall these paintings and I've
(08:47):
been touring the you know thecountry for 12 years and, um, so
I've got a lot of fans andcollectors.
I, I'm an artist.
They're like, okay, cool, um,but they see the emo friends.
And I'm like, wait, but I doother stuff too.
But it's been so long since I'vedone other stuff that I had to
dig out artwork from high school.
(09:08):
And some of this artwork isjust like really like dark and
sad.
And I was like, well, I'm justseeing like the technical skill
and I'm like these are great.
I was a good artist in highschool, right?
Um, and I'm showing them to thementors.
I showed my friend and she'slike wow, were you really sad
(09:31):
back then too?
And I'm like, oh, I guess theseare kind of moody.
And I'm like, yeah, I guess,but, um, I don't know, just kind
of like being unhappy a lot.
I guess.
(09:51):
That's like I'm pretty prone tobeing unhappy and I I forgot
about it because I'm still likesuper happy.
Just from the tattoo world thatI tapped into that, I'm just
like charged up again.
But I, looking back, I'm like,oh yeah, there was a depression.
There was a depression, therewas a depression and I realized
(10:13):
that even even doing art waslike not making me happy.
It's like, okay, this is, I'mnot, I'm not good enough, I'm
never gonna get a job.
You know, I'm trying to getbecome an animator, I'm trying
to become a game.
You know, character designerand I just see everybody's art.
You know that's doing it.
I'm like I'm not good, nevermind, I'm not an artist.
(10:35):
So I started to abandon theidea of being an artist because
everybody was so much betterthan me.
Um, but I had a girlfriend.
This was like 2000, 2009, and Iwas just kind of like freaking
out about my life where am Igonna do?
What am I gonna do?
Actually, girlfriend, I don'tthink we should be together
(10:59):
because I'm just not in a goodplace to be in a relationship
and like I, I think we need tobreak up.
And she was just like what?
And it just like destroyedeverything.
And I woke up the next day justfeeling awful.
It's like, oh my God, I'm likethe worst person in the world
(11:23):
and I this was like at a partytoo, and I was like drunk and
didn't know.
But the next morning I'mlooking through my sketchbook
and I had drawn something thatnight.
It was the Batman saying myparents are dead Because the
friend of mine made like a jokeabout it or something.
And I just sketched it and Isaw it the next morning and I
(11:43):
was like that's cute, that'sreally dark, that's depressing.
And I was like that's cute,that's really dark, that's
depressing.
And I was like just depressedall weekend.
I just, you know, broke up withmy girlfriend feeling stupid
and then, um, I was like youknow what?
I'm just gonna paint this rightnow, and I just painted the sad
batman and then I was feelingbetter.
I was like, oh, what else isthere?
(12:05):
There's spider-man, there'srogue, there's wolverine, like
all these characters that I knewthat were so mighty and
powerful, and just kind of likenailing them where it might hurt
the most in some sort of ironicway.
Like wolverine, everyone'sgetting old, wolverine doesn't
age and I have that feelingmyself where I'm in my mid-40s
(12:26):
and people still think I'm likewhat I thought you were like in
your early 30s or somethingright.
I'm like, yeah, I know right,like the curse of like not aging
and everybody else around yougetting old and dying and stuff
like that's what makes wolverinesad, like even though he's made
out of all this, you know finemetals and and in just like
(12:50):
invincible.
But um, so, tapping into thosethings like just cheered me up.
I was painting those was like ohwow, like I feel better, kind
of.
I mean, eventually, I likeapologized to my girlfriend.
We got together again.
Then it didn't last much longer, but you know, young love is
(13:12):
dumb.
So, uh, I ended up just kind ofcreating the emo friends out of
that experience and to thinkthat everybody just like rushed
it.
What this?
This is amazing, this is thecoolest thing.
Like you need to make prints ofthese.
Hey, bring these to my gallery,hey, sell these at my shop, hey
(13:33):
, put these up at the con.
And I'm like whoa, whoa.
This was like one of thedumbest times of my life, the
saddest, dumbest times of mylife, and this came out of it.
Saddest times of my life, andthis came out of it.
And so being able to like, haveemotional, like feelings from
the real world and then kind oflike finding a fictional
(13:54):
character that kind of has somesimilar kind of experience, and
just seeing that the beststories are emotional stories.
That you look back at olddisney films and people are just
like bawling their eyes outwhen his mom gets shot or
whatever, right or time or, youknow, all dogs go to heaven like
it's like oh my gosh, it'sso sad.
(14:16):
It's like, well, that's kind ofrequired in good storytelling,
you know, and nowadays the therefilm because I'm a film nerd,
obviously my, my art is areflection of kind of like film
criticism as well writing andstory and character development.
But yeah, more stories recentlylike they just they don't
(14:38):
really go sad, no, hardly deepand dark.
It's like, wow, there'ssomebody I connect with and so
the emo friends, the super emofriends, what happened was
seeing how people connected withthese characters in such
emotional ways.
There's a Doctor who print thatI have that just says I don't
(14:59):
want to go, and that's liketraumatic for people.
They come up and they see thatand they're just like, oh, and
they like walk away and they'relike, oh, this isn't good for
sales, but that's a best-sellingprint, you know.
Right, Because it like justtouches somebody with that
emotion and they want thatemotional feeling.
There's something out there,that pain, that tattoo thing.
(15:22):
Like I need to feel the painand I have a never-ending story
piece like the most traumaticmoment in everyone's childhood
is when a trade whose horse,artex, sinks because he's sad,
and he literally sinks becausehe's sad and it traumatized
(15:42):
everybody and you know jet xers,but we're all connected on that
and I made that pin and it's abest-selling pin and people like
, why did you make this?
And I just say you know it's soI can find my people, so we can
connect, so we can understand.
We're all trauma bonding overthis scene from this movie and
(16:04):
it makes us all kind of likeequal and understand each other
in a way, each other in a way.
So my art and connecting to likeemotional moments like that
they're getting harder andharder to come by, um, so I
think that's sticking with the80s and at early 90s and stuff
(16:24):
like that it's there, but, um,it's not always easy because I
don't want to just exploittragedy and depression and
sadness.
I want to like make light of it.
I want to make it seem like, oh, hey, yeah, remember that, yeah
, I remember that, but also likewe're feeling better now, right
(16:49):
Connecting with people on thosekind of feelings.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Right, and the beauty of, and I don't think you,
normally artists don't recognizehow beautiful and wonderful and
cathartic the art is for therest of us, right?
Right Because you're in thethick of it.
One time when we were in one ofthe conventions I grabbed one
of my friends like no, you haveto come and see this.
It's like you have to Right.
(17:14):
Thank you.
And she was like, oh, this is sogreat, they were so creepy,
this is blah, blah, blah.
And I was like I understand whyyou feel like that, because you
have never experienced any ofthis.
You know some, some of some ofus are more privileged than
others and they haven'texperienced certain traumas.
Some of us are more privilegedthan others and they haven't
(17:35):
experienced certain traumas.
But I was like but no, this isamazing because it's making you
react and actually now we canhave a conversation of like why
do you like this?
Like you say Batman, and we'relike why do you like this?
Because I have many people thathave lost their parents through
war X, y and Z.
And we can talk about it.
We can talk about Batman beforeI can talk to them.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Right right.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
And your art does that right.
And when we were talking withher, we were talking like
remember Picasso, everybodythought that he was crazy
because he did squares andshapes and everything.
And then everybody else willsee decades later how beautiful
his art was, because he was inthat um frenzy of like
everything doesn't make senseand we don't fit anywhere, right
(18:16):
when the changing come and Ilove that your art, like you say
, it's not so much trauma bondas more, as much as this trauma
understanding, like youunderstand trauma and don't shy
from it, right Like the problemthat we have in this epidemic of
mental health that we have,which it has been for years.
It's not just now, now we talkabout it, but you were one of
(18:40):
those pioneers that allow peopleto talk about it that allow to
to to say hey you know I havethis piece of art.
Let me talk about it.
Or for the parents out there ifyour kids or teens are
listening or writing or drawingthings that they may seem scary
for you, ask them why they'redoing that.
(19:02):
What is the connection in there?
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Because art is meant to be talked about and felt it
and your art makes three thingsthings makes or child memories.
Because, like you say, like weall got traumatized when bambi
got shot, like yeah the mom islike I can't believe they did
that, or um the ending story,and now I feel like the new
(19:26):
generations don't get that,because they like you say, the
movies and the new art is not asgood as it used to be back in
the day but.
I think it's because before, inthe 80s and 90s, where we're not
allowed to talk about that, sowe have to find outlets.
Oh interesting, yeah to talkabout it now we are allowed a
little, but you said that therewas an outlet for you, for your,
(19:47):
for your mental health, right,a reflection of how were you
feeling, um, which I'm very glad.
Now that you say, like, well,now I'm going to tattoos, which
I was like, oh no, he's feelinga different way, which is great.
So what kind of message youwould like to send to either the
fans or the people that doesn'tknow you about your art?
Because the beauty of art isthat live past the person that
(20:10):
created, live through decades.
It live to many, many, manyyears after you almost like a
legacy.
So I I, when you say, um, I'm a,I feel like I'm not good enough
, I feel like this and that Iwas like.
Well, picasso always felt likethat too, and look where he
ended.
So, um, how do you see yourselfin the future Knowing what you
(20:34):
know now, like?
Your art is love, and you havefans all over, not just here in
the United States or in LatinAmerica, you have around the
world fans.
So how that makes you feel andwhat you go from here.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Oh wow.
Well, like I said, it does feela little like been there, done
that and I was going through,especially after covet, I didn't
know what would happen ifconventions never came back.
That's what covet, my career,felt like.
It was just like okay, you'redone.
(21:09):
Because that was, I quit my jobto do cons.
So without cons, without people, it was I was a nobody again.
Luckily there were, there wereways to sell online with there's
like pop shop live that cameout during covid, which is kind
(21:29):
of a QVC type thing like hey,buy my pin, push this button and
I'll ship it to you.
And then I was selling all myoriginal paintings I had.
I was hoarding my originalpaintings of all the emo friends
and I was like I'm just gonnasave them, you know, for my
funeral costs.
You know, that's like my darkhumor.
And then it was well, kovitzhere, so maybe I'll sell this
(21:53):
painting and people would buythem all.
And I was like, whoa, they'restill out, my fans are still
here, they, they're buying myart and uh.
So I survived through that.
But it did go through my mindof like, yeah, but I should be
ready in case it happens again.
What else can I do?
Also burnout, and you know, Idid this show like for 30 years
(22:17):
and my sales just keep droppingand it's kind of like that where
I'm like I need to diversify, Ineed to change, I need to, I
need to do something new.
Because people come by likethese are still great, man, good
to see you, and they walk away.
You know like what can I dothat will bring that person and
excite them about what I'm doing, but also excite me about what
(22:38):
I'm doing.
So I was losing the steam andthe motivation to keep going
with emo friends and I ended upsearching everywhere like long
term, like you're saying, likewhere do I see the future?
And I was like, well, what if Igot into real estate?
What if I got into hvac orplumbing or electric solar,
(23:00):
became a carpenter, like thingsthat had basically took the emo
friends and just said, okay, andthat was a past life, that's it
, never again, right?
And that was like the death ofthe emo friend, that was the
death of the artist.
And I'm like, oh man, I startstudying these things like this
is cool and all.
(23:20):
But then it hit me like I'm inmy mid 40s, I'm taking a welding
class, everybody in here islike 19 and 22 and they're gonna
go to the navy and they'regonna become like, or they're
gonna go to aerospace, you know.
But I show up in my 40s and I'mlike who are you like?
What have you been doing?
Like, why are you doing weldingnow?
(23:42):
And it's like, yeah, I don'tknow, man, I don't know what I'm
doing.
And then somehow the universepointed me, put the tattoo world
in my hand and it was like wait, I can still be an artist.
But it's like welding, but I'man artist, but I can still
(24:03):
travel.
But, like, and my mind justblew up and I said I'm still an
artist and I can still be emofriends and I can still all my
decade of of doing this is stillrelevant and it can be added on
to the tattoos.
So now, when I starting thetattoos, it's not like who are
(24:24):
you like, why?
Why are you here now?
Like it's like oh wow, you'reactually an artist you actually
have fans, you actually havemerchandise and t-shirts and you
tour and you have everything.
You're ready, right, just learnhow to tattoo yeah, you just
need the technique yeah and andlike that like gave me like the
(24:46):
life of, just like.
Okay, I see a future now.
I see a future where I am doinga con in Chicago and then I'm
going to the tattoo studio anddoing a guest spot, meeting fans
there, traveling all over theworld doing tattooing yeah,
hanging out with it.
It really does come down to likewho are my people, who are my
(25:10):
family, like?
If I go into welding'm like allright, cool, these people are
very different from me, right.
If I go into carpentry, thesepeople are very different from
me.
Even.
I felt like that even in theconvention world I feel like the
convention people are kind ofdifferent from me.
Most of them have like daytimejobs, but even then it's more of
(25:35):
like the grind, the merchandise, all that kind of stuff.
And I was getting kind ofdepressed about products.
I was getting depressed aboutmaking more and more plastic and
more stuff and boxes of toyseverywhere.
I was like I don't want to makea toy.
That seems like wasteful to me.
I'd rather tattoo a person.
(25:56):
I mean, I throw away a lot ofrubber gloves and plastic pieces
and stuff, but it's still likeall right, I don't need a
storage unit for my art.
And from there I just felt likea sense of freedom, like I
could still be an artist and Icould still travel and I could
still make money.
So I see the future stayingconsistent with everything that
(26:20):
I've done, but just adding awhole new market to it.
And these artists that I washanging out with at the tattoo
studio last night, I felt like Ibelonged with them.
I felt like we knew each otherour whole lives.
So they're real artists andthey're taking their business
seriously Because there's a lotof artists I know that hate
their job, that aren't gettingwork, that are struggling to
(26:43):
sell their art.
The tattoo artists are theirown boss in most cases and
they're making decent money andthey're hardworking and they're
clean and, you know, respectful.
That's the ones I'm meeting, soI just felt like this is my
future, this is what I'm doing.
I'm going to be an artist and Ican still do the cons and I'm
(27:07):
going to be great at tattooingand everything that has to do
with this depression of the emofriends and all that kind of
stuff still carries over.
I can now tattoo my art thatI've already designed people.
I already have my flash sheet.
It's like yeah, pick any emofriend, I'll put them right now,
(27:28):
right right and so like thatjust makes me really excited
about the future.
Uh, for, for my art, so justmaking sure you know I take care
of my hands and my health andmy, my heart, and and be ready
for what comes next.
And it's funny, you know, justtalking about the, the therapy
(27:49):
of the needle, like the pain ofthat.
That's where it's funny.
You know, just talking aboutthe, the therapy of the needle,
like the pain of that, that'swhere it's like whoa, now my art
is actually making you cry withwith a needle.
I saw a girl last night.
She came.
It was her first tattoo.
Oh and uh, she's like I need itsomewhere hidden.
(28:10):
I'm thinking like right here,like under under, you know, like
my shirt.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
I bet what hurts the most.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Yeah, and the guy who was doing the tattoo, he used a
coil which punches harder, soshe comes in.
I was like I don't know, do wereally want to put a coil on
this poor girl's ribs right now?
And they're just like go for it.
And I saw her out of the wholeday.
(28:36):
We must have had like I don'tknow 200 people and she was just
like crying, like holding onher boyfriend, just like, and
I'm like, oh man, that's crazy,she was like this.
And I'm like now oh man, that'scrazy, she was like this.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
And I'm like no, that's super emo, right and
people I mean, depending on thegeneration.
We have to remember that theexpression of pain takes
different forms.
Some of us use music artphysical.
Like crossfitters, they puttheir body through.
Yeah right the same thing,right, they feel like yeah, I
(29:20):
almost broke my leg but I didthat.
Jump Tattooing is also.
The beautiful thing abouttattooing is that, like you say,
it's pain in the real form,no-transcript kind of traumatic
experiences you get to passthrough it and you get to
survive it.
But the most important part, youco-regulate with the person
(29:44):
that is doing the tattoo, right?
The tattoo artist is like it'sokay, the uni break.
You know, they give you thatkind of self-soothing that
sometimes a lot of people don'thave because they have never
been taught how to care forthemselves or love themselves.
And it's easier to love acharacter and when you have it
in you, then you learn how tolove you too so for everybody
(30:08):
out there that thinks like, ooh,tattoos it's only for bad
people.
No, tattoos is a form of art andalso a form of expression to
continue a communication.
Because, to tell you how manytimes I, literally, when I go to
the convention, so anywhere,literally anywhere, uh, and they
grab my arm, like like let mesee that.
(30:29):
And I'm like oh, and I'm likethat is amazing.
And because I am a therapist,one of the uh spots in my tattoo
is a semicolon which meanscontinuing, just take a pause.
And a lot of people that hasgone through that understand it
and they always ask me why doyou have that?
(30:51):
And I'm like, oh, because Ihave a lot of patients and et
cetera that I have lost or X, Yand Z, and that creates a
conversation of healing for themand also for me to give them
resources, because you know,especially in the Latino
community or any kind of BIPOCcommunity, if we're brown, we
don't like to go to therapy.
Therapy is like the devil right.
(31:12):
So we utilize other things toself-soothe and to take care of
ourselves.
In your experience, what itwill be, I don't know your
advice or your experience abouteither going to therapy with a
coach or something to help youwith your mental health besides
your art.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Oh yeah, sometimes it's almost like the door is
just kind of cracked when peoplesee my art and they're like are
you OK?
And I'm like I am now like Itake all my emotional trauma and
I just paint it out and here itis for you to see.
But I, I'm able to, and sothere's a little conversation of
(31:56):
mental health there, but I'mnot an expert and I'm not
selling it and I don't try to bea therapist or anything like
that, but there is a way topromote it.
Yeah, therapy is good.
Now, during COVID, I wastrapped in a house with a girl
that became my ex-girlfriend andthat was very traumatic to deal
(32:22):
with because I that's for melike relationships are always
like the most emo thing in mylife, like I haven't.
Well, I don't.
I have good relationships withfriends, like my family,
everything's fine, but when itcomes to me and girlfriends,
it's just like, oh, I'm soterrible at this, but that that
(32:43):
kind of thing was like OK, whatis therapy?
Because I really need it rightnow.
What, what is going on?
I'm tired of feeling this way.
I'm tired of thinking this way.
How do I stop this now?
Way, how do I stop this now?
(33:06):
So, feeling that like trapped inyour mind and in your how you
call it like reactions or it'sjust kind of like reactive, of
when you see this person andyou're just like where you like
become somebody else when yousee this person and I'm like I
wish I didn't become someoneelse when I see this person.
So I dove into and I don't knowif I have adhd.
(33:29):
My sister has it, her son hasit.
I've never been like tested forit, but I look at it and I'm
like, hmm, is it possible?
I have that?
So I researched that and lookat all these things and,
assuming that I do have it, Iwas like, okay.
So my brain is very analyticaland like way to like it's ironic
(33:52):
because I'm kind of like not anemotional person when in in the
, in the real world, I'm justkind of like dude, relax, like
relax, like what's wrong withyou?
You know, like when people arefreaking out, I didn't really
ever understand it.
But then, as I like was likeWait, wait, do I have ADHD?
Do they have ADHD?
And also like, well, what'sgoing on in our brain?
(34:14):
So I started researchingcognitive distortion therapy.
I forget the name of the doctor.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
CBT.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
Okay, yeah.
And I was just going down thelist and my brain was like, oh
yeah, this is what's happening.
It was like head and hearttalking to each other.
Catch yourself thinking likethis, catch yourself feeling
like this.
So I just got better at that,because I think a lot of us,
(34:43):
especially I don't know myadvice to mental health is like
stop and think about how youfeel.
Like, why do you feel this way?
Did you think about it or areyou just letting your feelings
do it for you, right?
And and I found myself in thatposition where I get a feeling
(35:06):
and I just, ok, let's go there,let's let's get on this feeling,
ride all the way into this tree, right?
And it's like, wait, wait, wait, this feeling is here.
I have to stop and wonderwhat's going to happen with this
feeling, where is this takingme and why is it here again?
(35:27):
So I just I spent, you know, theCOVID era, just kind of telling
my brain that it's just a brainlike you are doing things that
are just habits.
You've created habits in yourthinking and in your persona and
your feelings and those habitsare not good.
(35:50):
So, like, how do you undo that?
And it's helped, it's helped mea lot and I I do retreat a lot
from like, oh well, I don't wantto offend anybody or upset
people, so I'm just gonna likenot go outside ever again, you
know, and now I feel like moreconfidence to actually just be
(36:13):
there and be out there in theworld.
Hey, I, I can handle myself, myemotions, my thoughts, and to
me that's like the main mainadvice is like what is your
brain doing to you right now?
Speaker 2 (36:29):
right, what is controlling you?
And I love what you say, likeyou were, like I just became I
say this always to people justbecome curious why you do what
you do.
You know.
Just become curious, like, ifyou overthink, what do I
overthink?
If my feelings take over mycontrol everything, why do I do
that?
And, like there is colors inthe rainbow, there is different
(36:52):
types of therapy for differenttypes of things.
Right, like, for example, foryou, because you wanted to
understand more your cognition,cognitive behavior therapy was
like chest kiss for you and thenwhen we have a lot, of trauma.
We do trauma therapy, emdr, etcetera.
But there was one thing thatyou said, that at your 40s you
(37:15):
start thinking I may haveattention deficit disorder.
And in our society there isthis thing that they say, oh,
now everybody has attentiondeficit disorder, now everybody
has depression, as I do, x, yand Z.
I'm like no, we have had itforever.
We just never talk about it, wenever understood about it.
And there is this thing withpeople that has certain types of
(37:36):
attention deficit disorder thatthey become more susceptible to
take really, really hardrejection, kind of like what you
were saying.
Like and then you learn toreject yourself because it's
easier than being rejected bysomebody.
So in the notes of the podcastI will put a self-assessment if
(37:57):
you want to take it forattention deficit disorder to
start a conversation with aprofessional or with somebody
that you trust because no matterthe age.
It's always nice to know notwhat's wrong with me, but what
happened to me and why life isgoing like this, because there
is nothing wrong with people 's.
(38:17):
Just we don't know what isgoing on.
And if we, don't know what'sgoing on.
We cannot help, and I adorewhat you just said.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
And also, adhd runs in families yeah, that that's uh
, that's awesome because,honestly, like when I heard,
when I started learning aboutadhd and seeing like behavior
kind of things, I was like, hey,this is kind of a nice little
instruction booklet that I canfollow of, like oh, if you have
(38:47):
this, then this, then this, I'mlike okay, let's just assume
that I have that, yeah, that Ican be aware of.
Like, okay, this is what happenshere and there and there.
So so, when, when I do get into, like, the talking to people
about mental health, it doeshave to do with, like you know,
it's like being an X man, youknow, you remember the X man.
(39:09):
Everybody has, like their superspecial power.
Yes, like like me, I have aspecial power.
Yeah, of course I'm.
It's going to cause some faultshere and there in different
environments, but at least I'maware of it.
Like, oh, hey, this is aperfect opportunity for me to
use my ADHD, you know.
(39:30):
So it's never for me.
It actually became empoweringto even consider it instead of
just like what's wrong with me.
It's like, oh, if it's this,then cool, I'll accept that and
see what kind of tools are givento people like that that have
it.
And it's just everybody canlearn something from everybody.
(39:53):
And even if you, you have allthese, yeah, disabilities or
learning disorders, it's like,oh, I'm not the only one, right,
right, and that makes it feelnormal and you're not a weirdo.
It's like, oh good, I'm aweirdo, sweet.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
But that's the point right, we all are a weirdo which
is don't know what kind, but weall are a weirdo which don't
know what kind, but we all areone yeah you know, uh, any
dependence of the change of oursociety.
Uh, it changed the weirdoacceptance right, like once upon
a time if you were a lefty thatwas a bad thing like, yeah, I'm
a lefty me too, but they they.
(40:38):
They make me be a right-handedbecause back the day they didn't
let you write with your left,right, left.
I write really horrible with myright, but the thing that
helped me is I'm very good withpiano because I can separate.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
Oh nice.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
And all that help what I used to hate.
Because I hate it, I was like,oh my god, why they're doing
this to me and why this ishappening.
It become a superpower becauseI can do two things.
I can divide my brain right yeah, and with people that have
attention deficit disorder andyou should discover that as an
adult, you're like, uh, right,and they're like.
(41:16):
It gives you some kind ofrelief, like that's what.
It was so hard because it wasnot meant for me.
The, the, the environment wasliterally against what I, how I
learned and what I do, becausepeople with attention deficit
disorder are the most amazingartists that you can meet.
Um, in different, in differentregimens, right, right.
(41:37):
Also, when you become obsessedabout something, you are the
best on it.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
Yeah, yeah, Like true yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
So for anybody out there that has attention deficit
disorder or you think you haveattention deficit disorder, or
you think your loved one or yourdad has it or your mom start
this conversation Like say, hey,have you ever feel like this?
Have you ever done this?
And the other thing, if youhave a youngster and you think
they have it, you can totallyuse this.
(42:05):
Dr roland has it, salvador hasit and we have a form of it and
it makes it so special and socaring and so loving to others
because we know how he feels.
So.
So instead of asking what'swrong with me, ask what happened
to me or what is around me.
That is not making sense.
So, thank you for that.
(42:26):
Thank you for saying becauseCOVID, everybody is when had
more access to mental health.
But we still have moreconversations to do, especially
in our communities.
But I love that you said findyour community in our
communities.
But I love that you said findyour community, find your
superpower and find yourself inthe darkest times to find the
out.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
Thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
And, as a final thought, what you would like to
share with our audience, wherewe can find you.
What is your next big thingthat you're going to do?
I know now we have to get inline to get to you to have a new
tattoo, so that will be amazing.
So tell us what you're doingnow.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
Yeah, for now I'm going through a big change in my
life because I've been livingin a home in East la for six
years, but it's sold andsomebody's moving in the owner
and uh, we have to leave me andall the housemates, including my
ex-girlfriend.
We're all moving out at somepoint, I think in the next,
(43:33):
within a month, and uh, but Ihave all these cons lined up.
So, as you, uh, as right afterthe four and after this
interview, I'm basically packing, getting things like together,
and it's okay, I'm ready, I'vebeen wanting to get out of here
for years, but I didn't knowwhere to go.
(43:55):
That was another thing thatprompted my like.
What am I going to do?
Because I've been paying cheaprent and I'm like once I'm out
of here.
I'm not going to have any moremoney, I'm just.
I've been living like doingcons and then just vacationing
Like I'm comfortable.
I was too comfortable.
So now it's like and now Ifigured out, oh, tattoo.
So I feel a little bit ofrelief that I can like post up
(44:18):
with my parents out in, uh, thisis the antelope valley,
lancaster.
That's where I grew up, that'swhere the tattoo shop I was at
last night, all day I mean, butI'm gonna go out there.
And then I've got like new yorkcomic con.
I've got la comic con.
I've got salt lake city.
I've got one in ontario nextweekend.
(44:38):
I've got one in Burbank inDecember.
I thought about doing designercon in Vegas.
I don't know.
I don't know what I'm doing.
Really.
In November I think I'm housesitting in LA, things like that
I'm I'm just going to be kind ofall over the place.
So I, because I won't have acrazy rent to pay, my parents
(45:02):
are luckily they haven't kickedme out of the house, so they uh
I'm able to just get Airbnbs andhotels and travel wherever I
need to.
I want to go to Asia.
I love going to Thailand andVietnam and Japan, and I have
(45:22):
friends all over those placesand I want to.
Of all the years I've beengoing there, I'm just like this
is cool, but nobody, I didn't doanything.
I just ate and rode motorcyclesand go to the beach.
And now I'm like, okay, I'mcoming back, but I want to do
tattooing.
I want to learn tattooing, likewhat's going on out here, so
(45:43):
that's like a whole new side ofthe travel world that I'd never
really tapped into.
And I barely started doing itthis year when I was like I was
up in Washington.
I'm like I'm gonna go see atattoo studio and see what
they're doing over there.
It's like poking my head aroundlike, hey, cool tattoo, you guys
are cool.
I had always this stigma of youknow tattoos being either like
(46:06):
white supremacists or mexicangang members.
You know like, that's all I everthought it was right, right
right so nowadays, it's likekids and young people and and
all sorts of genders and agegroups and art styles and I'm
like, wow, these people areactually cool and they're
(46:28):
artists, yeah, so, um, thatthat's what I'm going into next.
So big changes and keeping theart alive, keeping the tattoo
alive, but wear is just going tobe wear.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
TBD, yeah, tbd, if people want to get your art,
because it sounds like now yourpieces are going to be super
exclusive, because there is notgoing to be more of those unless
you want it in your skin.
So, where they can go and buysome of your art.
Yeah, friends and whatnot.
Speaker 1 (47:00):
Where I can go and buy some of your art.
Yeah, Just Google or Bing orwhatever search engine.
Super emo friends I'm wearingmy super emo Supreme shirt, but
super emo friends and everybodyloves the name, so I'm happy
that that's a.
That's a good name and it'lljust go to my website, It'll.
(47:21):
You can just hit image searchand you can see vast number of
paintings, Some of them I evenforgot I painted.
People will always send me likelook, I still have this
painting you did for me and I'mjust like wow, when did I paint
that?
I forgot about that one, so.
And then there's like articles,there's more interviews, but if
(47:42):
you want some art, the websitehas that.
I've been working on my websitebetter you can.
There's you can buy originalpaintings on my Etsy store.
You can go to a t-shirt site.
We can order whatever t-shirtsthat haven't been pulled down by
lawyers.
You can buy art from my websiteenamel pins and, uh, I haven't
(48:04):
added my tour dates, but if youfollow my instagram, I I need to
make a post today, actuallyabout the emo tour, about what
I'm gonna be, um, but yeah,that's, that's the rest of the
year.
I plan to be traveling asiabetween, like between december
and march and uh, so I won't beable to sell anything at that
(48:27):
time, but when I get back, I'llfulfill orders.
But, yeah, just place orders.
I have emo friends in an officeright now so I can live
anywhere and just come back tothe office whenever I need to.
Right, that was another mainanxiety is like where do I put
emo friends if I'm going to moveinto a studio.
Speaker 2 (48:46):
Right.
Speaker 1 (48:46):
That doesn't have room for me and emo friends.
So yeah, superemofriendscom.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
Nice, nice, so you hear it.
You get to buy your emo friendsbefore the end of November or
you will not get it until March.
Yeah, so go ahead, do it now.
Speaker 1 (49:05):
They're great gifts.
I would say like 70% of the artis for someone else, so it's
okay to be selfish, though.
So I give gifts to everybodywith that.
Yes, yes, yeah, the same.
I always recommending your art.
Speaker 2 (49:18):
I was like no, that yes, yes, yeah, the same.
I always recommending your art.
I was like no, you need to buyit.
I have so many of those piecesin my office, in my clinic and,
of course, my home.
And the other thing I wanteverybody to remember please
support your local artists,because Keep us doing it.
Speaker 1 (49:39):
Yes, don't let us go get j jobs.
Speaker 2 (49:42):
yes, don't, don't.
Let us go back to the dronelife but, because when you
suppress artists, you suppressart, and when you suppress art
and artists, you suppress mentalhealth too, because it's an
outlet for a lot of people.
So, salvador, thank you foreverything that you do for all
of us.
Speaker 1 (50:02):
We are fans.
Thank you for being a fan.
Speaker 2 (50:06):
Of course, and I probably will see you in LA con
because I have, like I don'tknow, like seven panels I'm
presenting.
Speaker 1 (50:12):
So I will see you.
Speaker 2 (50:14):
Yes, I will see you then.
Speaker 1 (50:16):
Awesome Sweet, um, yeah, I wish I could go to it,
but I have to work.
Speaker 2 (50:24):
I miss all the panels .
Speaker 1 (50:25):
I don't get to do any panels.
Speaker 2 (50:27):
Well, you know, it's the same backwards right.
Because I do so many panels, Idon't get to go and explore the
floor as much as I used to, soit's almost like the same, but I
will try to do and at least sayhi to you and for all our fans.
I will put all the notes in thefootnotes and also all our
Instagrams and stuff where youcan find us.
(50:48):
So please, please, please.
If you're a fan of the Oasiscommunity, please support our
local artists.
If it's not Salvador, it can beanother person that you love,
but local artists and alwaysmake sure that that Support my
friends too.
Support your friends and alsomake sure that it's original art
, Because unfortunately there'sa lot of copy of the copy of the
(51:08):
copy right.
Speaker 1 (51:09):
And AI and AI.
Speaker 2 (51:12):
That will be another conversation that we will have,
probably next year about the AIand stuff like that.
But, Salvador, thank you sovery much.
And, as always for my community, grab a cup of coffee, tea or
your warm beverage and have thatwarm, fuzzy feeling that we are
all together in this community.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
We're all here, still All right.
Thank you so much again, doctor, it was great to see you Take
care everybody.
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (51:36):
It was great to see you Take care everybody.
Thank you.
As we conclude today's episode,take a moment to reflect.
Be proud of the journey, forevery step that brings you
closer to who you truly are.
Embrace the kindness towardsyourself, as you did to each one
(52:00):
of our guests.
Honor the bravery in youractions and celebrate the
importance of mental wellnesswith us.
And remember it's an exercisethat we practice daily.
Continue to grow and flourish,knowing that we are in this
training for our mental wellnesstogether.
(52:21):
We are so proud to have you aspart of our community, so join
us on Instagram at OasisCommunity Podcast for more
inspiring conversations,valuable resources and supported
content, including journals,worksheets and content in
Spanish.
Exciting things are in thehorizon.
(52:43):
Our Oasis community break roomsare coming soon to grab tools
and take a break for your mentalhealth.
Also, we are featuring oursix-month training ethical
mental health coaching programdesigned for new and experienced
coaches, as well as holisticand healing professionals.
Enroll to create a safe andtransformative experience to
(53:06):
your clients.
Links in the bio.
Until next time, take care,stay connected and welcome to
our Oasis community.
Hi, I'm Jay Salvador from.
Super Emo Friends and I'mexcited to be part of the new
season of our Oasis communityright here.
I hope to hear you guys soon.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Hello beautiful souls and welcome to our Oasis
community podcast.
I am Dr Roldan, your host.
I am a doctor in clinicalpsychology, a BIPOC therapist
professor and a mindful somaticcoach.
While I am a therapist,remember I'm not your therapist.
This podcast is not asubstitute for professional
(00:34):
mental health care, but we haveresources in our website and
Instagram to support you in thatsearch.
Join us for a cozy, feltconversation about mental health
, personal growth andmindfulness.
We explore tools to care foryour mind, your body and your
soul.
Check the footnotes fordisclaimer, trigger warnings and
(00:56):
additional resources for eachone of the episodes.
So grab your favorite cup oftea, coffee or hot chocolate,
wrap yourself in a warm blanketand find a coffee spot here with
us to be kind to be brave, loudand strong in your search of
(01:17):
mental health wellness.
Welcome to your Oasis, to youroasis.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
My name is Jay Salvador and I am an artist
living in Los Angeles, but Iwill soon be traveling a lot.
I've got a bunch of cons that Ido.
I sell my art at comicconventions.
I've got a lot of fans andcollectors.
I've been doing it since about2009,.
(01:42):
And it's just been the mostrewarding, craziest experience
I'd ever had.
Yeah, so at this point it'sbeen about what 12 years or
something that I've just kind ofbeen doing this.
I haven't worked really.
I haven't had a job.
(02:09):
It's really surreal to be inthis place, but my art is unique
because it has sad characters,but they're funny and sometimes
people laugh.
Yeah, there's the book.
Sometimes people laugh,sometimes people cry.
Sometimes it's just supposed tobe thought-provoking and
emotionally charged, butemotionally being funny is kind
(02:31):
of the primary emotion that Iwant to convey through my art.
Along the way of conventions andtouring around meeting people
in all these different cities,there was always like a little
niche of therapists andcounselors.
(02:53):
They would just be like yourart is great.
This is what our communityloves.
We need to talk about feelings.
We need to normalize depressionfeelings.
We need to normalize depression.
Um, and having having sadfeelings are even superheroes
(03:13):
get the blues is one of these umheadlines.
That a podcaster, so they wentviral in 2009.
There's all these articles thatcame out and they're and
through that I was just kind ofsurprised.
I was like, wow, I was justbeing a sad Batman, you know.
But there were so manydifferent layers to it for
people and for therapists thatthey were really attracted to it
(03:34):
.
So I illustrated a book, atherapy book for somebody.
Of course, I met you, doctor,and just being able to find a
crowd that was more in the helpand the self-help, because
sometimes I feel like my art,like what's the point of this
art?
It's just like it's not doinganything to make the world
(04:00):
better.
And people always say like no,no, your art is healing, it
helps.
It's like so therapeutic, and Isay, okay, well, if that's the
case, I'll keep doing it.
So, yeah, I continue to keepdoing it and I've slowed down a
little bit right now becauseafter over a decade, I mean
(04:21):
burnout is real.
I feel like I've done and saidwhat I needed to do with it.
You know, I'm going to the samecause and I'm just there's so
many emo friends I have toeither get rid of some, make
room for new ones, like how manymore do I need to tell this
(04:41):
story?
Do I need to tell this story?
And?
But recently I started totransition to learn how to do
tattooing and that's just kindof like we'll be artists, so now
you're doing tattooing too,yeah.
And it's funny because I washelping out at a shop last night
(05:02):
and this woman comes in and itwas like a Friday the 13th flash
, so tattoos were 20 bucks andyou could get like, and this
woman comes in and it was like aFriday the 13th flash sale, so
tattoos were 20 bucks and youcould get like these little
tattoos.
And this woman comes in andshe's just like I think I need
to come back, like tomorrow, andit's like oh yeah.
She's like, yeah, this istherapy, like for real, like
(05:23):
this is therapy, and I'm likewhoa, so tattooing is therapy
too.
Real, Like this is therapy, andI'm like whoa, so tattooing is
therapy too.
So I'm still in the right worldBecause, yeah, I would just
tell the customers there's a lotof first timers there and we're
just like welcomed Somebodywho's like welcome to the
disease or something like that,where you're just addicted to
this physical pain of the needleand the ink.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
And hearing that as kind of a form of therapy was
fascinating to me, so yeahthat's my spiel.
Thank you so much for that.
So I or community or Oasiscommunity, what we do is give us
space to grab what you need, uh, and take a break, kind of like
it was a bow tie for you, whenyou say, oh, burnout, because
(06:12):
even artists and when we do ourpassion, we love it right, but
also when we overdo it, itbecome not anymore healthy for
us um and yes that Salvador andI we met when I was not a doctor
yet, I was still in school, ohwow.
And yeah, like was back in theday.
I remember when I was you know,like becoming a therapist is
(06:37):
very, very strict, the way thatthey teach you and do and
whatever and I was like, no, ithas to be more than just this
type.
You know, like I, I can reacheither teenage years or, in my
case, I work with firstresponders in active duty,
talking about heroes havingfeelings oh, wow, and I show
them yeah, and I remember thatuh one time in those uh crazy
(07:01):
conventions uh I met him and saythere is any way that you can
give me all your tissues.
He was looking at me like whatRemember.
And he was like what do youwant tissues for?
Because that was a reminder tomy clients.
I will give it to them and saygo check this, find your
favorite character and we talkabout it.
(07:22):
And then we'll find somebody andthat will open it to talk and
to heal because, like you say,it's so representative of
stories that we have gonethrough or um, you know it's
easier to talk in a third personversus your own story we can
talk about.
Uh, for example, I'm a superfan of studio jubilee, as you
(07:44):
can see, I have two of yourthings.
And even the tattoo too.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
So that's why I was like you do tattoos, Tattoos.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
And it's because their stories are so beautiful
and so mindful.
And the same with my clients.
Right, I have like three ofyour books in my clinic and I
always say grab your favorite uhor characters to talk.
So my question to you is how doyou start to do this cartoon?
(08:12):
So this art for us is art, andwhat drive you to it?
It was just something that justhappened, or you do it as a way
to find a voice, or it was ahealing process for you.
Can you walk us through that?
Speaker 1 (08:26):
yeah, I mean, it's kind of interesting.
I was, um, you know I'm meetingas I'm getting into the tattoo
world.
I'm trying to like find amentor and like, hey, I want to
learn tattoo, will you teach me?
And they're like who are youright?
Well, I'm this artist that didall these paintings and I've
(08:47):
been touring the you know thecountry for 12 years and, um, so
I've got a lot of fans andcollectors.
I, I'm an artist.
They're like, okay, cool, um,but they see the emo friends.
And I'm like, wait, but I doother stuff too.
But it's been so long since I'vedone other stuff that I had to
dig out artwork from high school.
(09:08):
And some of this artwork isjust like really like dark and
sad.
And I was like, well, I'm justseeing like the technical skill
and I'm like these are great.
I was a good artist in highschool, right?
Um, and I'm showing them to thementors.
I showed my friend and she'slike wow, were you really sad
(09:31):
back then too?
And I'm like, oh, I guess theseare kind of moody.
And I'm like, yeah, I guess,but, um, I don't know, just kind
of like being unhappy a lot.
I guess.
(09:51):
That's like I'm pretty prone tobeing unhappy and I I forgot
about it because I'm still likesuper happy.
Just from the tattoo world thatI tapped into that, I'm just
like charged up again.
But I, looking back, I'm like,oh yeah, there was a depression.
There was a depression, therewas a depression and I realized
(10:13):
that even even doing art waslike not making me happy.
It's like, okay, this is, I'mnot, I'm not good enough, I'm
never gonna get a job.
You know, I'm trying to getbecome an animator, I'm trying
to become a game.
You know, character designerand I just see everybody's art.
You know that's doing it.
I'm like I'm not good, nevermind, I'm not an artist.
(10:35):
So I started to abandon theidea of being an artist because
everybody was so much betterthan me.
Um, but I had a girlfriend.
This was like 2000, 2009, and Iwas just kind of like freaking
out about my life where am Igonna do?
What am I gonna do?
Actually, girlfriend, I don'tthink we should be together
(10:59):
because I'm just not in a goodplace to be in a relationship
and like I, I think we need tobreak up.
And she was just like what?
And it just like destroyedeverything.
And I woke up the next day justfeeling awful.
It's like, oh my God, I'm likethe worst person in the world
(11:23):
and I this was like at a partytoo, and I was like drunk and
didn't know.
But the next morning I'mlooking through my sketchbook
and I had drawn something thatnight.
It was the Batman saying myparents are dead Because the
friend of mine made like a jokeabout it or something.
And I just sketched it and Isaw it the next morning and I
(11:43):
was like that's cute, that'sreally dark, that's depressing.
And I was like that's cute,that's really dark, that's
depressing.
And I was like just depressedall weekend.
I just, you know, broke up withmy girlfriend feeling stupid
and then, um, I was like youknow what?
I'm just gonna paint this rightnow, and I just painted the sad
batman and then I was feelingbetter.
I was like, oh, what else isthere?
(12:05):
There's spider-man, there'srogue, there's wolverine, like
all these characters that I knewthat were so mighty and
powerful, and just kind of likenailing them where it might hurt
the most in some sort of ironicway.
Like wolverine, everyone'sgetting old, wolverine doesn't
age and I have that feelingmyself where I'm in my mid-40s
(12:26):
and people still think I'm likewhat I thought you were like in
your early 30s or somethingright.
I'm like, yeah, I know right,like the curse of like not aging
and everybody else around yougetting old and dying and stuff
like that's what makes wolverinesad, like even though he's made
out of all this, you know finemetals and and in just like
(12:50):
invincible.
But um, so, tapping into thosethings like just cheered me up.
I was painting those was like ohwow, like I feel better, kind
of.
I mean, eventually, I likeapologized to my girlfriend.
We got together again.
Then it didn't last much longer, but you know, young love is
(13:12):
dumb.
So, uh, I ended up just kind ofcreating the emo friends out of
that experience and to thinkthat everybody just like rushed
it.
What this?
This is amazing, this is thecoolest thing.
Like you need to make prints ofthese.
Hey, bring these to my gallery,hey, sell these at my shop, hey
(13:33):
, put these up at the con.
And I'm like whoa, whoa.
This was like one of thedumbest times of my life, the
saddest, dumbest times of mylife, and this came out of it.
Saddest times of my life, andthis came out of it.
And so being able to like, haveemotional, like feelings from
the real world and then kind oflike finding a fictional
(13:54):
character that kind of has somesimilar kind of experience, and
just seeing that the beststories are emotional stories.
That you look back at olddisney films and people are just
like bawling their eyes outwhen his mom gets shot or
whatever, right or time or, youknow, all dogs go to heaven like
it's like oh my gosh, it'sso sad.
(14:16):
It's like, well, that's kind ofrequired in good storytelling,
you know, and nowadays the therefilm because I'm a film nerd,
obviously my, my art is areflection of kind of like film
criticism as well writing andstory and character development.
But yeah, more stories recentlylike they just they don't
(14:38):
really go sad, no, hardly deepand dark.
It's like, wow, there'ssomebody I connect with and so
the emo friends, the super emofriends, what happened was
seeing how people connected withthese characters in such
emotional ways.
There's a Doctor who print thatI have that just says I don't
(14:59):
want to go, and that's liketraumatic for people.
They come up and they see thatand they're just like, oh, and
they like walk away and they'relike, oh, this isn't good for
sales, but that's a best-sellingprint, you know.
Right, Because it like justtouches somebody with that
emotion and they want thatemotional feeling.
There's something out there,that pain, that tattoo thing.
(15:22):
Like I need to feel the painand I have a never-ending story
piece like the most traumaticmoment in everyone's childhood
is when a trade whose horse,artex, sinks because he's sad,
and he literally sinks becausehe's sad and it traumatized
(15:42):
everybody and you know jet xers,but we're all connected on that
and I made that pin and it's abest-selling pin and people like
, why did you make this?
And I just say you know it's soI can find my people, so we can
connect, so we can understand.
We're all trauma bonding overthis scene from this movie and
(16:04):
it makes us all kind of likeequal and understand each other
in a way, each other in a way.
So my art and connecting to likeemotional moments like that
they're getting harder andharder to come by, um, so I
think that's sticking with the80s and at early 90s and stuff
(16:24):
like that it's there, but, um,it's not always easy because I
don't want to just exploittragedy and depression and
sadness.
I want to like make light of it.
I want to make it seem like, oh, hey, yeah, remember that, yeah
, I remember that, but also likewe're feeling better now, right
(16:49):
Connecting with people on thosekind of feelings.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Right, and the beauty of, and I don't think you,
normally artists don't recognizehow beautiful and wonderful and
cathartic the art is for therest of us, right?
Right Because you're in thethick of it.
One time when we were in one ofthe conventions I grabbed one
of my friends like no, you haveto come and see this.
It's like you have to Right.
(17:14):
Thank you.
And she was like, oh, this is sogreat, they were so creepy,
this is blah, blah, blah.
And I was like I understand whyyou feel like that, because you
have never experienced any ofthis.
You know some, some of some ofus are more privileged than
others and they haven'texperienced certain traumas.
Some of us are more privilegedthan others and they haven't
(17:35):
experienced certain traumas.
But I was like but no, this isamazing because it's making you
react and actually now we canhave a conversation of like why
do you like this?
Like you say Batman, and we'relike why do you like this?
Because I have many people thathave lost their parents through
war X, y and Z.
And we can talk about it.
We can talk about Batman beforeI can talk to them.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Right right.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
And your art does that right.
And when we were talking withher, we were talking like
remember Picasso, everybodythought that he was crazy
because he did squares andshapes and everything.
And then everybody else willsee decades later how beautiful
his art was, because he was inthat um frenzy of like
everything doesn't make senseand we don't fit anywhere, right
(18:16):
when the changing come and Ilove that your art, like you say
, it's not so much trauma bondas more, as much as this trauma
understanding, like youunderstand trauma and don't shy
from it, right Like the problemthat we have in this epidemic of
mental health that we have,which it has been for years.
It's not just now, now we talkabout it, but you were one of
(18:40):
those pioneers that allow peopleto talk about it that allow to
to to say hey you know I havethis piece of art.
Let me talk about it.
Or for the parents out there ifyour kids or teens are
listening or writing or drawingthings that they may seem scary
for you, ask them why they'redoing that.
(19:02):
What is the connection in there?
Speaker 1 (19:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Because art is meant to be talked about and felt it
and your art makes three thingsthings makes or child memories.
Because, like you say, like weall got traumatized when bambi
got shot, like yeah the mom islike I can't believe they did
that, or um the ending story,and now I feel like the new
(19:26):
generations don't get that,because they like you say, the
movies and the new art is not asgood as it used to be back in
the day but.
I think it's because before, inthe 80s and 90s, where we're not
allowed to talk about that, sowe have to find outlets.
Oh interesting, yeah to talkabout it now we are allowed a
little, but you said that therewas an outlet for you, for your,
(19:47):
for your mental health, right,a reflection of how were you
feeling, um, which I'm very glad.
Now that you say, like, well,now I'm going to tattoos, which
I was like, oh no, he's feelinga different way, which is great.
So what kind of message youwould like to send to either the
fans or the people that doesn'tknow you about your art?
Because the beauty of art isthat live past the person that
(20:10):
created, live through decades.
It live to many, many, manyyears after you almost like a
legacy.
So I I, when you say, um, I'm a,I feel like I'm not good enough
, I feel like this and that Iwas like.
Well, picasso always felt likethat too, and look where he
ended.
So, um, how do you see yourselfin the future Knowing what you
(20:34):
know now, like?
Your art is love, and you havefans all over, not just here in
the United States or in LatinAmerica, you have around the
world fans.
So how that makes you feel andwhat you go from here.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Oh wow.
Well, like I said, it does feela little like been there, done
that and I was going through,especially after covet, I didn't
know what would happen ifconventions never came back.
That's what covet, my career,felt like.
It was just like okay, you'redone.
(21:09):
Because that was, I quit my jobto do cons.
So without cons, without people, it was I was a nobody again.
Luckily there were, there wereways to sell online with there's
like pop shop live that cameout during covid, which is kind
(21:29):
of a QVC type thing like hey,buy my pin, push this button and
I'll ship it to you.
And then I was selling all myoriginal paintings I had.
I was hoarding my originalpaintings of all the emo friends
and I was like I'm just gonnasave them, you know, for my
funeral costs.
You know, that's like my darkhumor.
And then it was well, kovitzhere, so maybe I'll sell this
(21:53):
painting and people would buythem all.
And I was like, whoa, they'restill out, my fans are still
here, they, they're buying myart and uh.
So I survived through that.
But it did go through my mindof like, yeah, but I should be
ready in case it happens again.
What else can I do?
Also burnout, and you know, Idid this show like for 30 years
(22:17):
and my sales just keep droppingand it's kind of like that where
I'm like I need to diversify, Ineed to change, I need to, I
need to do something new.
Because people come by likethese are still great, man, good
to see you, and they walk away.
You know like what can I dothat will bring that person and
excite them about what I'm doing, but also excite me about what
(22:38):
I'm doing.
So I was losing the steam andthe motivation to keep going
with emo friends and I ended upsearching everywhere like long
term, like you're saying, likewhere do I see the future?
And I was like, well, what if Igot into real estate?
What if I got into hvac orplumbing or electric solar,
(23:00):
became a carpenter, like thingsthat had basically took the emo
friends and just said, okay, andthat was a past life, that's it
, never again, right?
And that was like the death ofthe emo friend, that was the
death of the artist.
And I'm like, oh man, I startstudying these things like this
is cool and all.
(23:20):
But then it hit me like I'm inmy mid 40s, I'm taking a welding
class, everybody in here islike 19 and 22 and they're gonna
go to the navy and they'regonna become like, or they're
gonna go to aerospace, you know.
But I show up in my 40s and I'mlike who are you like?
What have you been doing?
Like, why are you doing weldingnow?
(23:42):
And it's like, yeah, I don'tknow, man, I don't know what I'm
doing.
And then somehow the universepointed me, put the tattoo world
in my hand and it was like wait, I can still be an artist.
But it's like welding, but I'man artist, but I can still
(24:03):
travel.
But, like, and my mind justblew up and I said I'm still an
artist and I can still be emofriends and I can still all my
decade of of doing this is stillrelevant and it can be added on
to the tattoos.
So now, when I starting thetattoos, it's not like who are
(24:24):
you like, why?
Why are you here now?
Like it's like oh wow, you'reactually an artist you actually
have fans, you actually havemerchandise and t-shirts and you
tour and you have everything.
You're ready, right, just learnhow to tattoo yeah, you just
need the technique yeah and andlike that like gave me like the
(24:46):
life of, just like.
Okay, I see a future now.
I see a future where I am doinga con in Chicago and then I'm
going to the tattoo studio anddoing a guest spot, meeting fans
there, traveling all over theworld doing tattooing yeah,
hanging out with it.
It really does come down to likewho are my people, who are my
(25:10):
family, like?
If I go into welding'm like allright, cool, these people are
very different from me, right.
If I go into carpentry, thesepeople are very different from
me.
Even.
I felt like that even in theconvention world I feel like the
convention people are kind ofdifferent from me.
Most of them have like daytimejobs, but even then it's more of
(25:35):
like the grind, the merchandise, all that kind of stuff.
And I was getting kind ofdepressed about products.
I was getting depressed aboutmaking more and more plastic and
more stuff and boxes of toyseverywhere.
I was like I don't want to makea toy.
That seems like wasteful to me.
I'd rather tattoo a person.
(25:56):
I mean, I throw away a lot ofrubber gloves and plastic pieces
and stuff, but it's still likeall right, I don't need a
storage unit for my art.
And from there I just felt likea sense of freedom, like I
could still be an artist and Icould still travel and I could
still make money.
So I see the future stayingconsistent with everything that
(26:20):
I've done, but just adding awhole new market to it.
And these artists that I washanging out with at the tattoo
studio last night, I felt like Ibelonged with them.
I felt like we knew each otherour whole lives.
So they're real artists andthey're taking their business
seriously Because there's a lotof artists I know that hate
their job, that aren't gettingwork, that are struggling to
(26:43):
sell their art.
The tattoo artists are theirown boss in most cases and
they're making decent money andthey're hardworking and they're
clean and, you know, respectful.
That's the ones I'm meeting, soI just felt like this is my
future, this is what I'm doing.
I'm going to be an artist and Ican still do the cons and I'm
(27:07):
going to be great at tattooingand everything that has to do
with this depression of the emofriends and all that kind of
stuff still carries over.
I can now tattoo my art thatI've already designed people.
I already have my flash sheet.
It's like yeah, pick any emofriend, I'll put them right now,
(27:28):
right right and so like thatjust makes me really excited
about the future.
Uh, for, for my art, so justmaking sure you know I take care
of my hands and my health andmy, my heart, and and be ready
for what comes next.
And it's funny, you know, justtalking about the, the therapy
(27:49):
of the needle, like the pain ofthat.
That's where it's funny.
You know, just talking aboutthe, the therapy of the needle,
like the pain of that, that'swhere it's like whoa, now my art
is actually making you cry withwith a needle.
I saw a girl last night.
She came.
It was her first tattoo.
Oh and uh, she's like I need itsomewhere hidden.
(28:10):
I'm thinking like right here,like under under, you know, like
my shirt.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
I bet what hurts the most.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Yeah, and the guy who was doing the tattoo, he used a
coil which punches harder, soshe comes in.
I was like I don't know, do wereally want to put a coil on
this poor girl's ribs right now?
And they're just like go for it.
And I saw her out of the wholeday.
(28:36):
We must have had like I don'tknow 200 people and she was just
like crying, like holding onher boyfriend, just like, and
I'm like, oh man, that's crazy,she was like this.
And I'm like now oh man, that'scrazy, she was like this.
Speaker 2 (28:55):
And I'm like no, that's super emo, right and
people I mean, depending on thegeneration.
We have to remember that theexpression of pain takes
different forms.
Some of us use music artphysical.
Like crossfitters, they puttheir body through.
Yeah right the same thing,right, they feel like yeah, I
(29:20):
almost broke my leg but I didthat.
Jump Tattooing is also.
The beautiful thing abouttattooing is that, like you say,
it's pain in the real form,no-transcript kind of traumatic
experiences you get to passthrough it and you get to
survive it.
But the most important part, youco-regulate with the person
(29:44):
that is doing the tattoo, right?
The tattoo artist is like it'sokay, the uni break.
You know, they give you thatkind of self-soothing that
sometimes a lot of people don'thave because they have never
been taught how to care forthemselves or love themselves.
And it's easier to love acharacter and when you have it
in you, then you learn how tolove you too so for everybody
(30:08):
out there that thinks like, ooh,tattoos it's only for bad
people.
No, tattoos is a form of art andalso a form of expression to
continue a communication.
Because, to tell you how manytimes I, literally, when I go to
the convention, so anywhere,literally anywhere, uh, and they
grab my arm, like like let mesee that.
(30:29):
And I'm like oh, and I'm likethat is amazing.
And because I am a therapist,one of the uh spots in my tattoo
is a semicolon which meanscontinuing, just take a pause.
And a lot of people that hasgone through that understand it
and they always ask me why doyou have that?
(30:51):
And I'm like, oh, because Ihave a lot of patients and et
cetera that I have lost or X, Yand Z, and that creates a
conversation of healing for themand also for me to give them
resources, because you know,especially in the Latino
community or any kind of BIPOCcommunity, if we're brown, we
don't like to go to therapy.
Therapy is like the devil right.
(31:12):
So we utilize other things toself-soothe and to take care of
ourselves.
In your experience, what itwill be, I don't know your
advice or your experience abouteither going to therapy with a
coach or something to help youwith your mental health besides
your art.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
Oh yeah, sometimes it's almost like the door is
just kind of cracked when peoplesee my art and they're like are
you OK?
And I'm like I am now like Itake all my emotional trauma and
I just paint it out and here itis for you to see.
But I, I'm able to, and sothere's a little conversation of
(31:56):
mental health there, but I'mnot an expert and I'm not
selling it and I don't try to bea therapist or anything like
that, but there is a way topromote it.
Yeah, therapy is good.
Now, during COVID, I wastrapped in a house with a girl
that became my ex-girlfriend andthat was very traumatic to deal
(32:22):
with because I that's for melike relationships are always
like the most emo thing in mylife, like I haven't.
Well, I don't.
I have good relationships withfriends, like my family,
everything's fine, but when itcomes to me and girlfriends,
it's just like, oh, I'm soterrible at this, but that that
(32:43):
kind of thing was like OK, whatis therapy?
Because I really need it rightnow.
What, what is going on?
I'm tired of feeling this way.
I'm tired of thinking this way.
How do I stop this now?
Way, how do I stop this now?
(33:06):
So, feeling that like trapped inyour mind and in your how you
call it like reactions or it'sjust kind of like reactive, of
when you see this person andyou're just like where you like
become somebody else when yousee this person and I'm like I
wish I didn't become someoneelse when I see this person.
So I dove into and I don't knowif I have adhd.
(33:29):
My sister has it, her son hasit.
I've never been like tested forit, but I look at it and I'm
like, hmm, is it possible?
I have that?
So I researched that and lookat all these things and,
assuming that I do have it, Iwas like, okay.
So my brain is very analyticaland like way to like it's ironic
(33:52):
because I'm kind of like not anemotional person when in in the
, in the real world, I'm justkind of like dude, relax, like
relax, like what's wrong withyou?
You know, like when people arefreaking out, I didn't really
ever understand it.
But then, as I like was likeWait, wait, do I have ADHD?
Do they have ADHD?
And also like, well, what'sgoing on in our brain?
(34:14):
So I started researchingcognitive distortion therapy.
I forget the name of the doctor.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
CBT.
Speaker 1 (34:22):
Okay, yeah.
And I was just going down thelist and my brain was like, oh
yeah, this is what's happening.
It was like head and hearttalking to each other.
Catch yourself thinking likethis, catch yourself feeling
like this.
So I just got better at that,because I think a lot of us,
(34:43):
especially I don't know myadvice to mental health is like
stop and think about how youfeel.
Like, why do you feel this way?
Did you think about it or areyou just letting your feelings
do it for you, right?
And and I found myself in thatposition where I get a feeling
(35:06):
and I just, ok, let's go there,let's let's get on this feeling,
ride all the way into this tree, right?
And it's like, wait, wait, wait, this feeling is here.
I have to stop and wonderwhat's going to happen with this
feeling, where is this takingme and why is it here again?
(35:27):
So I just I spent, you know, theCOVID era, just kind of telling
my brain that it's just a brainlike you are doing things that
are just habits.
You've created habits in yourthinking and in your persona and
your feelings and those habitsare not good.
(35:50):
So, like, how do you undo that?
And it's helped, it's helped mea lot and I I do retreat a lot
from like, oh well, I don't wantto offend anybody or upset
people, so I'm just gonna likenot go outside ever again, you
know, and now I feel like moreconfidence to actually just be
(36:13):
there and be out there in theworld.
Hey, I, I can handle myself, myemotions, my thoughts, and to
me that's like the main mainadvice is like what is your
brain doing to you right now?
Speaker 2 (36:29):
right, what is controlling you?
And I love what you say, likeyou were, like I just became I
say this always to people justbecome curious why you do what
you do.
You know.
Just become curious, like, ifyou overthink, what do I
overthink?
If my feelings take over mycontrol everything, why do I do
that?
And, like there is colors inthe rainbow, there is different
(36:52):
types of therapy for differenttypes of things.
Right, like, for example, foryou, because you wanted to
understand more your cognition,cognitive behavior therapy was
like chest kiss for you and thenwhen we have a lot, of trauma.
We do trauma therapy, emdr, etcetera.
But there was one thing thatyou said, that at your 40s you
(37:15):
start thinking I may haveattention deficit disorder.
And in our society there isthis thing that they say, oh,
now everybody has attentiondeficit disorder, now everybody
has depression, as I do, x, yand Z.
I'm like no, we have had itforever.
We just never talk about it, wenever understood about it.
And there is this thing withpeople that has certain types of
(37:36):
attention deficit disorder thatthey become more susceptible to
take really, really hardrejection, kind of like what you
were saying.
Like and then you learn toreject yourself because it's
easier than being rejected bysomebody.
So in the notes of the podcastI will put a self-assessment if
(37:57):
you want to take it forattention deficit disorder to
start a conversation with aprofessional or with somebody
that you trust because no matterthe age.
It's always nice to know notwhat's wrong with me, but what
happened to me and why life isgoing like this, because there
is nothing wrong with people 's.
(38:17):
Just we don't know what isgoing on.
And if we, don't know what'sgoing on.
We cannot help, and I adorewhat you just said.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
And also, adhd runs in families yeah, that that's uh
, that's awesome because,honestly, like when I heard,
when I started learning aboutadhd and seeing like behavior
kind of things, I was like, hey,this is kind of a nice little
instruction booklet that I canfollow of, like oh, if you have
(38:47):
this, then this, then this, I'mlike okay, let's just assume
that I have that, yeah, that Ican be aware of.
Like, okay, this is what happenshere and there and there.
So so, when, when I do get into, like, the talking to people
about mental health, it doeshave to do with, like you know,
it's like being an X man, youknow, you remember the X man.
(39:09):
Everybody has, like their superspecial power.
Yes, like like me, I have aspecial power.
Yeah, of course I'm.
It's going to cause some faultshere and there in different
environments, but at least I'maware of it.
Like, oh, hey, this is aperfect opportunity for me to
use my ADHD, you know.
(39:30):
So it's never for me.
It actually became empoweringto even consider it instead of
just like what's wrong with me.
It's like, oh, if it's this,then cool, I'll accept that and
see what kind of tools are givento people like that that have
it.
And it's just everybody canlearn something from everybody.
(39:53):
And even if you, you have allthese, yeah, disabilities or
learning disorders, it's like,oh, I'm not the only one, right,
right, and that makes it feelnormal and you're not a weirdo.
It's like, oh good, I'm aweirdo, sweet.
Speaker 2 (40:15):
But that's the point right, we all are a weirdo which
is don't know what kind, but weall are a weirdo which don't
know what kind, but we all areone yeah you know, uh, any
dependence of the change of oursociety.
Uh, it changed the weirdoacceptance right, like once upon
a time if you were a lefty thatwas a bad thing like, yeah, I'm
a lefty me too, but they they.
(40:38):
They make me be a right-handedbecause back the day they didn't
let you write with your left,right, left.
I write really horrible with myright, but the thing that
helped me is I'm very good withpiano because I can separate.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
Oh nice.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
And all that help what I used to hate.
Because I hate it, I was like,oh my god, why they're doing
this to me and why this ishappening.
It become a superpower becauseI can do two things.
I can divide my brain right yeah, and with people that have
attention deficit disorder andyou should discover that as an
adult, you're like, uh, right,and they're like.
(41:16):
It gives you some kind ofrelief, like that's what.
It was so hard because it wasnot meant for me.
The, the, the environment wasliterally against what I, how I
learned and what I do, becausepeople with attention deficit
disorder are the most amazingartists that you can meet.
Um, in different, in differentregimens, right, right.
(41:37):
Also, when you become obsessedabout something, you are the
best on it.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
Yeah, yeah, Like true yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
So for anybody out there that has attention deficit
disorder or you think you haveattention deficit disorder, or
you think your loved one or yourdad has it or your mom start
this conversation Like say, hey,have you ever feel like this?
Have you ever done this?
And the other thing, if youhave a youngster and you think
they have it, you can totallyuse this.
(42:05):
Dr roland has it, salvador hasit and we have a form of it and
it makes it so special and socaring and so loving to others
because we know how he feels.
So.
So instead of asking what'swrong with me, ask what happened
to me or what is around me.
That is not making sense.
So, thank you for that.
(42:26):
Thank you for saying becauseCOVID, everybody is when had
more access to mental health.
But we still have moreconversations to do, especially
in our communities.
But I love that you said findyour community in our
communities.
But I love that you said findyour community, find your
superpower and find yourself inthe darkest times to find the
out.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
Thank you for that.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
And, as a final thought, what you would like to
share with our audience, wherewe can find you.
What is your next big thingthat you're going to do?
I know now we have to get inline to get to you to have a new
tattoo, so that will be amazing.
So tell us what you're doingnow.
Speaker 1 (43:08):
Yeah, for now I'm going through a big change in my
life because I've been livingin a home in East la for six
years, but it's sold andsomebody's moving in the owner
and uh, we have to leave me andall the housemates, including my
ex-girlfriend.
We're all moving out at somepoint, I think in the next,
(43:33):
within a month, and uh, but Ihave all these cons lined up.
So, as you, uh, as right afterthe four and after this
interview, I'm basically packing, getting things like together,
and it's okay, I'm ready, I'vebeen wanting to get out of here
for years, but I didn't knowwhere to go.
(43:55):
That was another thing thatprompted my like.
What am I going to do?
Because I've been paying cheaprent and I'm like once I'm out
of here.
I'm not going to have any moremoney, I'm just.
I've been living like doingcons and then just vacationing
Like I'm comfortable.
I was too comfortable.
So now it's like and now Ifigured out, oh, tattoo.
So I feel a little bit ofrelief that I can like post up
(44:18):
with my parents out in, uh, thisis the antelope valley,
lancaster.
That's where I grew up, that'swhere the tattoo shop I was at
last night, all day I mean, butI'm gonna go out there.
And then I've got like new yorkcomic con.
I've got la comic con.
I've got salt lake city.
I've got one in ontario nextweekend.
(44:38):
I've got one in Burbank inDecember.
I thought about doing designercon in Vegas.
I don't know.
I don't know what I'm doing.
Really.
In November I think I'm housesitting in LA, things like that
I'm I'm just going to be kind ofall over the place.
So I, because I won't have acrazy rent to pay, my parents
(45:02):
are luckily they haven't kickedme out of the house, so they uh
I'm able to just get Airbnbs andhotels and travel wherever I
need to.
I want to go to Asia.
I love going to Thailand andVietnam and Japan, and I have
(45:22):
friends all over those placesand I want to.
Of all the years I've beengoing there, I'm just like this
is cool, but nobody, I didn't doanything.
I just ate and rode motorcyclesand go to the beach.
And now I'm like, okay, I'mcoming back, but I want to do
tattooing.
I want to learn tattooing, likewhat's going on out here, so
(45:43):
that's like a whole new side ofthe travel world that I'd never
really tapped into.
And I barely started doing itthis year when I was like I was
up in Washington.
I'm like I'm gonna go see atattoo studio and see what
they're doing over there.
It's like poking my head aroundlike, hey, cool tattoo, you guys
are cool.
I had always this stigma of youknow tattoos being either like
(46:06):
white supremacists or mexicangang members.
You know like, that's all I everthought it was right, right
right so nowadays, it's likekids and young people and and
all sorts of genders and agegroups and art styles and I'm
like, wow, these people areactually cool and they're
(46:28):
artists, yeah, so, um, thatthat's what I'm going into next.
So big changes and keeping theart alive, keeping the tattoo
alive, but wear is just going tobe wear.
Speaker 2 (46:42):
TBD, yeah, tbd, if people want to get your art,
because it sounds like now yourpieces are going to be super
exclusive, because there is notgoing to be more of those unless
you want it in your skin.
So, where they can go and buysome of your art.
Yeah, friends and whatnot.
Speaker 1 (47:00):
Where I can go and buy some of your art.
Yeah, Just Google or Bing orwhatever search engine.
Super emo friends I'm wearingmy super emo Supreme shirt, but
super emo friends and everybodyloves the name, so I'm happy
that that's a.
That's a good name and it'lljust go to my website, It'll.
(47:21):
You can just hit image searchand you can see vast number of
paintings, Some of them I evenforgot I painted.
People will always send me likelook, I still have this
painting you did for me and I'mjust like wow, when did I paint
that?
I forgot about that one, so.
And then there's like articles,there's more interviews, but if
(47:42):
you want some art, the websitehas that.
I've been working on my websitebetter you can.
There's you can buy originalpaintings on my Etsy store.
You can go to a t-shirt site.
We can order whatever t-shirtsthat haven't been pulled down by
lawyers.
You can buy art from my websiteenamel pins and, uh, I haven't
(48:04):
added my tour dates, but if youfollow my instagram, I I need to
make a post today, actuallyabout the emo tour, about what
I'm gonna be, um, but yeah,that's, that's the rest of the
year.
I plan to be traveling asiabetween, like between december
and march and uh, so I won't beable to sell anything at that
(48:27):
time, but when I get back, I'llfulfill orders.
But, yeah, just place orders.
I have emo friends in an officeright now so I can live
anywhere and just come back tothe office whenever I need to.
Right, that was another mainanxiety is like where do I put
emo friends if I'm going to moveinto a studio.
Speaker 2 (48:46):
Right.
Speaker 1 (48:46):
That doesn't have room for me and emo friends.
So yeah, superemofriendscom.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
Nice, nice, so you hear it.
You get to buy your emo friendsbefore the end of November or
you will not get it until March.
Yeah, so go ahead, do it now.
Speaker 1 (49:05):
They're great gifts.
I would say like 70% of the artis for someone else, so it's
okay to be selfish, though.
So I give gifts to everybodywith that.
Yes, yes, yeah, the same.
I always recommending your art.
Speaker 2 (49:18):
I was like no, that yes, yes, yeah, the same.
I always recommending your art.
I was like no, you need to buyit.
I have so many of those piecesin my office, in my clinic and,
of course, my home.
And the other thing I wanteverybody to remember please
support your local artists,because Keep us doing it.
Speaker 1 (49:39):
Yes, don't let us go get j jobs.
Speaker 2 (49:42):
yes, don't, don't.
Let us go back to the dronelife but, because when you
suppress artists, you suppressart, and when you suppress art
and artists, you suppress mentalhealth too, because it's an
outlet for a lot of people.
So, salvador, thank you foreverything that you do for all
of us.
Speaker 1 (50:02):
We are fans.
Thank you for being a fan.
Speaker 2 (50:06):
Of course, and I probably will see you in LA con
because I have, like I don'tknow, like seven panels I'm
presenting.
Speaker 1 (50:12):
So I will see you.
Speaker 2 (50:14):
Yes, I will see you then.
Speaker 1 (50:16):
Awesome Sweet, um, yeah, I wish I could go to it,
but I have to work.
Speaker 2 (50:24):
I miss all the panels .
Speaker 1 (50:25):
I don't get to do any panels.
Speaker 2 (50:27):
Well, you know, it's the same backwards right.
Because I do so many panels, Idon't get to go and explore the
floor as much as I used to, soit's almost like the same, but I
will try to do and at least sayhi to you and for all our fans.
I will put all the notes in thefootnotes and also all our
Instagrams and stuff where youcan find us.
(50:48):
So please, please, please.
If you're a fan of the Oasiscommunity, please support our
local artists.
If it's not Salvador, it can beanother person that you love,
but local artists and alwaysmake sure that that Support my
friends too.
Support your friends and alsomake sure that it's original art
, Because unfortunately there'sa lot of copy of the copy of the
(51:08):
copy right.
Speaker 1 (51:09):
And AI and AI.
Speaker 2 (51:12):
That will be another conversation that we will have,
probably next year about the AIand stuff like that.
But, Salvador, thank you sovery much.
And, as always for my community, grab a cup of coffee, tea or
your warm beverage and have thatwarm, fuzzy feeling that we are
all together in this community.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
We're all here, still All right.
Thank you so much again, doctor, it was great to see you Take
care everybody.
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (51:36):
It was great to see you Take care everybody.
Thank you.
As we conclude today's episode,take a moment to reflect.
Be proud of the journey, forevery step that brings you
closer to who you truly are.
Embrace the kindness towardsyourself, as you did to each one
(52:00):
of our guests.
Honor the bravery in youractions and celebrate the
importance of mental wellnesswith us.
And remember it's an exercisethat we practice daily.
Continue to grow and flourish,knowing that we are in this
training for our mental wellnesstogether.
(52:21):
We are so proud to have you aspart of our community, so join
us on Instagram at OasisCommunity Podcast for more
inspiring conversations,valuable resources and supported
content, including journals,worksheets and content in
Spanish.
Exciting things are in thehorizon.
(52:43):
Our Oasis community break roomsare coming soon to grab tools
and take a break for your mentalhealth.
Also, we are featuring oursix-month training ethical
mental health coaching programdesigned for new and experienced
coaches, as well as holisticand healing professionals.
Enroll to create a safe andtransformative experience to
(53:06):
your clients.
Links in the bio.
Until next time, take care,stay connected and welcome to
our Oasis community.
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