Meet Tina Ritchie | Illustrator

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

Hi Tina, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting my business was synonymous with doing the work I love and find purpose in. As a creator, I am driven by the desire to put meaningful things into the world, satisfy needs of consumers (spiritually and mentally), and ultimately impact culture in a positive manner. When my business is functioning well, it means that I am accomplishing these things. I find great happiness in this, and believe those who support my business do too.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets me apart from others is a big question. Stylistically, my Tina Isola Illustrations stand out with their bright colors and surreal shapes while fierce female characters capture your attention with their intensity. However, the content of my work is far more important to me than the style, and is unlike most comic content I see out there. My stories are what I am most proud of and excited about, as I hope to infuse the characters with my own experiences and ultimately help others become healthier versions of themselves. Spiritual and mental health are difficult and intangible things to achieve in our distracted society, but are essential to each person’s life experience. I don’t have any Tina Isola comics released as I am balancing their progress with paid projects, but many are in the works.
Professionally, I would not be where I am if not for extremely hard work and many mistakes. I had tried and failed in my business multiple times before, and have come to a place of success only through learning those hard lessons. The most important thing you can do after falling is getting back up, and learning how not to fall again.
What I’d like the world to know about my brand is this: The power of each story I tell lies in the individual, in the one among many. The world is a strange and dangerous place for the isolated individual, the one who dwells on an island or “Isola.” Collectives and communities may offer safety, but often become indistinguishable from mobs or armies. By telling stories of the outcasts, the self-isolated, and the runaways, I wish to encourage others to find their own individuality through isolation.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Though I live near Nashville, I seldom go into the city. The Frist art museum and occasional galleries (Rock Wall Gallery is my favorite) are the only spots I frequent. Downtown Franklin is a historic district I grew up in, and is much more my vibe. Natchez Trace is a parkway through beautiful Tennessee forests, and that is an excellent time. The forests, mountains and rivers of Tennessee are places of magic and ancient wisdom—there is never enough time spent there. These are the places I would recommend to someone coming to visit.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The obvious credit should go to my family and my husband for all the support they’ve provided through the years. But in regards to my artistic development, the Illustration instructors at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (Namely Stan Yan, David Collins and Scott Wakefield) played such an immense role. I owe them so much thanks, and still heed the advice they gave me in school and thereafter.

Website: https://www.tinaisola.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinaisoladesign/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-ritchie-2382201b3?trk=people-guest_people_search-card

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tinaisoladesign/