Meet Carin A. Hazmat: Artist & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carin A. Hazmat and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carin A., why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’ve been told by my parents that ever since I was a little girl I was always found quietly drawing in a corner somewhere. Many years has passed since then and to this day, I still can be found drawing in a corner quietly with music to keep me company. There was something embedded in my soul that told me my journey would be a creative one as I could have never imagined anything else for myself. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I worked for somewhere around 8-9 years in product packaging and the apparel industry before I started my own business. Though I work well with others and enjoyed working for larger companies, I found that these past employments all had ceilings that felt restrictive to me. I never minded working into the midnight hours and though the weekends (for no extra pay), but working for myself gave me a needed sense of freedom. It is a risk starting your own business and one that has very little safety nets or corporate perks. I feel for me, it is a much more fulfilling life that has allowed me to create without certain restrictions. It has also allowed me work on many projects that I may have never had the opportunity to otherwise. Don’t get me wrong, the road I have chosen is not easy and rarely involves a steady pay check. It an incredibly rocky road at times and there’s many obstacles along. Each obstacle is a learning process that I find enjoyment in. If I were to go over every lesson I’ve learned along the way, it would be an incredibly long novel to write. The best thing I’ve found is to continue learning and pushing forward. It’s a challenging journey, but it feels the most fulfilling to me as a person. The lack of ceiling inspires to constantly better myself and my work. I may succeed or I may completely fail but I give every day my best and make sure my heart is in the right place. I try to stay true to myself in my art and designs. True to my emotions, values, where I have come from, and that which inspires me. I create clothing and I create art/designs for the musicians that have inspired me throughout the years. In the past couple of years I started painting in my free time which has been another creative outlet I’ve enjoyed diving into. Select pieces of all that I create can be viewed at www.hazmatdesign.net and www.hazmatdesign.com

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.
Considering we are still under a strict stay at home order, most of my favorite places are closed for business at the moment and will hopefully prevail though Covid-19. This is really going to make me miss the before times: Some of favorite places to go in Los Angeles are Lethal Amounts Gallery ,Copro Nason gallery, and the Hive gallery. Shopping at The Bearded Lady Vintage/ The Mystic Museum, Amoeba Music, The Gold Bug in Pasadena, and Necromance in Hollywood. Venues for shows such as The Fonda Theater, Teragram ballroom, 1720 warehouse/ 5 star bar (mainly for shows that Church of the 8th Day would put on), and the Ace Theater is beautiful. The Monty or The House of Machines for a cold beer with friends. Cliftons is beautiful for a fancy cocktail during the week (I personally wouldn’t suggest it on the weekends due to the crowds). Drives to the Angeles National Forest and to the Wolf Connection (though it’s outside LA). As far as food goes, being a Dtla native for over 10 years I would get ramen with work friends at daikokuya, meet one of my best friends weekly at Bottega Louie for dinner. Brunch with friends at Manuela or Mohawk Bend. Burritos and spicy margaritas at CaCao Mexicatessen. Since I’ve moved to Long Beach a few months ago, my two favorite places here are The 4th Horseman (which I feel is the best pizza place in Los Angeles county), and The Dark Arts Emporium. I can’t say I’ve been able to experience much here though due to closures so I am a bit of a novice to the area.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
If I was going to dedicate a shout out, it would be to music and the hard work/dedication of musicians. Music has always played an important role in my life and has always inspired me as an artist

Website: www.hazmatdesign.net
Instagram: @hazmatdesign
Twitter: @hazmatdesign
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HazmatDesignLA/

Image Credits
Photography by RockCandyPhoto @Rockcandyphoto