04/02/2026
Hi friends, Jenna here! I wanted to share a story with you about an encounter I had today with a gentlemen named Trey.
Besides my normal Wednesday show downtown Nashville, I had lined up a quick photo shoot for Mike and I after my show for Outlaw Grace. (Can’t wait to share our first company photos with you, btw!)
After the shoot, I walked back to the parking garage and passed a ledge down on 3rd Ave where unfortunately a lot of lost souls tend to sit regularly. Today, one of those souls asked me to stop and sit with him. As hundreds of tourists walk past with uneasy faces; with no hesitation I sat down.
Next to this man it looked to me like he had his whole life packed into 2 suit cases, in his lap he had a sketch pad, and in his hand he held a pen. As we shook hands, he told me his name was Trey and that he was a tattoo artist. I asked if I could see his work, and his face lit up as he opened his notebook. Trey has pages and pages of beautiful sketches that he has done. He told me he is from San Antonio where he worked as a tattoo artist. He confided in me that he took a wrong turn and ended up addicted to hard drugs. That’s how he wound up in Nashville area. Trey came here for treatment. I’m familiar with the facility he was released from. Trey just got out of rehab yesterday, and last night he slept in the streets of downtown. Unfortunately he’s out there again tonight.. but tomorrow Trey starts his new job cooking at a restaurant on Printers Alley, and the excitement in his voice when he told me that, pulled on my heart strings. I told him I fully intend on checking in on him at work. All this man wants to do is tell someone about all of the good things he’s doing, so I let him rant. I sat and just listened for 20 minutes while Trey transparently shared his story with me. Maybe just those few minutes gave him the motivation to keep going, to stay clean. After, he asked about the guitar on my back and what it’s like singing downtown. I decided in that moment that I didn’t want him to see me in any kind of glamorous light. So I switched hats, and I said.. Hey Trey, I’m Jenna.. and I’m an addict. I shared with him that I am 11 months sober and how it changed my life. I told him all about Outlaw Grace and what we do. I handed him a card and I made sure he understood that he could reach out to me anytime he felt he needed support or just a fu***ng human to see him for who he is. A human. We all are.
While this entire conversation was happening I could see the artistic wheels turning in Treys mind. Right before we finished our chat he asked if he could draw something up for me. I said, OF COURSE! And this right here is what he handed me. After I got done complimenting his beautiful work, we exchanged a few words and I told him I hope I don’t see you out here next week, I hope the next time I see you we are sitting in your tattoo studio, and your tattooing your design on me.
