We were lucky to catch up with Nathan Kemmerer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nathan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Trial and error, using myself and friends in the process. It was rough, apprenticeships are the way to go.

Nathan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Tattooing has given me a lot, in the short time I’ve been doing it. I started in my late 20’s and I’ll be 44 next month, so about 15 years. Long enough to build a solid foundation to grow from. Tattooing has given me a creative outlet and allowed me to make a life, with my wife, Lauren, whom also tattoos and I meant through tattooing. There’s a question asked, of what sets my work apart.
I believe most creative people have such individuality through their methods, and in those methods you can hear the voice of their hand. So anyone who is sincere and genuine in their approach will develop a unique look or aesthetic. I hope to always remain sincere in my approach to any creative endeavor.

Have you ever had to pivot?

So my first career was cooking/baking. Working around Cleveland area at some of the nicer restaurants as an adult, for a long time, I did a vegan pop up at my friends bar, Now That’s Class. At one point I was in the process of getting a stand at the west side market, and just getting burnt out on working in hospitality industry. I always kept two jobs, so I worked at least 50 hours a week. When I list my main job, an old friend I had tattooed when I was younger, just messing around. Said he had acquired some machines from a tattooer and we should tattoo each other, get into it, really try to do it. In my mind I was like, “man, I suck.”He showed me an old tattoo I did, which wasn’t awful.
So I agreed to it, and that’s how everything started for me.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I’m analog, hand draw, paper and pencil. So I wouldn’t even know how to go about that. But. I’m sure it’s great for some, just not for me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: n.kemr
• Other: Booking [email protected]