Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nathan Blalock. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nathan, appreciate you joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

First, let’s take a step back in time. A little background on my upbringing was being raised in a bar and motorcycle shop. Both parents worked full time so sports was kind of out of the question but what did interest me in these settings were seeing men and woman who had these dragons and skulls on their arms. I couldn’t believe you could permanently draw on someone and I was fascinated. I spent 100% of my youth drawing. I knew once I was in high school that I was going to be a tattoo artist. Once I graduated my direction skewed a bit and went to college for graphic design.

I spent years perfecting another skill that had creativity involved. After college I went into the field of graphic design (the good ol’ 9-5, Mon-Fri) and within a year had the worst depression I’ve had in my life. I felt I wasn’t achieving my full potential. My hours were from 7:30-6:30 due to new jobs coming in and having to finish old jobs before I could go. I would come home drained and by the time I could make dinner and decompress it was time to go to bed and start it all over again.

At this point I wasn’t making more than $10/hr and wouldn’t for some time. Living with my dad was the best financial option I could afford and it all felt like a big waste of life. To commit myself to a structure of performing for a brand, spend most of my day rushing to meet the quota, zero creative control over projects, and no social life. I broke down one morning crying and didn’t have the strength to grab my keys and give it another day. When my dad discovered my state that morning he sat down and asked me “well why do it if it makes you this upset?”. My reply was a simple logic my dad told me at 16 which was, “I’ve made a commitment and I have to stick to it”. He looked distraught and came back with, “well life’s short and you shouldn’t spend it working for someone who makes you hate it.”

I quit that morning and made a commitment to myself that I would never settle for a career that I didn’t get joy from. I spent a year finding what that could be and an opportunity can to peruse an apprenticeship at a studio in Rosenberg, TX. Even though it was over an hour away I couldn’t make an excuse to not try.

I’d like to say that tattooing was always apart of my life in teaching me how to draw, perusing self growth, understanding new perspectives and become more communicative, as well as hold myself accountable for what I’m responsible every day.

I don’t work a 9-5 anymore and instead work 24 hours a day and loving every second of it. Tattooing has saved my life truly and I want to spend the rest of my life giving all of myself to it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve been a tattoo artist for 6 years now and I specialize in Neo-traditional. You’ll see inspiration from Art-nouveau in my works and love focusing on portraits of women that flow with my clients body. I would say that I’m still trying to find my niche so I spend a lot of time experimenting with new concepts and techniques.

I focus more on black and grey work ironically because I spend most of my tattooing career doing color works. I find that black and grey holds up best through the years and that’s what I want everyone to see. My goal is not to have a beautiful fresh tattoo that doesn’t heal well over time but to have a strong contrasted piece that will hold for years to come. That should be one perspective for clients who are looking for custom work is how well it will look over time and to take the artists professional suggestions.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I strongly believe you could incorporate stoic teachings in your every day life. It is good food for the mind and soul to help better your perspective and how to look and react to things in the day to days.

“Meditations by Markus Aurelius“ is something I carry with me every day. One of the last great Roman emperors who writes his meditations on things we still face to this day which connects us in the present to the past.

Ryan Holiday has been a big inspiration in my life and through seeing him on YouTube taught me a more stoic lifestyle and perspective.

I say this material is good for everyone no matter your background because for me it has helped me rid the expectations of those who don’t exist on my black screen. “The object in the way becomes the way” is one of the best quotes that I relate to in my career. If I struggle at achieving something for a client that I make it my only mission to do research, practice, and perfect what was in my way.

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

I would say with what I’ve studied and attempted myself, my opinion would be the equivalent of a middle school student walking into trigonometry class for the first time.

My first thought of NFTs in my field is that it could be a new retirement for tattoo artists who can’t work anymore. Create your art as NFTs and be able to still keep that roof over your head. That is if NFTs are the next big thing.

I’m not one for change but I’ve heard good and bad about this subject and I am more open to this new field than before. Back in the day when the internet was still new people had good and bad opinions on the matter and it now became a digital empire. Could NFTs be the same way? I don’t know but I have a feeling that we are seeing one direction of the subject and waiting for the potential for the other.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/nathan_thomas_tattoos

Image Credits
Gina with Rogueboudoirtx – for portrait photo