Hello, my name is Damian Schroeder!
I’ve been tattooing at Temple Tattoo Studio in Oklahoma City since 2022. I apprenticed under shop owner, Tyler Nowlin, who has been doing quality tattoos since it became legal in Oklahoma.
About Your Artist
Tattoo Philosophy
Tattooing is a truly special art form.
I believe that every tattoo I do is both an honor and a privilege. While I hope my clients feel lucky to share a tattoo journey with me, it is truly I who am the lucky one. I never take lightly that people trust me with decorating themselves “permanently”.
While I’ve grown to have my own artistic preferences, I aim to utilize my strong-suits to collaborate with my clients. At the end of the day I’m willing to differ to them stylistically to the extent we can keep longevity in mind!
I have a deep respect for the history of tattooing and the circumstances that have allowed me to foster living, breathing, growing, changing pieces of artwork. Tattoos live with us, not on us, and it is the greatest privilege to take art off the walls and out of my brain and attach them to the rest of a lifetime.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Personal History
My twin & I were born in Texas in 1999 shortly before moving to Las Vegas with my parents and older siblings, who also happen to be twins. My formative years were spent in Vegas playing AC/DC on drums and following my brother around on my first skateboard. I was 7 when we moved to Nashville where I grew up and lived until high school graduation.
At 18 I moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. I split my time between free community college classes, a grocery store freezer job, a motorcycle shop-hand gig, skateboarding, and riding motorbikes on the backroads of Appalachia. It is here that I developed my love for Tattooing - specifically done at the hands of Tommy Davis at Saint Tattoo. Tommy has tattooed my left arm as well as my chest, stomach, ribs, and more. I’ve drawn for fun my whole life but it was in these sessions that I found the outlet for all or my energy. I became obsessed with drawing and painting traditional flash and have not slowed down since.
I received a bullshit associates degree and immediately moved to Oklahoma to build a cannabis extraction laboratory alongside my older brother. I began getting tattooed by Tyler Nowlin at Temple Tattoo, I wasn’t seeking out an apprenticeship but I was inspired by Tyler’s work and professionalism and it began naturally. I spent more than 12 months not touching a tattoo machine, doing chores, and hovering over Tyler’s shoulder for hundreds of hours. I did my first tattoo at Temple Tattoo Studio in 2022 and remain there to this day.
Background
Skateboarding
Skateboarding has been a through-line in my life, and I give it credit for many of the values I still hold most dearly to this day. It taught me that the only way to do something difficult is to fail at it until you don’t. There are no significant shortcuts to learning a skateboard trick - you will fall, you will have bad days, but through determination and repetition it can become easy.
Music
Diet Fuckin Riot
My entire world revolves around music. Eras of my life are best distinguished by their soundtracks. I’ve always dreamt of playing in band and in 2023 I I had the opportunity to do just that. Through my good friend Clint Walker I Met Zane Dickinson who leads Oklahoma based band Diet Riot. I picked up Bass for the first time and two weeks later was playing it in a U-Haul to hundreds of skateboarders following us for Core Board Shop’s Go-Skate Day push. Since then I’ve played well over 100 shows with Diet Riot in at least 15 states that I’m able to remember. I’ve gotten to play with some of my favorite musicians and performing continues to be one of the greatest blessings in my life. I mostly play drums now and get to do so alongside my very talented multi-instrumentalist girlfriend, Jessi McCord, and very talented multi-instrumentalist friend, Nick Rauscher.
Motorcycles
Brother!!!
I find that motorcycles attract many of the same folks who share my other interests - skateboarding, music, tattoos. Not only are motorcycles a way to express one’s self, they provide a more intimate connection to the environment you travel through on them.
Just like with skateboarding, motorcycles make you look at the ordinary with more appreciation. Skateboarders search parking lots and alleyways for the perfect bump in the cement - motorcyclists search backroads and highways for smooth asphalt and gorgeous sunsets.
Over the years I’ve owned and flipped a handful of various motorcycles. Most notable of which was a 2004 Harley Davidson Sportster I bought at 20 years old. I spent a couple years getting it running before I spent a couple more making it cool. I had to sell it years back due to personal financial circumstances, but not before I rode it alone to Colorado Springs from Oklahoma City. I ran under-rated dirt bike tires front and back with 11” over forks and high-mids I built myself from Home Depot steel rods. Nothing compares to traveling the country on a sketchy-ass machine you assembled yourself!