Fire of Truth

(Originally aired July 16, 2025) What a ride season 2 was! I felt compelled to sort of wrap up the story and talk about how I got out of that situation and luckily survived it. Also, I talk about my main takeaways and lessons learned both at the time and looking back at it.music written and produced by James Kerrwww.captainkerrart.com

(Originally aired July 9, 2025) After taking a long break, I finally return! In this 6 part series, I have a very deep and emotional conversation with my sister Olivia, where we talk about everything that happened to us when we were children growing up in Hoopa, a Native American Reservation in very rural Northern California. This series is us showing all of our scars and bringing light to the dar...

(Originally aired July 2, 2025) After taking a long break, I finally return! In this 6 part series, I have a very deep and emotional conversation with my sister Olivia, where we talk about everything that happened to us when we were children growing up in Hoopa, a Native American Reservation in very rural Northern California. This series is us showing all of our scars and bringing light to the dar...

(Originally aired June 25, 2025) After taking a long break, I finally return! In this 6 part series, I have a very deep and emotional conversation with my sister Olivia, where we talk about everything that happened to us when we were children growing up in Hoopa, a Native American Reservation in very rural Northern California. This series is us showing all of our scars and bringing light to the da...

(Originally aired June 18, 2026) After taking a long break, I finally return! In this 6 part series, I have a very deep and emotional conversation with my sister Olivia, where we talk about everything that happened to us when we were children growing up in Hoopa, a Native American Reservation in very rural Northern California. This series is us showing all of our scars and bringing light to the da...

(Originally aired June 11, 2025) After taking a long break, I finally return! In this 6 part series, I have a very deep and emotional conversation with my sister Olivia, where we talk about everything that happened to us when we were children growing up in Hoopa, a Native American Reservation in very rural Northern California. This series is us showing all of our scars and bringing light to the da...

(Originally aired June 4, 2025) After taking a long break, I finally return! In this 6 part series, I have a very deep and emotional conversation with my sister Olivia, where we talk about everything that happened to us when we were children growing up in Hoopa, a Native American Reservation in very rural Northern California. This series is us showing all of our scars and bringing light to the dar...

(Originally aired January 1, 2025) One of the questions I’ve been repeatedly asking tattoo artists on this podcast is what their journey to becoming a tattoo artist was like. In general, I hear a lot of stories of how “tattooing saved my life”. I’ve even seen shirts at tattoo conventions worn by tattoo artists that have that line printed on the front. When sitting down with Maiah Kiana of NorCal T...

(Originally aired December 25, 2024) One of the questions I’ve been repeatedly asking tattoo artists on this podcast is what their journey to becoming a tattoo artist was like. In general, I hear a lot of stories of how “tattooing saved my life”. I’ve even seen shirts at tattoo conventions worn by tattoo artists that have that line printed on the front. When sitting down with Maiah Kiana of NorCal...

(Originally aired December 18, 2024) One of the things that stood out for me in the conversation I had with Dre Meza was the fact that I had no idea really how to run a business or what success felt like. In fact, looking back on it now there was a lot of fear surrounding that and the identity I adopted as a “boss” was one that tended to fluctuate between extremes of being standoffish or overbeari...

(Originally aired December 11, 2024) In these episodes, I have an amazing conversation with Dre Meza. He is a long time friend and colleague of mine whose journey as a tattoo artist is one filled with many ups and downs. He even spent time working with me at my shop, Ink Addiction Tattoo, back in the early to late 2000’s. We both have found ourselves working together again at NorCal Tattoo in Arca...

(Originally aired December 4, 2024) In these episodes, I have an amazing conversation with Dre Meza. He is a long time friend and colleague of mine whose journey as a tattoo artist is one filled with many ups and downs. He even spent time working with me at my shop, Ink Addiction Tattoo, back in the early to late 2000’s. We both have found ourselves working together again at NorCal Tattoo in Arcat...

(Originally aired November 27, 2024) In these episodes, I have an amazing conversation with Dre Meza. He is a long time friend and colleague of mine whose journey as a tattoo artist is one filled with many ups and downs. He even spent time working with me at my shop, Ink Addiction Tattoo, back in the early to late 2000’s. We both have found ourselves working together again at NorCal Tattoo in Arca...

(Originally aired November 20,2024) I get pumped to talk about one of my experiences growing up on the Reservation of Hoopa, in California. The conversation with Roxy “drummed” up (pun intended) a lot of old feelings of being left out and a longing for the experience of connection with nature, my peers and my ancestors. This is the perspective that I bring into the shop when tattooing people.all m...

(Originally aired November 13, 2024) Our conversation continues as we take a deep dive into various traditional histories of tattooing and what it means for us to be a part of it. We talk about the importance of our connections to our ancestors and to each other. find her on instagram here: @tlanextic.tattoosall music written and produced by James Kerrwww.captainkerrart.com

(originally aired November 6, 2024) The conversation I had with NorCal Tattoo’s own Roxanne Andrade was a great one. We started by getting some background of her journey to the tattoo industry. We then had an awesome chat about her Mexican Native roots, and how she uses dance to connect with them. Her unique take on tattooing is refreshing and reminded me of my reasons for tattooing as well.find h...

I reflect on my conversation with Cassie “M’Kay” Johnson. I talk about how essential having a beginner’s mindset is to art and to life and death.music written and produced by James Kerrwww.captainkerrart.com

We continue to have the conversation of how M’Kay convinced the crew of NorCal Tattoo to apprentice her with bribes of baked goods. Then, we dive deep into being thrown off balance in a huge way with the loss of her father right at the beginning of her apprenticeship and how she is learning to balance her dreams with her ongoing grief.find her on instagram @chowder_tattoomusic written and produced...

We have a deep conversation with Alex Marks’ apprentice, Cassandra “M’Kay” Johnson of NorCal Tattoo about life as an apprentice. We get a bit of insight on what she’s learned so far and how her expectations clashed with the reality of life as a tattoo apprentice a bit. We get a little insight into her background and what brought her to the tattoo industry.follow her on Instagram! @chowder_tattooal...

One of the types of trauma I didn’t realize existed is religious trauma. This was brought to my attention while studying more about trauma and trauma recovery. The conversation I had with Abbie and Charlie of NorCal Tattoo sparked this video’s topic and I also talk a bit about my bullying triggers.all music written and produced by James Kerrwww.captainkerrart.com

In this episode the conversation with Charlie Darling and Abbie Rosales of NorCal Tattoo continues as we go into detail on their brushes with death and experiences of connection with the world around them. Realizations of this can be brought about through psychedelics or simply the beauty of nature. We dig a little deeper on their experiences in the tattoo industry. Find them on instagram! @charli...

We have an awesome conversation with Tattoo artist, Charlie Darling and Piercer, Abbie Rosales both of NorCal Tattoo. Our conversation starts with stories of where they lived and what brought them to Humboldt County, and eventually to NorCal Tattoo. Then the conversation turns to talking about brushes with death and goes into spirituality. We also cover the broad topic of coming out as gay after g...

I review my conversation with Alex Marks and expand on my own experiences with watching my father struggle in his life. I also go into detail about having panic attacks while driving back to the place I grew up and how I eventually overcame them. all music written and produced by James Kerrwww.captainkerrart.com

Part 2 of our awesome chat with NorCal Tattoo’s own Alex Marks. We continue our chat about apprenticeships and the changing landscape of our industry in tattooing. We then touch on the story of “Chili Pepper Knuckle.” Music written and produced by James Kerrfind Alex Marks on instagram here: @alexamarksfind James Kerr at www.captainkerrart.com

We have an awesome chat with NorCal Tattoo’s own Alex Marks, son of Ted and Amy Marks. We get a little bit of his version of the story of their family’s adventures in Las Vegas, Nevada during Ted’s apprenticeship. We talk about how his apprenticeship started when he was very young. We also go into the changing landscape of apprenticeships in general and how that is a reflection of the changes happ...