A part-time hobby turned into a full-time passion, and now, a new career for NatterDoodle Founder Natalie Keller Pariano. Crafting a variety of hand-lettered goods, NatterDoodle is headed for its own studio and storefront at 3516 N. High St. in Clintonville.
Pariano says the new 1,000 square foot NatterDoodle Studio will serve three primary purposes. First, it’s her working studio. Previously a home-based business, Pariano started looking for a dedicated space as the storage in her home office and garage and basement grew tight. In order to grow, it was time to get out of the house.
NatterDoodle Studio will also provide a central space for a growing facet of the business: workshops.
“Natterdoodle grew much faster than I could have ever imagined,” Pariano says. “A lot of that has to do with launching workshops.”
Intro to Hand Lettering is by far her most popular, but Natterdoodle also offers a variety of project-based workshops that are less about artform and more about a fun, creative experience. With a location where attendees can come to her, Pariano will begin offering new workshops like intermediate lettering.
For those that would prefer to buy pieces with Pariano’s handiwork, there will be a retail component to NatterDoodle Studio as well. If she can put sweet or snarky saying on it, Pariano is game, creating everything from dish towels to art prints.
Pariano is excited to interact with more of her customers with the addition of retail. NatterDoodle Studio will be open during the Clintonville Farmers Market, with a more set schedule of hours in the works.
When NatterDoodle Studio opens in mid-September, it will be about a year ahead of what Pariano originally envisioned. After spending 10 years in higher education, Pariano began channeling a long-held interest in writing and word play into creative journaling as an outlet for stress relief. She started sharing her work on Instagram, and soon people were asking if they could buy her creations. At first, she didn’t have interest in turning it into a business, but when she found herself mailing free art all over the country, she realized it was time to monetize.
NatterDoodle launched online just under three years ago. Then about a year ago, Pariano left her job to pursue her creative outlet full-time. As she began to realize that in order to really grow the business she would need a dedicated space, Pariano began perusing properties in Clintonville, just to get an idea of what was available. The goal was to move by the end of 2019. Serendipity intervened.
A drive down High Street and a For Lease sign later, Pariano’s dream space was available. The former home of Write Fine Pens – it was a sign that NatterDoodle was ready to leave the nest now.
NatterDoodle Studio will host an open house on Sunday, September 23 from 1 – 5 p.m. For more information, visit natterdoodle.com.
