Meet Caitlin Watters | Tattoo Artist and Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caitlin Watters and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caitlin, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
When I first started taking on custom projects for clients, I felt like I needed to get as many people on my books as possible. I’m a people pleaser to the core, so disappointing others by saying “no” caused me a lot of guilt. This meant that between time spent at the shop and at home preparing designs, the amount that I was working was unsustainable. I started to make the shift towards better work life balance at the end of 2019, meaning more time for decompression, socializing, and exercise. Like many other tattoo artists that I know, being out of work for a few months when the pandemic hit led to a big slow down in my life. I suddenly had all this time and was able to pick up some hobbies that I have worked to maintain since returning to work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As I’ve been tattooing over the years, I’ve become pretty passionate about the client experience as a whole. I think a lot of artists stay very mysterious about their process (whether intentionally or not), assuming that clients will know what to ask or say. While tattooing I am big on consent- I want clients to feel in control of what is happening to their body. This doesn’t just mean them approving the design and placement, but also checking in before adjusting clothing or using products on them such as lidocaine or Saniderm. I am happy to answer any questions about the process during an appointment and want the client to feel as welcomed and comfortable as possible.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a café girl so I’d definitely recommend checking out one of Columbus’s local coffee shops for a pastry and tasty drink- Stauf’s is a classic but my favorite is probably Fox in the Snow. For entertainment I’d take them to see the Columbus Museum of Art, and also probably the Columbus Zoo. We would also need to go on a little hike- Columbus has great metroparks (my favorite is Scioto Grove) and if they were down for a day trip we could head down to Hocking Hills.
For dinner I almost always take visiting friends to Dirty Frank’s.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shout-out would definitely need to go to my parents. They both came from science fields yet were nothing but supportive towards my dreams of entering the art world. I can’t remember a time when they didn’t believe in me, and that feels like something special.

Website: CaitlinWatters.com

Instagram: @seawatters

Image Credits
Lauren Oberlin