We recently connected with Cat Makarewicz and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Cat, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I have always had a creative outlet in my life, but I never thought that was a realistic career path. I would make art, write stories and perform constantly. In the back of my mind I was always telling myself that these were hobbies, not ways to make a reliable living. Oddly enough, the negativity didn’t stop me from pursuing a degree in Theatre Arts. Throughout school I tried to talk myself into more “serious” pursuits. None of those paths made it much further than the starting stages. I would lose interest or return again and again to the studio or stage. I thought that I would always be distracted by my need to do these “frivolous” creative things. After college, I tried my hand at the administrative side of theatre, thinking that was the most practical application of my passion. I quickly became jaded, bored and frustrated with it. I was trying so desperately to find a way to justify my creativity into a career and put it neatly into a box. Finally, I became so frustrated, that I quit. I moved from Indiana to California and started working in restaurants. I dropped most of my creative projects, thinking that they were the cause for my frustration in some way. When COVID hit, like many other people, I did a lot of introspection and realized the massive hole that was in my life. I started drawing again. And I said to my husband “In another life, I think I would have wanted to be a Tattoo Artist”. Within 6 months of that conversation, I started my apprenticeship. I think I always knew that my life was going to go in an artistic direction, even if I didn’t want to admit it to myself. Though I was almost 30 when I started my apprenticeship, I’m glad I never fully gave up on that dream and eventually found the right path for me.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am incredibly lucky to have entered the Tattoo Industry in the way that I did. Tattoo Apprenticeships are notoriously hard to get. I was getting tattooed by an artist whose work I loved and respected and my husband had happened to let slip to her that I wanted to learn to tattoo. She brought it up to me, and we started a pseudo-interview process that lasted a few months. I brought her some of my art to be critiqued and she sent me home with drawing assignments and edits. I didn’t even fully know what I was getting myself into. I had no guarantee that this would turn into an apprenticeship, but I was enjoying making art again and that’s all that really mattered. Finally, still without a guarantee, I quit my stable restaurant management job. I told my tattoo artist that no matter what, I now knew that I wanted to pursue art. A few weeks later, she and her husband officially offered me an apprenticeship. I had two of the best people I could image mentoring me for a year and a half. The process is anything but easy. It is humbling and an exercise in constantly being challenged and pushed to your limit. My mentors, Natisse and Jason Thomas, helped teach me about the artist I wanted to be and gave me the tools to start building a successful career as an artist. I knew from when I started down this career path, that one of my main focuses would be tattooing things from pop culture. I have always deeply resonated with stories in any form – film, tv, books – whatever! I love the impact that fantasy worlds have on our real lives. For example, I have a full sleeve that is all Studio Ghibli scenes. I always knew I wanted to get this sleeve because I love the magical worlds that Hayao Miyazaki creates, and the strong women represented in those worlds. Stories have always been a source of strength for me. When I was younger, I felt like an oddball for nerding out about this is or that, but now I wear it proudly on my sleeves and in my artwork. I love finding common ground with my clients and learning about the stories that they love that I may have never heard of. Whenever I create art, I think of it as such a collaborative process between myself and my client. There are so few art forms that allow you to do this in the way that tattooing does. I love the conversations where both of our ideas begin to spark and we know we’re going to make something cool! The tattoo industry and environment has the capability of being such an inclusive and creative space. While I know there are horror stories out there, I am passionate about creating a safe space in this industry for everyone to feel heard.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding thing for me as a Tattoo Artist is a happy client at the end of the day. Like most other Tattoo Artists, I have also been a client. The day you’re scheduled to get a tattoo is so exciting. You’ve been waiting for weeks or months to get this done. You are nervous and excited all at once and you can’t wait to see what your artist is going to give you. The process is thrilling and honestly it’s a roller coaster. By the end of it, you’re spent but happy. For me, I always feel like my tattoos are bringing something out of my skin that was always supposed to be there. Getting a tattoo could be the highlight of someone’s week, month or even year. I always try to keep this in mind as an artist. From the first email interaction, to the creation of the artwork that is just for them, to the tattoo process. Even if it’s all in a days work for me, it is a special day for every client that comes in. Being able to create art and make money is amazing. But hearing that a tattoo is “even better than I imagined it” or “exactly what I wanted” is the most rewarding thing. I don’t think that will ever get old.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I don’t know where I first picked up this idea that I had to pretend like I knew everything, but I’m glad that the fear of asking questions and being open to learning more is fading. I hated asking questions as a kid, preferring to just figure things out on my own. Some people might look at that as a skill, but for me it was really limiting. It prevented me from trying new things that I didn’t understand or asking for advice with something that I was really passionate about. Going through my apprenticeship was a boot camp in learning that I knew nothing and I damn well better start asking questions. If I hadn’t started asking those questions, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I probably wouldn’t have been able to stay in this industry. I had to relearn how to be honestly clueless and that there were no stupid questions. It was hard and I’m still not great at it, but I’m always trying to do better. In tattooing, there is always something new to learn and if you are static and not pushing yourself – you’re falling behind. Luckily, social media has become a really excellent resource, if you can find the right people willing to share their knowledge. There is so much to learn and the best way is to ask when you can. There’s only so far that solo experimentation can get you. I hope I never stop learning and asking questions, because there is no end to the amount of answers!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: catnip_tattoos