We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katie Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katie below.

Alright, Katie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I want all of my clients to feel like they are being heard and represented in the art that they permanently put on their bodies. The tattoo industry has a reputation for being filled with scary, stubborn artists that would rather not listen to the customer and do whatever they want to anyway, regardless of what the clients asked for. People deserve to have their voices heard and their ideas respected. As an artist, seeing the excitement my clients get after receiving a tattoo just like what they had envisioned is one of the best feelings ever. Everyone deserves to feel good in their bodies, and I love being someone that can make that happen.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Katie Smith and I opened my own tattoo studio at twenty-one years old. I mostly do black and grey, fine-line pieces as well as offering scar cover ups.

For as long as I can remember art has always been my favorite thing and it has become a type of therapy for me. I am chronically-ill and have had to overcome a lot of challenges to get me where I am today. Through it all, art has been the thing that keeps me going.

I remember being a kid in the doctors office, drawing all over my moms arms in magic marker to give us both some “happy thoughts” in times we needed it most. As time passed, I started to learn more and more about using art as a method of healing. I was drawing to express emotions I didn’t know how to put into words. I was painting to celebrate the good things in my life. I was filling up my sketchbook when it felt like no one else was listening. I kept growing older, learning more, and I began to count down the days until my eighteenth birthday so I could make one of my happy thoughts permanent in the form of a tattoo.

I started going to college in an Art Therapy program and I adored it. Unfortunately, my medical issues ended up causing a little bit of a set back and I had to leave school after just a semester of being there. I didn’t want that to be the end of my art journey. As I began to get a bit healthier again, I had the opportunity to begin as a tattoo apprentice under another female artist, or I could go back to school. It was a very nerve wracking decision to make, but I decided to take the leap and began my apprenticeship.

Now, being on the other side of that excitement as been one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life. Seeing my client’s face light up at the end of their appointment is the best feeling ever. Whether they got a super meaningful piece or just something pretty because they liked it, it’s very apparent that my job directly effects they way people see themselves. For me, being chronically ill, getting tattooed feels like I’m taking back my body that hasn’t always felt like it belongs to me.

Knowing I can be the one to help someone just like me, wanting to keep something special with them forever, feels like the best opportunity in the world.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think the thing that helped build my reputation in my industry is my empathy. Tattooing and getting tattooed is a very physically and emotionally draining process. But, being there to listen to my clients life stories, knowing sometimes they don’t have other people they can talk to in the same way, is one of the most important aspects of this job in my opinion. The idea that people keep coming back to me and are recommending me to others, not only because of my work, but also who I am as a person, is such a rewarding experience. I am so so happy to offer a private space where everyone, no matter who they are, can feel welcomed, heard, and cared for.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Word of mouth and person to person referrals are my best source of new clientele. In this industry reputation is everything. No matter how good someone may be at branding and marketing themselves, if they don’t have previous clients vouching for their work, experience, and personality, it’s going to be really hard to continue to grow. Keeping client relationships at the top of my priority list has been one of the biggest factors in my success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.totaleclipsetattoo.co/
• Instagram: @total_eclipse_tattoo
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/total-eclipse-tattoo-newbury