The rugged coastline and quiet beauty of Tasmania have become the unlikely backdrop for a global social media success story and a book publishing deal.
American designer Christian Watson, who boasts more than 5.2 million Instagram followers, now calls Port Arthur home.
Watson, 33, moved to Tasmania in 2023 with his wife, Elle-May, after the couple fell in love with the island during several trips.
What began as admiration for its natural beauty soon turned into something deeper: a sense of belonging within the state’s close-knit creative community.
From a small corner of Tasmania’s south, he now creates hope-filled animations that travel far beyond the island’s shores, with one recent post alone reaching 93.8 million people worldwide.
Despite his massive global audience, Watson says it’s Tasmania’s stillness and scenery that fuel his creativity.
“We kept relishing in the cold weather, the beautiful unmatched scenery and the friendliness and creativity of the people in Tasmania,” Watson told Pulse.
“There was a freedom of people here… it seemed like Tasmanians are so quick to create and welcome in creativity.”
“And as artists, that meant so much to us.”
“Everyone we talked to seemed to harbour some sort of inner passion for life. It reinvigorated us.”
“And we decided if we enjoyed it so much as a visit, maybe we’d love it as a permanent home.”
Originally from Oregon, Watson has built a global following through his animated character Mr Skelly, a skeleton spreading messages of hope through painstakingly crafted animations.
Some of his 10-second clips take up to 200 hours to complete, but Watson said Tasmania’s diverse scenery now inspires much of his work.
“There’s something so amazing about snapping a photograph of a landscape here and turning it into a painting for one of our animations,” he said.
Watson recently signed a book deal with Penguin for a large illustrated book featuring Mr Skelly.
His career has spanned modelling during New York Fashion Week and doing the branding for hundreds of companies, but he said family remained his greatest achievement.
“Nothing comes close to my joy as being a father and a husband,” Watson said.
Watson praised Tasmania’s hidden gems, particularly the free coal mines near Nubeena and Cubed coffee van in Eaglehawk Neck, which he called “without a doubt the best coffee I’ve ever had in Australia”.
The couple enjoy antiquing around the state and recommend New Norfolk’s Black Swan bookstore.
But Watson couldn’t pinpoint the best thing about living in Tasmania.
“That’s like asking me what’s the best thing about my wife. Everything,” he said.
“I have enjoyed the friendliness of people, the openness of the lands here, as well as the vast variety of views you get seemingly within minutes.”
“One second you’re on a coastal drive looking at rich aqua ocean waves, and the next you’re along a deep wooded area that seems to be teeming with wild life.”
“The food is exceptional, the people are kind, it’s just overall one of the best places we have ever been, and are honoured to call it home.”
He said hope was the main driving force behind his art.
“These are seemingly dark times we find ourselves in in the age of social media, and everywhere we look bad news tends to be on the rise,” he said.
“Hope is what breaks through all of the noise, and gives people a reason to better themselves and their community.”
Watson hinted his next project might be “a feature length film” but remained tight-lipped on details.
