TATTOO FAQ
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TATTOO FAQ ❋
How do I book a tattoo?
To book a tattoo, please head to my booking page and fill out an intake form to submit a project request when my books are open. If my books are closed, I suggest subscribing to my mailing list to receive access to priority booking once I am ready to take on new clients.
What are your rates?
My rates are 180$/hr during normal weekday studio hours.
-Weekend rates are 200$/hr.
-Sliding scale* rates for marginalized community members.
I accept cash, e-transfer or paypal.
1 hr minimum pricing on all appointments.
Touch ups on our pieces are always free.
Custom/flash drawings are included in the price, and time to adjust the drawing and stencil will be included in the time charged for the session.
* marginalized community members as understood as people experiencing identity-based chronic or intergenerational impoverishment: Black, Indigenous and otherwise Racialized People, Immigrant or Refugee status, People on Disability or Welfare benefits, Trans Women and queer youth etc.
How do I pay my deposit?
Deposits are 100$ by etransfer to peripeteiahtattoos@gmail.com. Deposit payments are subtracted from the final price of the tattoo. They are due upon confirmation of the appointment date and are non-refundable.
Deposits CANNOT be transferred to new booking rounds and are only applicable for the current booking period. Deposits are forfeit upon no shows.
If you are an international client or another tattoo artist wishing to write off your expense, please let me know and I can send you an invoice for the deposit and final tattoo payment.
How do I reschedule my appointment?
Please provide me at least 72hrs notice to reschedule your appointment. If rescheduling within 72 hours, a new 100$ deposit will be required to re-book and a 50$ administrative fee will be collected out of your deposit payments. In the case of no show appointments, a 50$ administrative fee will be charged on top of a deposit when rebooking.
Where is your studio and what accessibility info should I know?
Our studio is located just off of Oak Bay Ave. There is no street sign to prevent walk-ins to private studio - addresses will be provided upon confirmation of appointment.
The studio is located on the main floor of an old, commercially zoned character building. There are residents in the upper and lower suites, and the other commercial offices in the building are shared with another professional office. The shared waiting room is located up a flight of 8 stairs off the sidewalk with railings on either side. There is a motor-powered wheel chair lift to the right of the staircase if needed. There are no stairs inside the waiting room or studio space, and there is a railing to the left of the toilet in the toilet. The washroom does not care about gender. Unscented soaps are provided and no artificially scented products are used in the space. Overhead lighting is minimal and adjustments to noise and sound are always an option.
Please bring warm clothes, socks, mittens, hats or hand warmers to stay warm during the session.
Please don't book an appointment if you are under 18 years of age, pregnant, taking blood thinning medication, or are unable to arrive sober for our work together.
Can I see my design before my tattoo?
I typically draw in the few days leading up to an appointment to keep designs and ideas fresh in my mind, and prefer to show the client the drawing at the beginning of the session so we can talk about adjustments to the piece.
I do this for several reasons;
- I find it much much easier and efficient to truly hear and talk about adjustments in person.
- when I’m drawing a sketch I am designing a 3-d design based on principals of anatomy to stencil // not at all a perfect 2d picture or stamp that could go anywhere on the body // I like to try stencils on like garments to tailor to the persons form - I often make adjustments and move things around once I’ve got the person and the design in the same place.
There will be lots of opportunity to chat about the design and try different sizes and options, this is just work that I do best in person!
If you would like to see a sketch before let me know the week before your appointment. I will prioritize it in my work flow and send it to you before your appointment time. When you see it, try to think about it like a sewing pattern // the piece will be tailored to your unique form once we are together. If you do have design notes, please do not expect an amended sketch prior to your appointment. I will make any adjustments to the piece after speaking to you in person about the design at the beginning of our appointment.
Please understand - sketches are very limited design information. They are a technical tool used to transfer a guide onto your skin during the stencil process, not a perfect drawing. They do not represent finished tattoos. Refer to my portfolio for finished work. All details and shading are freehand in session.
Will you tattoo in another person’s style or replicate art from different mediums?
PROBABLY NOT!!!
Tattooing is highly technical and artists spend years refining their work. My tattoos are extremely consistent in terms of lining and shading - please take a wide look at my portfolio to get a sense of my work.
Can I pre-book a consultation?
I am no longer accepting consultation requests outside of my booking schedule. Given the amount of interest in my work, I am reserving my energy for clients ready to work directly with me.
Please meditate on your plant(s) of choice and book a tattoo when my books are open. I assure you - if your request is vague or you are unsure, or if I feel like I need more information from you, I will contact you to discuss your project further during the booking process if I have space to take it on. Thank you!
What does safer spaces mean here?
I commit to providing a safer space* within our studio, and welcome people of all bodies to collaborate with me in creating space for you. With an understanding that spaces are not inherently safe for everyone, in my intake form I ask “Do you have accessibility needs I can meet you in, special care I can provide, or strategies I can use to take care when interacting with your body / nervous system? What do you need to feel safer in a tattoo studio?” and I encourage you to take time to think about what you need and want from your tattoo experience.
* Safer spaces: defined by the Safer Spaces Coalition in Could This Be Magic as “critical of the power structures that affect our everyday lives, and where power dynamics, backgrounds and the effects of our behavious on others are prioritized.”
Do you use a tattoo machine?
I use a tattoo machine and am Blood Borne Pathogen Certified through Health Canada. I apply standard sanitation practices to maintain a high quality of cleanliness and biohazard management in my studio space. I have also taken the WHO "Emerging respiratory viruses, including COVID-19: methods for detection, prevention, response and control" certification course.
What pandemic policies are in place to protect me?
- All artists working out of our studio have taken the WHO "Emerging respiratory viruses, including COVID-19: methods for detection, prevention, response and control" certification course.
- PPE protocol for clients: we will provide hand sanitizer and ask clients to mask upon arrival.
- discontinuing tea/water from the studio: please bring your own water bottles and snacks. We can take a water and food break outside and then reapply hand sanitizer and masks.
- guests: please don't bring guests (human/nonhuman) to your appointment. If you need accessibility/medical accompaniment, please get in touch with your artist to directly to organize this.
- increased sanitation: we require more time in between appointments to sanitize areas potentially contaminated by air-borne pathogens, so please arrive on time so we can coordinate between clients.
How can I best prepare myself for my tattoo?
The most important thing you can do for the quality of your new tattoo is to stay still and calm while under the needle. Here are some things you can do to prepare yourself to take good care while being tattooed.
Arrive well slept, fed, hydrated and sober!
Take inventory of your needs and explain them through the booking form as well as in person so your artist can best support you through the process.
Practice slow, meditative breathing, or other mindfulness practice, so you are ready to maintain a calm quality to your breath. Holding your breath, while a perfect instinct to pain, can sometimes increase panic responses in people’s nervous systems and deprive you of oxygen. Please be ready to focus on breathing rhythmically and be reminded to breathe during our session.
Practice saying things to yourself like, “This hurts and I actively want this and all the reasons I came here are true and I can ask for what I need here”. The important part is that it is assured and confident. When you feel yourself having a hard time, iterating that outloud or in your head can generate a calming feedback loop through your nervous system, giving you a hack into your endurance.
If helpful, bring a stress ball to squeeze so you are able to exert small movements while being tattooed or a hot water bottle to keep you warm and comforted. To maintain quality of the tattoo, please arrive with some outlet for pain if you are someone who has not been tattooed in a painful place before, or if you are someone who knows that they need support with their pain tolerance.
Because of adrenaline induced constriction of blood vessels in the peripheral circulatory system, it is normal for clients to get cold, even when the heat is at maximum in the room. We use efficient space heaters and our studio is kept very warm. And! Please bring warm clothes to wear on the parts of your body not being tattooed, like wool socks, long underwear, or gloves. Hand and feet warmers are also a very nice thing to put in side of your socks or gloves to stay cozy. You are also welcome to bring a blanket and pillows for propping and comfort.
Please ask for breaks! I assure you that I want to know that you need or want a break. I promise that the first few minutes are the worst, and as your body adjusts to the huge and uncomfortable sensation the pain becomes more manageable.
Make a safety plan with a friend! If you know that this may be triggering or difficult for you, let a friend know to check on you after your appointment, come pick you up, or prepare some other kind of support for you.
Where are your professional boundaries?
There are some circumstances where I might decide not to take on a client or to stop a session.
These are situations when I believe that my client’s or my own physical or emotional safety is endangered. In these instances a client may be asked to leave the studio and will not be refunded their deposit.
Please be conscious of oversharing triggering material related to personal trauma or traumatic events. While every artist at our studio seeks to hold a trauma-informed space, we are not counsellors or therapists and may not have the skills or willingness to hold explicit details of your trauma with you. Always check in with yourself and your artist before discussing intense subjects such as death / assault / self-harm / sex / domestic abuse / etc and be prepared for a “no thank you”. We are glad you feel safe here and want to maintain safer spaces through consent in communication for all parties!
I ask that clients maintain communicate with me through professional channels, and always email me with questions or ideas.
Please don't book an appointment if you are under 18 years of age, pregnant, or are unable to arrive sober for our work together.