08/31/2026
Hey Friends! It’s Hope 🙂
Due to how this past week has gone, I guess I’ll get back to posting my timeline of work from 2025 that I fell ridiculously behind on sharing. My max photo limit landed right in the middle of a Friday the 13th flash event last June so when I post the next 80 pictures I’ll be picking up from the flash from that ✨
I do want to say something that’s been weighing on me because, if I’m being completely transparent, I’m feeling a little hurt and discouraged by how this past week went.
I want to put something into perspective, because I think sometimes people forget that while getting a tattoo is not a necessary expense, tattooing is still someone’s career.
Imagine going to work this week and being scheduled for five shifts. You planned your bills, groceries, gas, and everything else around working those five shifts.
Then, one by one, you’re told four of those shifts are gone.
Not because you chose to take off. Not because you didn’t have work available. You were ready to work, you set that time aside, and you turned down anything else that could have filled those hours. But now, you’re only getting paid for one of the five days you expected to work.
That’s essentially what multiple last-minute cancellations and no-shows can feel like for appointment-based artists.
I completely understand that tattoos are a luxury. I would never expect anyone to prioritize a tattoo over groceries, rent, their children, an emergency, or something genuinely important. Life happens, finances change, people get sick, and sometimes cancellations are unavoidable.
And I want to acknowledge something from my side of the chair too.
I know I’m not a perfect person. There are days when I have had to cancel or reschedule an appointment myself. When that happens, I do my absolute best to get that appointment rescheduled as soon as possible because I know exactly how it feels to have something exciting planned, look forward to it, and then have it fall through.
I do not, for one minute, take any of my clients for granted.
I appreciate every single person who has given me their time, trusted me with their body, supported my artwork, and spent their hard-earned money allowing me to do what I love for a living. Every appointment matters to me, and I genuinely appreciate the people who continue choosing me as their artist.
That’s also why I hope people can understand where I’m coming from when I ask for that same consideration in return.
When you book an appointment with an artist, especially when you ask or even beg to get in sooner, please remember that the time you requested is being reserved specifically for you.
This past week, I had four appointments fall through.
One cancellation can hurt. Two can make for a rough week. Four can completely change what that week looks like financially.
The frustrating part is that I could have given those appointments to four other people who wanted to get in. Once that time has been reserved and the cancellation happens too late to realistically refill it, those working hours and that income are simply gone.
I’m not saying anyone owes me their time or is obligated to receive artwork from me simply because they reached out. Plans change. Finances change. Life happens.
What I am asking for is respect for the time that you asked me to set aside for you.
For a long time, I have tried to be extremely understanding and flexible with deposits because I wanted to trust that when someone booked an appointment with me, that commitment was serious. Unfortunately, after experiencing this many cancellations, I can’t continue absorbing that financial loss.
Because of that, I will be firmly requiring deposits moving forward.
This is not meant to punish anyone for needing to reschedule. If something comes up and you need to move your appointment, your deposit can carry over to your rescheduled appointment rather than requiring you to pay another one. When you come in for your tattoo, that deposit is applied toward the total cost of your tattoo that day.
The purpose of the deposit is simply accountability on both sides. You’re asking me to reserve a portion of my workday specifically for you, and I’m committing that time to you instead of offering it to someone else.
This is my career.
This is how I pay my bills. This is how I buy groceries. This is how I contribute to taking care of my family. Just because the service I provide is something people can live without does not mean the income I earn providing it is something my family can live without.
So whether you’re booking a tattoo, hair appointment, nails, lashes, photography, massage, or any other appointment-based service, please be mindful of the time you’re asking someone to reserve for you.
You’re not just canceling a purchase.
You may be canceling several hours of someone’s workday and income.
I appreciate every single person who has supported me, booked with me, recommended me, shared my work, trusted me with their ideas, or simply cheered me on throughout this career.
I will never take that support for granted.
All I ask is that the time we commit to one another is treated with the same value and respect on both sides 💕
