I regularly tattoo at Artistic Mind Tattoos 603 S Illinois Ave, Carbondale, IL 62901. However, I do travel to conventions or guest spots often which are posted on my travel tab on this website.  If the travel page is not active it is because I currently have no travel plans.

Please go to the appointment tab and select a date and time that will work for you. You will be required to pay the deposit at this time.  If I do not approve your appointment you'll receive another email explaining why. I may just have a scheduling conflict.  I typically am booked 2-3 weeks out for Carbondale based appointments on Tuesdays-Fridays and my Saturday appointments can be booked for up to 2-3 months at any given time. I usually book appointments at 10:30 am and 2 pm. If your appointment request is denied you will be refunded for your deposit. 

Yes! The deposit is required for the system to process your booking request.  There is a $2 processing fee.  

All deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable. I require a minimum of a 24 hour notice of a reschedule. If those conditions are not met I keep the deposit for the time lost in my books. If a no call no show occurs, I require a new deposit to reschedule. If you habitually reschedule last minute or no call no show, I require half of the total cost of the tattoo upfront prior to booking. I dedicate over 40 hours per week to tattooing and invest at least 10 hours weekly in my artistic drawings. Your consideration of my time is greatly appreciated, and I kindly request your understanding of this policy, which is in place to prioritize those who value and make the most of it.

The total cost of your tattoo will depend on size, detail, color/black and grey, and placement.  For smaller pieces I charge a flat rate per piece by size. For larger pieces I charge an hourly rate of $120. Travel rates may vary.

Yes! In the merch link here on the website you can buy one online, or you can come into the shop and purchase one in person. If you purchase one online I will contact you directly on delivering the paper gift certificate that you can pass on to your loved one, or friend. You may also buy them for yourself. Layaway for your skin!

I do take on some coverups. Coverups are incredibly challenging. Every coverup is different. Sometimes it is less about what you want and more about what will work. Designs with pattern tend to do a better job at distracting the eye from whats underneath. Patterned tattoo examples are fish, snakes, dragons, mermaid, birds, etc. Most coverups also need to be in color. Keep in mind that your cover up needs are entirely different from someone else’s. I have also seen that a couple of sessions of laser treatments can greatly improve our freedom with design choices. For cover ups I ask that you come in for an in person consultation before booking. Yes I do rework designs, however, I do not finish other local tattoo artist’s work.

Yes you get one touch up for every tattoo I do. I try to get these touch ups scheduled in with your next tattoo in order for it to be truly free to you. If the touch up is the only thing we are doing, I just ask for a $10 set up fee to help cover supplies.

Yes I do take walk ins to fill any gaps I have in my schedule that have occurred naturally or due to a cancellation/reschedule. Be sure to follow me on my Instagram and Facebook and keep a look out for my stories. I post there anytime I have walk in time. Walk ins are always first come, first served.

I do not send designs electronically in any form. I ask that you trust me to take your idea and turn into something you will love. I have found that it is much easier to communicate about design changes, if they are needed, once you arrive to the appointment and we can discuss in person. I always make sure we are on the same page about your expectations prior to booking and will reach out if I have other questions. Large changes to a design may require a reschedule.

Yes, please! I enjoy it when you are enjoying yourself. So if you need a hand to hold, shoulder to cry on, or someone to hold your stuff… bring em! I do limit guest to two guest at a time. Travel appointments may vary on the space provided for guest.

Make sure you are well rested, well hydrated, and had a good meal before, especially if you are diabetic.

Please bring one form of government issued ID. For longer sessions, I recommend you bring a snack and your favorite drink. Artistic Mind Tattoos does offer soda and water for purchase. You may also bring your books, headphones, etc to keep yourself entertained while I am tattooing so long as they do not interfere with what I am doing.

I typically do not recommend numbing cream. I am a minimal product based tattooer. I believe the less amount of chemically based products we use while tattooing the better they will heal. The over the counter numbing creams you can buy online are not FDA approved, and they require you to Saran Wrap their product over your skin. This results in swelling and redness. It makes it harder for me to work with your skin if it is puffy, red, or inflamed in any way. Additionally, you have allowed a chemical to soak into your skin and then I am using a group of needles to poke through your epidermis and into the dermal tissue layer. Tattoos opens up your capillaries and causes you to bleed. When you have used these products they are coming in contact with your bloodstream. That is why I practice minimal product based tattooing techniques.

If you feel you must use these products, please notify me prior to your appointment that you plan to use them so that we can discuss it further. I do have some numbing solutions on hand, however, they usually only work once the skin has been opened up.

There are two ways I recommend aftercare. First is the tegaderm/saniderm method. It is a waterproof bandaid that I supply and will apply for you. It traps the capillary bleeding you will have naturally after your tattoo is over. This blood is rich in white blood cells and their job is to reduce scabbing. When we reduce scabbing we greatly reduce ink loss. It also prevents your pets from scratching, licking, or getting hair in the healing tattoo. It lowers the risk of infection. It helps keep a barrier for my frontline employees who are at risk of being exposed to blood born pathogens. For these reasons, it is my primary healing method. However, people with sensitive skin and/or latex allergies may be allergic and we should avoid this method.

If you received this method of aftercare, your steps are as follows:

For traditional healing methods I will apply a temporary bandage that you will wear until you get home. Proceed with the following steps: