Hi, I’m Piper, the soul behind Velvet Grave Tattoo Studio.
My life has not followed a perfectly straight path, and honestly, I would not want to pretend that it has. I have been through difficult seasons, made mistakes, had to rebuild parts of myself, and learned how important it is to keep moving forward even when life does not look the way you expected it to.
One of the biggest parts of my story is my sobriety. Choosing sobriety changed the direction of my life. It forced me to look at myself differently, take responsibility for my future, and start building a life that I could actually be proud of. Recovery has taught me patience, accountability, resilience, and the importance of taking things one day at a time. Those lessons have carried into almost every part of my life, including motherhood, school, and now my business.
Starting Velvet Grave was another major step in that journey.
Tattooing had been something I was interested in for a long time, but eventually I realized that thinking about a dream and actually chasing it are two completely different things. I finally decided to stop waiting for the perfect time and start building something of my own.
I did not begin this journey with years of experience or a long professional portfolio. I started as a beginner, knowing that I had a lot to learn. I am still learning, practicing, improving, and developing my skills with every step I take. I believe in being transparent about that because I would rather build Velvet Grave honestly than create an image of myself that is not real.
Building this studio has involved much more than learning how to tattoo. I have spent countless hours working on the business itself, researching requirements, creating safety procedures, completing training, organizing paperwork, building my website, developing the Velvet Grave brand, purchasing equipment, creating client forms, working through zoning, and making sure I am building a legitimate business from the ground up.
There have been moments when I questioned whether I could actually do it. There have also been moments when I looked around at everything I had created and realized just how far I had come.
Velvet Grave represents that growth for me.
It represents second chances. It represents rebuilding. It represents choosing to create something meaningful out of a life that has not always been easy.
I am also a mom, and that is one of the biggest reasons I continue pushing myself forward. I want my children to see that your past does not have to decide what you do with the rest of your life. You can change direction. You can learn something new. You can start over. You can build something that once felt completely out of reach.
My goal with Velvet Grave is to create a tattoo experience that feels comfortable, personal, and judgment-free. I want people to feel like they can walk in as themselves without having to explain who they are or where they have been.
I am not trying to pretend that I have everything figured out.
I am simply someone who decided to take a chance on herself, stay committed to her sobriety, keep learning, and turn an idea into something real.
Velvet Grave Tattoo Studio is still growing, and so am I.
And that is exactly what makes this journey mean so much to me.