Meet Piper | Artist/ Author/ American Ink$linger

We had the good fortune of connecting with Piper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi , what role has risk played in your life or career?
If you want to live an extraordinary life, you have to take risks and be willing to make mistakes, which I’ve made a lot of. I’ve always had to learn things the hard way it seems, but at least I know exactly how hot the stove is.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is everything to me, and has always been my escape from the societal programming. Where school teachers would steal my drawings and tear them up in front of me, demanding my attention. I never stopped though. I’d get labeled as disruptive and sent to the principals office regularly. All for sitting quietly and minding my own business. I felt a duty to rebel against such an authority, which eventually got me kicked out of school, sent to juvy hall, and then prison as a teenager.

This is where I fell in love with the art of tattooing, which I consider the ultimate form of self-expression, but of course it was illegal. Again I found myself rebelling against the system through art, which is at the heart of it all.

Im probably most proud of what I turned my prison experience into, a success story. I recently self-published my first book called American Ink$linger: The Confessions and Illustrations of a Penitentiary Tattoo Artist. In this book I share my story along with my complete portfolio of over 400 original paintings, drawings, sketches, and flash designs from the twelve years I spent locked up. Now available through Amazon and Bookbaby.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When one of my best friends gets out of prison and comes home, he’ll have to come get tattooed by me at Omerta Tattoo 303 first. That’s step one. After that, I’ll take him to my favorite Irish pub… Clancy’s in Wheat Ridge. The food, drinks, and atmosphere there are unmatched. I love this place. We definitely have to catch a show at Red Rocks. Any show is great there, it doesn’t disappoint. We’d take the kids to Elitch Gardens and the Downtown Aquarium. Chubby’s chili cheese fries, Little Devil’s from Lechugas and a home cooked meal will always hit the spot. We might even find ourselves in a strip club. Shoutout Shotgun Willie’s, Platinum 84, and Saturday Night Live.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a huge shoutout to and thank each and every one of my tattoo clients. They give me so much trust and creative freedom, I owe everything to them. They are by far my biggest support system and some of my best friends. I love you all.

Website: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/american-inkslinger?format=hardcover

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_paid_piper?igsh=bjdoeDkzMm5wYTd5

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@the_paid_piper?si=-7Vfe31NEje7U_e7

Image Credits
Not applicable