Meet Erika Lauren Perez | Graphic Designer & Calligrapher

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

Hi Erika Lauren, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Creating & designing have always been my escape. I can draw, write, engrave, even color for hours & hours & then realize how much time has passed by. It has always been what I’ve done for fun & I always wondered whether I could make a living out of it. Once social media started to grow & my love for creativity & calligraphy along with it, I decided to put myself out there & finally created my own page for people to look at & get inspiration from. It took a while to come up with a creative/fitting name for the business, but once I did, things really started to fall into place. I’ve always been a very detail-oriented person, sometimes to a fault, so when Detailed to the E cleverly came up, it felt right!!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is pretty unique. I’d say that what sets me apart is probably what I’m most excited about. I’ve always loved cursive & the art of calligraphy & get lost in creating intricate mandala designs. Through Detailed to the E, I’ve been able to combine both forms of art & take them to the next level by engraving them onto glass bottles & burning them onto wood boards. The pieces I make are beautiful & thoughtful personalized gifts that can be given for any occasion.
I’d definitely say that my biggest challenge has been to find my niche. Because I can pretty much add a personalized touch to anything, I’ve been confusing to potential clients who wonder exactly what it is that I do. Apart from engraving & wood burning, I’ve done seating charts for weddings, signs for storefronts, logos for other growing businesses, advertisement campaigns, & photo illustrations. Through the process of creating, I’ve learned where I’d want to focus my “talents”, which would be engraving & burning, but letting go of all things creative is hard for me.

I’d want people to know that I put all of myself into my work. I don’t do it for money or clout, I do it because I genuinely love being creative & making people as happy as possible. I don’t just do a job to get it done or to get a “paycheck”, I do it to the best of my ability until it’s as perfect as I can get it. I would never turn in a project I am not 100% happy with because if I’m not happy with it, how can I expect the client to be. It means more work/time for me, but I pride myself in being as detailed & “perfect” as possible & take it to heart when it’s not. Hence, the fault I mentioned earlier.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If a friend was coming to town, I’d make sure to take them to the beach, not only for the drive to the beach itself, but for that drive back home at night because the view of downtown Miami all lit up is one of the most beautiful sights to see & personally my favorite. Along the way, it’d be great to take them to visit some of the iconic hotels and architectural works like the Adrianne Arsht Center and Brickell City Center. Another great place to spend the day/night are Wynwood, the Miami Design District, and Doral City Place. During the day, it’s so much fun to walk around to see all the art on the walls & in the galleries, visit little shops in the area, & savor amazing food. At night, it’s even more fun to barhop & stop in to dance to the diverse types of music each establishment plays. From the tasting perspective, Miami is a multicultural city that offers a variety of eclectic restaurants with all types of ethnic menus, many located at venues with spectacular views. Examples of these are Seaspice, Joia Beach, Kiki on the River, Novikov, and the legendary Versailles for the Cuban cuisine that you can’t leave Miami without trying! Miami is also a major hub for hosting all sorts of unique events like plays, concerts, art exhibitions, and sporting competitions. I’d make sure to take advantage of all this by checking out any events that may be happening around town.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have SO many people around me that support & encourage me daily. My parents, Rey & Rosie, & fiancé, Jonathan, are the ones that jump out the most. My dad is the creative one & my mom is a driving force for many things, so I banked on the combination of both. My best friends, Lauren & Stephanie, are also on the list of people I wouldn’t be me without.

Website: erikalauren.myportfolio.com

Instagram: detailedtothe_e