Meet Shelly Perry | Artist/Designer

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

Hi Shelly, how do you think about risk?
It is important to be who you are. Sometimes, that means that you challenge the norm or what is expected and that is a risk. Being in a creative field you are always facing some kind of push back. Betting on yourself is a risk worth taking. Nurture your talent, invest your time and energy in yourself and let go of the distractions that take you away from your goals.

For most people this would be considered risky.

Walking away from situations and individuals who either do not support or actually divert you from your goals may present short term losses.

Having a clear vision of yourself and your dreams should be the driving force for all of your decisions.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Having shared values with employees and partners has the greatest impact on my work. When we get together on a project and the common goal is to create a beautiful quality product then we are on the right path. Making money can not be the only goal. When turning a profit is the primary reason for a project then more important things can get forgotten. I am irrationally devoted to the excellent outcome of my projects.

This has forced me to be efficient, to learn from past mistakes, to choose my work crew wisely, to manage client expectations and to put egos aside.

You can’t be focused on being popular.

Clients generally have a budget of time and money to spend on a project. My singular goal is to make the best use of that budget to achieve an excellent outcome.

I always let my contractors know the goal of a project so that they make little decisions along the way with that goal in mind. I let the client know the limitations of the outcome based on their time and money constrictions.

I have great respect for the skill and talent of my contractors, and I help them to do the best work possible.

Communication and attention to detail, being honest in regard to expectations and caring about what you do can lead to positive outcomes.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love the outdoors so spending time at the beach on the Chicago lake front; dinner and drinks alfresco at Café des Architects or Brunch at 3 Arts Club at Restoration Hardware and late night Jazz at the Green Mill or Jazz Showcase.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Where you start off in life has a lot to do with your outcome. Having friends and family who celebrate and nurture your talent has been great encouragement to get to the next step. It has been my ex-husband David Moore who has been my greatest cheerleader and moral support. He has always

believed in my talent and has encouraged me to go out on my own and carve out a space for myself in the art and design world. He is a business and finance guy, so his support means a lot. He is analyzing my potential from a very practical place. This gives me a lot of confidence and freedom to focus and the creative and whimsical aspect of my work.

Website: www.shellyperrydesign.com

Instagram: shellyperrydesign

Image Credits
Photos property of Shelly Perry Design