Meet Alisha Perry

We were lucky to catch up with Alisha Perry recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alisha, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

The creative process doesn’t end. We all have a vision to express a story, no matter if it is through film, photo, floetry or another form of art. I keep creativity alive by keeping vintage alive, capturing the life we live and self-love.

The orangeish-reddish sunset radiating at the end of the block driving home. Turning on your record player in the living room and dance your way to the kitchen to finish your fried chicken. Seeing kids run up the street while sitting on your stoop. Walking home at night and seeing the streetlight flicker constantly down the alley you walk.

One photo can say one hundred words while your brain replays the melody of the memory. The laughter, the moment, the pain, the overcome.

In my work you’ll see raw emotion. We all should not be afraid to show what we were born with. We were blessed with certain things to embrace them, not hate them. We all should not be afraid to open up about something personal that can help someone else that doesn’t know where to start. Let’s stop finding the negatives/doing the negatives and help one another to save the world and each other instead of killing us faster. Mentally, physically and spiritually.

My calling is to be different. I am the butterfly. What journey are you willing to take?

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

You can learn more about me through personal projects and my website. I may be an open book but my projects express my thoughts that can only be put into art. My work is my outlet to let memories live on and connect with others that can relate.
My grandmother passed away in 2016. I was interviewed to be a Director of Photography for a short film about a girl losing her grandmother in 2025. With that emotional connection and relation, we were able to put together a heart-warming impacting film that is being submitted to film festivals. Be on the lookout!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

3 areas of knowledge that has been most impactful in my journey is:
1) First impressions are EVERYTHING.
2) Be honest with yourself.
3) Stay committed as you do with Self love.
These knowledgeable facts may be basic but its what pushes us to be the best person for ourselves and our work. Artists can feel the emotions of our art. We may receive compliments/feedback, but it’s the first impression that says it all through the committement we made to be honest with ourselves to create that piece.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I would love to collaborate with folks that want to be creative, authentic, have a different perspective, show realness and not afraid of the truth. And of course have fun! We all go through similar life things, why can’t we put our stories together to make a difference for the world we live in today?
Why can’t we laugh, cry, and understand our differences?
What we do today can make an impact tomorrow, 2 months from now, 3 years from now.
The more we continue to work together and stop going against each other is the way we HEAL THE WORLD.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Alishacoatesphotography.mypixieset.com
• Instagram: AlishaCoatesPhotography
• Linkedin: Alisha Coates

Image Credits

Shelley Harris (LED Baltimore Board)
Rufus Roundtree (Authentic Musician)
Maula Coates (Great-Great Grandmother)
Christopher Williams (Live at La Familia Soundstage February 2025)