We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Perris Mackey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Perris, great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.
Taking risks is a combination of courage, self-belief, and embracing new opportunities. It’s about stepping outside your comfort zone, learning from failures, and believing in your abilities. Keep pushing yourself and taking calculated risks to grow and achieve your goals.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Perris Mackey. Most know me as p_ThaNerd. I am a 36yr old full-time traditional collage artist born and raised in the city of Cleveland.
Being a full-time artist allows me to fully immerse myself in my passion and express my creativity on a daily basis. It gives me the freedom to explore different mediums, experiment with techniques, and bring my unique visions to life. It’s a fulfilling and rewarding journey where I can share my art with the world and make a meaningful impact.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
As a full-time artist, three qualities that have been impactful in my journey are perseverance, continuous learning, and embracing vulnerability. My advice for those starting their journey is to stay committed, practice regularly, seek feedback, and be open to taking risks. Keep pushing yourself, exploring new techniques, and never stop learning and growing as an artist. Remember, it’s a journey, so enjoy the process and trust in your unique artistic voice.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
I believe it’s important to strike a balance between leveraging our strengths and continuously improving in areas where we may not be as strong. By focusing on our strengths, we can excel and make a unique impact. However, investing effort in improving our weaknesses can broaden our skillset and open up new opportunities. It’s like honing a craft while also exploring new horizons. For example, as an artist, I initially focused on collage art, but I also pushed myself to learn new techniques like painting and digital art. This allowed me to expand my artistic repertoire and reach a wider audience. So, embrace your strengths, but also be open to growth and learning in other areas. It’s all about finding that sweet spot where you can shine and continue to evolve as an individual.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ImmortalNerd.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/p_ThaNerd
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pThaNerd
- Twitter: Twitter.com/p_thanerd
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@p_ThaNerd
Image Credits
Bob Perkoski is the photographer of the photo with the collage mural in the background. Website is www.perkoski.com
