Meet Sherry Shih

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sherry Shih. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sherry below.

Sherry, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I didn’t “decide” on my purpose one day — I uncovered it slowly, almost like how an ink painting reveals itself on handmade paper.

I grew up in Taiwan in a traditional, academically driven household where success meant top grades, respectable careers, and stable futures. My mother is a highly skilled traditional Chinese painter, but like many women of her generation, she was expected to set aside her artistic career to become a full-time housewife. And yet, her passion for art quietly saturated our home — from the books she read to the way we spent weekends wandering the National Palace Museum. As a child, I memorized classical Chinese texts at age six and began learning calligraphy at seven. I didn’t realize it then, but I was being steeped in a rich cultural legacy that would one day become the foundation of everything I do.

I followed the path expected of me — a psychology degree in Taiwan, then a master’s in architecture in the U.S. I chose architecture because it felt like a “practical” form of creativity, something my parents could support. The program opened my eyes to global aesthetics and design, but I soon realized I loved the knowledge, not the work culture. That became a pattern. I tried working in hospitals, doing behavior therapy, coding bootcamps, graphic design, digital marketing — constantly testing, learning, exploring. I wasn’t lost; I was searching for something that aligned with both my mind and my energy. I realized I wasn’t just looking for a job — I was trying to design a life.

And then came the turning point. During the pandemic, I was laid off — and for the first time, I had the space to do something purely for myself. I signed up for a Chinese brush painting class at UCLA, and the moment I touched the brush again, something shifted. It felt like returning home. Everything I thought I had left behind — the classics I memorized as a child, the visual language of my mother’s studio, the museum visits that once made me yawn — came flooding back.

Not long after, a friend invited me to write Chinese calligraphy live for a luxury brand’s Lunar New Year event. That led to other collaborations, custom artwork commissions, and eventually teaching calligraphy workshops under the Los Angeles Public Library system. I even started leading immersive sessions where I guide people through the Tao Te Ching — the very text I memorized at age six — using brushwork as a form of philosophical inquiry and embodied learning. It felt like all the dots of my life were finally connecting, naturally and without force.

That’s when I understood:
My purpose isn’t just about making art — it’s about making art alive.

I have a gift for fusing past and present, material and meaning, emotion and ritual. I love exploring how ancient oracle script might live again in everyday objects — maybe one day as perfume bottles, tattoos, or home rituals. For me, the joy is in imagining how history can come alive through forms we touch and use today. I design workshops where people don’t just observe calligraphy — they feel it in their hands, their breath, their bones.

Now, I run a hybrid art practice between Taiwan and the U.S. — teaching, exhibiting, collaborating, and creating immersive cultural experiences that travel as easily as my ink and brushes. Whether I’m designing a scroll, hosting a hot-spring-and-calligraphy ritual, or crafting custom gifts rooted in Chinese tradition, my goal is to offer people not just beauty — but belonging, reflection, and joy.

So how did I find my purpose?
By listening to what gave me life instead of what only gave me approval.
By experimenting bravely.
By allowing what was planted in me as a child — tradition, language, art — to finally take root and bloom.

I hope my story reminds others that even if the path is winding, even if you take the long way home — your purpose may be waiting in the very things you once dismissed as “just a hobby.” Sometimes, the life you’re meant to live is already inside you — brushstroke by brushstroke, quietly waiting to return.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m a Chinese calligrapher and ink painting artist creating meaningful experiences that bring tradition to life in modern, personal ways.

From custom scrolls and tattoos to on-site engraving at luxury brand events, my work blends brush, story, and emotion. Whether I’m writing 福 on a New Year scroll or engraving a name onto a perfume bottle, my goal is always the same — to help people connect with something timeless, beautiful, and alive.

I work across formats:

– Custom calligraphy scrolls for weddings, blessings, and meaningful gifts
– Tattoo designs inspired by ancient Chinese scripts
– On-site calligraphy & engraving for cultural events and brand activations
– Workshops that let people feel the brush in their own hands — relaxing, grounding, and beginner-friendly

For those drawn to deeper reflection, I also host small-group Tao Te Ching sessions, using brushwork and ancient text as a doorway into stillness and insight.

Everything I create — whether on paper, glass, or skin — is about turning heritage into something you can touch, carry, and feel.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, one of the most impactful lessons I’ve learned is that finding your path isn’t always about having a clear goal early on — it’s about trying things until you discover your unique combination of strengths, values, and rhythm.

Here are the three insights that shaped my journey the most:

1. Try Early, Try Often — and Meet the People Doing the Work
I wish I had started exploring earlier. Like many Asian kids, I followed the “safe” path first — good grades, practical majors, stable jobs. It wasn’t until much later that I gave myself permission to explore what I actually wanted.
Advice: If you’re still figuring things out, talk to people already in the field. Intern, shadow, experiment — not just with the subject matter, but with the lifestyle and working environment. Liking the idea of a field isn’t the same as liking the day-to-day reality.

2. Your Unique Combination Is the Asset
Over time, I realized my true value didn’t lie in being the best at any one thing — it was in how I could connect the dots between what I’d lived, studied, and felt. My strength is transforming emotion and cultural depth into something people can experience — and that comes from a lifetime immersed in Chinese art, calligraphy, and philosophy.
Advice: Your power might lie in your specific combination — even if it doesn’t look “standard.” Try enough things to find out what only you can do.

3. Know the Life You Want First
One of the most important turning points in my life was realizing that enjoying the knowledge of a field doesn’t always mean you’ll enjoy the work culture or daily tasks. I now build my work around the kind of life I want to live — where I have flexibility, creative freedom, and the ability to work from anywhere.
Advice: Ask yourself: What kind of energy do I want my day to have? What kind of freedom do I need to feel alive? Then build from there. A career isn’t just a job — it’s a container for your lifestyle.

Everyone’s path will look different, and that’s the point. What works for others may not work for you — and that doesn’t mean you’re behind. It just means you’re learning to build a life that’s truly yours.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

Over the past 12 months, my biggest growth has been learning how to truly prioritize myself — my energy, my wellbeing, and my joy — and let that guide both my life and my creative business.

For most of my life, I was wired to meet others’ expectations first. I’d say yes too often, overwork, or shape my decisions around making other people comfortable — even at the cost of my own mental or physical health. But this year, I began shifting that pattern, step by step. Like building muscle at the gym, I’ve been practicing what it means to put myself first — not out of selfishness, but out of self-respect.

“I used to sacrifice myself to meet other people’s expectations. Now I build a life that honors my energy — and my creativity has never flowed more freely.”

One of the biggest turning points was choosing to move into a spacious, peaceful studio that supports my creative work and gives me room to breathe. I finally have a large table where I can focus, paint, write, and let ideas flow freely — and making that choice within my budget, with intention, felt like a breakthrough. It was more than a logistical move — it was a declaration: I take myself and my work seriously.

As someone with a mind full of creative ideas and endless potential paths, I’ve also learned that focus is power. I’ve had to become more selective — choosing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it in a way that honors my capacity. My physical health, mental clarity, and emotional energy are now non-negotiables. Without strong boundaries, it’s easy for other people’s needs, opinions, or timelines to take over. But when I protect my energy, I create from a place of joy — and that’s when everything flows.

This shift has changed how I show up in every way. I no longer feel the need to prove myself by doing more. I let go of projects that feel draining, and focus on the ones that feel alive. And the result? Things move more smoothly. Growth happens faster. Ideas that have real business value start pouring in — not because I’m forcing them, but because I’m finally creating from a place of alignment.

If I could offer one takeaway, it’s this: When you stop abandoning yourself to meet the world’s expectations, and start honoring your own rhythm — your work, your energy, and your entire life transforms.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sheshinesmore.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherry_chinesecalligraphy/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherry-shih/

Image Credits

Photography by Sherry Shih and collaborators