We recently connected with Trudy Perry and have shared our conversation below.

Trudy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I am fortunate that for the last few years I have taken my creative work into a full-time living situation. I have always work as a creative in some capacity however what I do now is the end game.

In 2016, I lived in Hawaii. I had a full time job at a beautiful events property. I ordered a loom thinking it would be great to do something creative and de-stress. I ended up creating wall hangings. I posted them on Instagram and folks started asking me to make them. Then I was asked to do local art shows and maker markets. This was all while I still had a full time job. When Airbnb experiences arrived on the scene, I applied to have an experience of creating mini tapestries using found objects on my beautiful lanai. We were called back to the mainland at the end of 2018.

I had to start all over again but didn’t look for a job and gave it ago as a full-time Fiber Artist. I found an amazing Studio to create in on a mountain top in Topanga. Having a creative space to work made all the difference. I used a similar formula I used in Hawaii and now I have amplified my work to Solo Shows, Large Works and have pieces all across the country. I work with incredible designers and still sell a lot of my work through Instagram.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I create unique, bespoke Woven and Wrapped Soft Sculpture Art pieces. I typically do commissions through designers and art consultants as well as teach my craft. I am proud of of the quality of my work and fill very lucky to have so many wonderful clients and collectors. My point of view is unique, as I use texture to tell a story. Each piece unlike no other.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I find that the best way to support artists is to buy art and share. I find that I continue to educate buyers on the value of original work. My work in particular is labor intensive as well as heavy on the cost of supplies. Pay artists what they are worth.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I have worked very hard to build my social media presence. It is a contact challenge however rewarding at the same time. I try to engage with my followers, create fun and interesting content and post daily. It’s a slow roll but it will pay off in time.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.trudyperr.com
• Instagram: @trudyperrydesigns
• Facebook: trudyperrydesigns
• Linkedin: trudyperry

Image Credits
no need.