Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shadia Derbyshire. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Shadia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

Let me tell you about the craziest way I ever landed a contract…

First a little backstory. After a long drawn out sinus infection, I had been plagued with a series of nosebleeds. For weeks they would hit randomly, which was a little scary and wildly inconvenient.

One morning., as I was getting ready for work, one began that proved far more tenacious. Long story short, I decided I needed to head to urgent care, wearing my paint cloths – the shirt covered with blood.

I was taken back immediately, and after treating me the Doctor began asking me about my paint clothes.

I explained that I was a professional artist and muralist and had been on the way to work prior to the nosebleed. He asked to see some of my work, and introduced himself as the owner of a chain of urgent cares. Over the next 3 years I ended up painting murals throughout his facilities – all because of that nosebleed!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a professional artist specializing in fine art on canvas as well as decorative art (murals and faux finishing) for both residential and commercial clients. I earned a BFA and continued professional training as both a decorative artist and a studio artist.

I love working with clients and pride myself in really listening to them, so that I can best articulate the vision they have for the perfect artwork for their space.

My decorative artwork is primarily local to the Metro Detroit area, but I’m fortunate to have collectors of my fine art all over the US and Europe.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

After college, I wasn’t sure what to do with my BFA and eventually found myself working in web design at a local consulting firm. As some of the consultants and partners began to learn of my background in art, I began painting for them on nights and weekends. What started as a small mural for one consultant, became a multi room project for a partner in the firm. It didn’t take long for me to realize this was what I was meant to be doing, and I decided to jump in head first!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think one key component of building my reputation has been my dedication to professionalism. Unfortunately artists don’t always have the best reputation for follow through. Similarly, neither do contractors- so when I’m contracted to create a commissioned piece of artwork or create a custom mural, I always do my very best to execute it in the best way I can, on time and within budget!

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.artofshadia.com
• Instagram: Artofshadia