We were lucky to catch up with Shelly Fierro recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shelly, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I was lucky enough to grow up in an art-supportive household. From an early age, I showed interest in all kinds of art. Whether I was laying on the floor doodling away or constructing little people out of wire, I always had an attraction to art. My dad is a graphic designer, so once I was in late middle school I decided that’s what I wanted to be too. I pursued art as much as possible during my K-12 years, taking art classes in school and creating on my own outside of school. When the time came to apply to college, I was confident in my desire to go to Virginia Commonwealth University for Graphic Design. I worked diligently towards my degree pulling long nights and putting my everything into my projects. I graduated a semester early in December of 2018, obtaining my Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. At that point, my goal was pretty clear: I wanted to land a job in my field and rise up the ranks doing what I love. Half a year later I landed a job working as the sole graphic designer for a newspaper on a Marine Corps base. It was a really great first job in my career as a designer. My next design job working for a supplement company came up after my husband got out of the Marine Corps and we moved to Florida on a whim. I am still at this design job, but since starting here I’ve had another realization: I want to own and operate my own design & art business. So within the past 2 years I’ve begun slowly cultivating my business – doing freelance logos & more for other small businesses, making art as much as possible and posting it to the world, and expanding my knowledge of different creative practices such as sticker making, t-shirt design, jewelry, resin art, and more. It’s been an exciting process thus far and although I am still a full-time graphic designer & video editor for the local multi-million dollar supplement company…I feel my career pivoting and I can’t wait for what’s to come and the day when I can fully commit to my small business.

Shelly, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

(Since I touched on a lot of the above in my previous answer, I will focus on the products I produce and what makes me different)

Most of my products are stickers which I design either in Procreate or Adobe Illustrator and then print/cut at home with my Cricut or outsource to my trusted printer StickerApp. I also offer prints of some of my designs, which I print and cut at home in my studio. I have dabbled in jewelry making, wreath making, t-shirt design, and spell jar crafting, which I love because I truly enjoy working with my hands and using different mediums to create something original and authentically handmade, yet clean and well-designed. I also recently found a business I trust to turn some of my designs into beautiful keychains. I am constantly looking for new ways I can get my art into the world, and I often have to hold back on picking up new creative practices such as rug-making, embroidery, etc., because I already have way too many supplies to work with. But as you can imagine, my brain is constantly in creative mode so it’s hard not to get into new and exciting practices.

I feel that I am different than other creators because I have such a passion for ALL things art, design, and creative, which is why my products very so much. I like to call myself a jack-of-all-trades, which sometimes leads people to believe “master of none”, but I then like to remind them of the full quote: Jack of all trades, master of none, but better than master of one.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

One of the most rewarding things for me as a creative is when I meet other creatives who make beautiful art/products…and they compliment my work. It just means so much more coming from someone who is surrounded by art themselves, and when I see a “Love this! :)” from another creator – it puts a smile on my face instantly. I also love the community I’ve been able to build with other artists and creatives. It’s so supportive and like no other!

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I very recently watched a video from 2007 where Joshua Bell, a famous & talented concert violinist, conducted an experiment in a Subway. Dressed casually, he played classical pieces for 43 minutes. Out of 1,097 people that passed by Bell, 27 gave him money, and only seven actually stopped to listen. In total, Bell made $32.17. Meanwhile when he plays concerts, seats can sell for hundreds of dollars each.

The moral of the story for me is that whether you thrive or not can depend solely on the environment you place yourself. And if you don’t value yourself and you work, how can you expect others to do so? You have to believe that what you’re doing is worthwhile and genuine. That you are making a difference. That you are producing good things and are worthy of recognition. It starts with you, the creative.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.studiofierrodesign.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studiofierro/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StudioFierroDesign/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelly-fierro-465278100/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/studiofierro
• Other: My website is currently under construction, so please refer people to my linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/studiofierro