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

Shiree, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I went to the first public performing and visual arts high school in Chicago (ChiArts). When I first went to the school I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a professional artist actually. Despite going to school from 8am til 5pm, I wasn’t that committed to the art profession until I was probably 17. I got selected for a scholarship to Anderson Ranch arts center in Colorado. When I was there I took a workshop for encaustic painting and sat for a week through various professional artist talks. As I sat through these artist talks genuinely intrigued by these artists’ practices and work I realized this was what I wanted to do. Something was so normal about the various artist and I actually understood what they were talking about. I for the first time saw artist outside of school in their practice and it showed me how normal and reachable my dreams were. I’m the only artist in my family. Honestly the only artist I know that I didn’t meet professionally. It was a huge moment for me to see regular people making money and helped give me confidence in my skills because none of them had studied as children. 10 years later I’m a professional muralist and illustrator taking care of my family with my passion.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into this field as a child I started freelancing at 17 and have grown through many setbacks. I am trained as a graphic designer, muralist and illustrator. I think what sets me apart from the rest is my vibrant but cohesive color palettes, and adaptable designs. We can create on any surface and get our positive message of peace to those who need it most.

As a young black woman from the south side of Chicago, I saw the need for more creative affirmations that are tailored to my perspective and were an uplifting representation of me and others like me. Therefore I created a business to solve that problem. We seek to provide inspirational public art for women of color who could use loving and motivating designs while also having a positive representation of their identity in diverse spaces. We prioritize mental health and seek to show customers images they can escape into and emulate that provide a positive influence on their lives going forward. My customers are young adult women of color, and anyone adjacent looking for clean, creative and detailed illustrations and designs. We help our customers bring their desired custom ideas to life and provide the aesthetic that will make them comfortable and included in their space of choice. We use intuitive knowledge, artistic skill and community involvement to meet our customers’ needs.

The main thing I want people to know is we are quick, efficient and talented. My biggest accomplishment is having 4 designs all in the south shore/calumet neighborhood in which I grew up. Being able to be a representation of a young female back artist to someone like me is a huge goal of mine. I love supporting other black business and helping bring their vision to life as we collectively uplift our forgotten communities.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is getting to be fulfilled in my career and take care of my family, while also uplifting my community. It fulfills my need to help make the world a better more beautiful place.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I became a small business owner when I was 22 in 2018, after I gave birth to my son. I’ve always been an artist since I was a child and had dreams of pursuing it as a career and owning my own business. I went to a performing arts high school and then college for two years for graphic design and painting. Even though I had to leave school prematurely, I always tried to keep my career as an artist on track. Starting off it was hard to find a path to success in this career on my own. I however, never gave up and after I gave birth I had no way to make money at home. So, I got creative during my postpartum transition and I started selling small prints online. I’ve grown the business from there. I made 6 quick print ideas, advertised them on facebook, and delivered them to customers who contacted me in my area. I started off small and I initially just wanted extra money to pay for my birthday weekend plans and a cute outfit. My sales did way better than I anticipated and it motivated me to start expanding my products and services. I became a small business owner because it was always my dream to have my art make people feel the way I did when I made it and I had the motivation from the good response and I’ve found passion in nurturing and growing my business

Contact Info:

• Website: ShireeArt.com
• Instagram: @shireeart

Image Credits
Jai love photography