Cease practice based
on intellectual understanding,
pursuing words and
following after speech.
Learn the backward step
that turns your light inward
to illuminate within.
Body and mind of themselves
will drop away,
and your original face
will be manifest. — Dogen
This ancient poem
holds the energy
of what I choose to see
in the world around me –
and what I seek to create.
Contact Dorothy here to commission portraits
that stand the test of time.
I have always had an affinity for quirky, unconventional heroes in cartoons, books and movies.
It has taken me years to understand why these heroes attract me so. The skill of using this type of attention and focus is the result of a system called reticular activation.
Imagine thinking of a special color, then slowly but surely starting to see that special color around you, and in many things you see throughout the day. The reticular activator filters and curates the pictures, patterns, and connections you are subconsciously thinking about.
Now I know that ‘as within, so without’, I use it now to help me notice what I am noticing – as a way to confirm if I am indeed moving towards the goals I seek.
My interest in cartoons and paladin-type heroes are that they embody a creative mindset, a never-give-up attitude, and ability to adjust with zen immediacy to whatever comes their way, all the while maintaining their autonomy and personal inner values.
My ‘mentors’ walk out on clouds without falling, stretch like rubber, find clothes and wigs wherever they are needed, and never give up, even if at first they seem to lose!
The reticular activator is also the visible language of the inner spirit. I enclose an inspirational piece from another mentor, Napoleon Hill.
We all experience rare moments when a blinding revelation comes to us, when we suddenly see things differently than ever before. Usually, however, we learn the truth about ourselves gradually, over long periods of time, from quiet introspection.
We are all spiritual, but some of us have learned to tap more effectively into the great strength that resides in the spiritual portion of ourselves.
The spirit is not boisterous and noisy. Getting in touch with your spiritual self demands tranquility and solitude.
Make sure you dedicate a portion of every day to thought and study, to think and reflect upon your life. Choose a time and place that best allow you to relax your mind and devote your thoughts to reflection.
It is my hope that these thoughts and methods will help assist you in your search for purpose in your life.
All the best,
In the early nineties, I cut my teeth working for local weekly newspapers like the Defender, New City, and the Chicago Reader.
I loved seeing the interiors of cafes and restaurants in natural light, where the simplest things created artistic still lives, and photographed my meals before eating.
The food magazine Saveur was an inspiration to me, as for what could be done in capturing the zest of the real things happening in creating food,
and sometimes when I was lucky, I was able to photograph the people beginning the prep for the evening menu.
I got assignments from a SF startup called TurnHere and another called Seamless, photographing the dishes of local restaurants in their settings that would be included in their online advertisement.
My favorite assignment was shooting images for a book about local ‘greasy spoon’ diners, who found me by an image of the quirky scenes at Chicago’s famous White Castle.
Moving into digital and past newspapers, I began to photograph for walks, special events, and expos, and photographed private events such as the Chicago WineFests in their various locations through the year.
Past clients have included Sweet Thang Bakery, Letizia’s Bakery and Spacca Napoli, not to mention the restaurants captured for the start up companies.
I’m a behind the scenes type of person, so I really enjoyed capturing the graceful rhythms of chefs within crowded rooms and the skill in creating the dishes for their customers.
I always pinch myself that I really do the thing I love every day. And I’d love to have the opportunity to work with you, too!
Fill out the Contact Page for photographic art of your event or experience soon!
All the best, Dorothy
Be seen.
Schedule a time at your home for a really good photo of your family –
and enjoy it every day afterwards.
Dorothy Perry creates purposeful portraits in beautiful daylight. Contact her here.
11:11 am and 11:11 pm
summons powerful energy during the minute,
a conduit for positive light and prayers
for all present and gone.
Dorothy Perry is a Chicago natural light photographer of intelligent, soulful portraiture for families and creative entrepreneurs.
I photographed their parents elopement portrait
and their blending families,
and amongst the official moments
of this special day, of a new life,
they created a new portrait
especially for me to see.
I wish their big, brand new family
many moments of unity, amity, and love.
Perry Portrait Art captures real families and their good energy.
Complete the Contact Page to envision yours.
For the scholars, teachers and parents staring a new year, one of my ‘oldies but goodies.’
‘Enjoy’ a bowl of soup in a different way to connect (and reconnect) with the calm inside.
This uses a visualization technique called imaginating, a great tool for managing and mellowing real life situations.
The key is to let your hearing, sense of touch, sense of smell and taste engage naturally as you ‘hold’ the warm spoon and marvelous chickeny goodness in hand.
Try it, play with it (!) and apply it in different situations to see it work for you!
Dorothy Perry is a Chicago natural light photographer interested in the illumination of the inner life. Contact her here.
Within the mindset that what we do for others, we are working on in ourselves, I see the actions I am taking to help someone grow
are the things that are my struggle to grow with as well.
My son and I have been a tight pair since he was born. He was not an easy boy to raise
after vaccinations caused developmental regression at an important stage of life.
School, Aspergers, socialization, therapy: we had our roles: I was his cheerleader and advocate, tried to anticipate issues, ease him into trying new things –
and dust myself off when well-meaning experiments sometimes went south (I actually wrote some pretty good poetry about this period of time.)
Over time, I came to realize that some of these well-meaning efforts ‘bubble-wrapped’ him
against the work he needed to do to stand on his own feet…
Steps he needed to take himself.
I realize to be an advocate of his independence in this new stage of life, I needed to step back and let him
make his own decisions,
set new expectations,
disagree with me,
fix his own dinner,
handle his finances,
figure out his own schedules,
make his own mistakes.
Old habits die hard, and being a ‘helicopter mom’ was second nature for twenty years.
It’s still hard sometimes not to take the wheel for him when he is working things out.
But this is the work towards a measure of independence that we both have to do in our own lives.
It has taken longer in time than some young adults need, but that is what it took. It takes different types of strategies and preparations, and some hand-holding,
but that is what it takes as well.
And with extra time, reassurance and ‘figure it out yourself’,
I see that he is more assured, trying his wings, making short flights.
And succeeding.
One thing, though never changes.
I have a little ritual in the mornings, where I watch him walking to work in the crowds, as far as I can see him, until he is out of sight.
And then, saying ‘thank you’ in tears of gratitude
for the marvel of a young man walking down the street to work –
a vision that looks so everyday and ordinary,
but is evidence of beautiful, positive growth that has happened in ours.
Update of sorts: the time at home over Covid and the preparation to return to work caused some anxiety we could not manage or assuage, and in time he left the firm.
I am creating our schedules with more attention
on doing the things he does here at home himself
to take responsibility, care for himself, and figure things out.
All as quietly as he usually does things.
No matter what it looks like from the outside,
I have dreams of this next step and germinating it
until it is strong enough to flower.
Dorothy Perry is a Chicago portrait photographer.
