Consciousness · Creativity · Energy · Perry Portrait Art · Practice

Imagine It

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.

Contact Dorothy here! 

A Certain Way · Consciousness · Creativity · Dorothy Perry · Perry Portrait Art · Practice · Vision

Generosity of Spirit

waving good luck cat maneki neko

There is a generosity of spirit I continually refer to in dealing with others.

The best way I can describe it is intent, creation, and maintenance of a state of mind

that is flexible, open eyed, and playfully creative.

It trains itself to see abundance in the environment,

experiences simple, present-moment emotions of happiness,

maintains a grounded, connection with internal wisdom (quickly when needed)

and surrounds itself with reminders

to look upward and inward for its answers.

Consciousness · Creativity · Photography · Vision

Like Attracts Like

rainbow with printed words Peace and Joy.

The mind attracts the thing it dwells upon.

Dorothy Perry is a Chicago natural light photographer of intelligent and spiritual portraits, personal branding for women entrepreneurs, and intimate family documentary.

Contact Dorothy here! 

A Certain Way · Consciousness · Creativity · Practice · Vision

Old Car, New Car

This is a little story of the application of abundant thought to creating a new auto. In short, this is how I made my new car happen!

I am a fan of the Volvo 240GL car – it is a very unique and beautiful car to me, and I have already owned four!

My current 240 was classic and beautiful, had deep sentimental value, and ran like a champ. But 3 years ago, a motorcycle hit and run damaged its side, and my energetic pleasure for this car decreased when I looked at it. The quotes for body work alone were more than it cost!

I was reading a new book for creating abundant situations in daily life, and chose to test their ideas with my car situation.

In meditation, I felt how I looked and thought about it in a continual state of dissatisfaction.

I did not want to feel this way about this car, which was great in every other way.

So I began to really love the heck out of this car just the way it was,

seeing memories of its dependability and protection in my mind,

memories of washing and cleaning it,

happy moments driving in the beauty of nature, and talking with loved ones,

saying that it would resolve itself in an even better way than I can imagine,

and most importantly, leaving it alone, and not dwelling in doubt that my desire would be granted in its own Divine order.

I blessed the situation with this confidence and abundance mindset for four months to see a change in the situation. It happened quickly and happily.

The Fourth of July saw a rash of gunfire in the area where I was visiting, and my car window was shot out by a stray bullet. No auto glass places, even the ones famous for older models, could find a window for it.

A terrific car for me – and now her new owner!

I lost my mind a little in the energy of ‘fixing it’ – activity that often makes things more expensive or worse! – searching want ads, frustrated at the communications with strangers, while dealing with the realities of errands without a car.

I forgot I had to speak what I desired into effect.

Now with sanity restored, I looked at the photographs of my car and thanked it for its’ years of dependable, safe operation, the memories driving loved ones, and its dependability, and wished its next owner years of pleasure and safety in driving it.

I then began to describe a beautiful auto of the same style that had been well cared for, and would be a stable, good running vehicle for myself and my family.

The change in the situation happened the next day. My searches led to a new auto website, and the details of a car lovingly cared for came on the market four days ago! Within a week this lovely gold 240 was mine!

The first night at home!

From stating my desire to seeing it in the energetic presence of a new car took about four months. It is exactly what I desired, and I enjoy owning it even more, knowing it came about in this manner.

I believe to send those you know and don’t know uplifted thoughts of love, acceptance, and abundance is a shift in mindset that assists that bringing about the good you desire.

Now the car is here, I have changed the statement that everyone who saw, heard, touched, or even briefly heard of my car and story would be blessed, enriched, and have doors opened for opportunity and abundance in their lives!

See you around Chicago!

Dorothy Perry is a Chicago portrait photographer specializing in custom family portraits, modern headshots, & personal branding for women and executives at home and on location.

Please contact her here for commissioned work.

Consciousness · Creativity · Photography · Practice · Vision

Head in the Clouds

A counter-intuitive inspiration for today:

Any energy you ‘fight’ you are actually feeding.

If you are pushing something away, you are actually inviting it to stay.

To get the wisdom of a lesson, practice allowing

emotionally charged or upsetting feelings to happen

and then continue to pass through you like clouds.

In time the feeling could be re-framed as your internal signal

to get into quiet or nature, or to pay attention to the part of yourself

calling to you for attention, compassion and healing.

Contact Dorothy for custom photography here.

Creativity · Photography · Vision

The Dance of Life

With all that changes, some things still remain the same:

A couple decides that their two will become one (and added little ones, too!)

And the energy of their precious private moment

becomes an artistic testament to their love.


Do the photographs in your home thrill you?

If they don’t, call me! I do my best to see you at your Best!

Dorothy Perry is a Chicago portrait photographer specializing in custom family portraits, modern headshots, & personal branding for women and executives.


Contact her for portrait photography here.

Photography · Practice · Vision

Walk in Beauty



I find beauty all around me.

I would love to find it for you, too.  

Portraits and events that capture life’s freshness

in spirited images.


Dorothy Perry sees things beautifully. Contact, here.

Creativity · Photography · Vision

Seeing the Feeling


Do you have a favorite photograph

that brings you back to the exact moment of a place or time

that can awaken your senses…even now?

Does it bring a shiver or tears to your eyes?

However quickly or imperfectly taken,

the photographer caught an image

of the wordless, the present, the now.

Your senses recognize it in feeling.


Dorothy Perry is a Chicago portrait photographer. Contact her here.

Creativity · Photography · Practice · Vision

The Two Become (another) One


After creating and editing portrait images for a couple,

it is my practice to put them away and look at them later.  

It allows time for different, new images to emerge.


This image is one I am exploring for my dual portrait series.

I love how these images capture a loving husband and wife as individuals

and as a romantic couple.



Dorothy Perry is a Chicago portrait photographer. Contact her here.

Photography · Practice · Vision

Cleaning the Viewfinder

My website for a time had been with a company

that offers the ability to add and change things at will

without waiting for my webmaster to do it.

Today, in addition to changing ALL the fonts (!),

I had been tweaking the info on my contact form. 

The item in question was in scheduling a screening call, to see if we clicked,

and to make an appointment to meet, so over a calmer, more relaxed time,

I could see them and strategize how to help.  

Just contemplating the sentence that I could not discuss price before I understood the parameters of the project flooded my nervous system

with past memories of all the people that had done JUST THAT.

This suddenly seemed like a perfect metaphor

for the way I felt people were seeing me and my work,

and filled me with such a sudden, heated surge of memory,

I had to step away from the computer until I cooled down.

But instead of giving in to the part of me

that wanted to let them all ‘talk to the finger,’

I let myself finally feel all these emotions all the way through.

The common thread that ran through all of these incidents

was a lack of boundaries and ‘backbone’,

letting my easy-going nature be misinterpreted as weakness.

I am in a profession I love, and I want to continue to be in a profession I love.

So it is my responsibility to keep searching out the gaps in my protocols and policies,

and strengthen them so that hidden feeling does not steal joy

and cause me to become cynical or embittered.

Though these things have indeed happened, 

each step today becomes the next one tomorrow.  

I saw that my part in this is slower & more connected communication. 

To not be rushed or in a hurry to close the deal.

To know that not everyone who wants my work is my ideal client. 

To know my ‘deal-breakers’ and be able to stick to them.  To listen to my gut.

And to keep a regular practice of ‘dusting the cobwebs’ that build up in the corners

so I am able to be ready, whatever happens,

with clean sensors in my cameras – and in me.

Dorothy Perry is a Chicago portrait photographer.

 Contact her here.