We had the good fortune of connecting with Peri Duncan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Peri, we’d love to hear about a book that’s had an impact on you.
While I’m painting I listen to audiobooks, and I’ve listened to a few dozen this year that I would wholeheartedly recommend, so it’s hard to pick just one! Nonetheless, one of my recent favorites was “The Anthropocene Reviewed,” by John Greene. The Anthropocene Reviewed is a collection of personal essays (or rather, reviews) written by John Greene about the current geological age (the Anthropocene). I had no idea what to expect going into this book, but it was a work of art. He reviews everything from sunsets to Frank’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, and makes unexpected, insightful observations about all of it. The chapter called “Harvey” in particular I would recommend to anyone who has ever struggled with mental health. Greene wrote this book during the pandemic, and his words were validating in a way I hadn’t known I needed. No matter where you are in life, if you’ve lived through the past few years in America and ever just didn’t feel okay, I highly recommend this book.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started my company, PNDesigns, in 2019. I paint murals of all sorts, pet portraits, and occasionally design business cards and logos. Colorful, semi-realistic nature scenes are probably my specialty, but I love trying new styles and I’m always up for a challenge!

The first mural I ever painted was actually in 2012, in my freshman dorm at CU Boulder. They said “Sure, you can paint on the walls” and I thought, “You know, I bet I could paint!” After graduating four years later with a degree in Journalism and Computer Science (and having spent most of my free time during that period teaching myself how to paint), I needed a flexible job, and started painting at Colorado Ski Chairs in Manitou Springs. I had a great time working at that company, and gained confidence in my painting skills over the years that I spent there. Through that job I ended up painting a few murals, and quickly realized that I strongly prefer working on walls in large scale. Shortly after that, in the summer of 2019, I had made a professional account on Thumbtack and found my first individual mural client!

I’ve learned a lot over the past few years, and I expect to continue to learn things over the rest of my career. There are slow seasons and busy seasons, which can be terribly stressful for the self employed, but what I’ve struggled with the most is a work-life balance. It’s incredibly important to make time for your normal life and not let your work take over – I have to intentionally schedule days off for myself, and I still forget to do that sometimes! Nonetheless, I’m proud of how far I’ve come and of the reputation that I’ve built for myself and my company.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Colorado Springs, and what a beautiful place to be! I always take out of town visitors to the Garden of the Gods, and into Manitou Springs, because it has such a charming downtown area. We also have quite a few cool breweries in town, two of which are located in old school buildings – Bristol Brewing Company (previously Ivywild Elementary), and Goat Patch Brewing, (previously Lincoln Elementary). There’s also plenty of great hiking in the area, from leisurely hikes to bucket list hikes, like the Manitou Incline.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Huge shoutout to the incredibly talented Mandy Heck (owner of Abundance Illustration) for encouraging me and setting an awesome example of how to run a successful business in the art industry. Big thanks also to my boyfriend Doug Ward for setting up my website, helping me get my first mural client, and encouraging me to start my own business. Additionally, I will be forever grateful to all of the incredible artists in the Mural Artists Facebook Group – their wealth of knowledge and support is invaluable, and I regularly feel like I’d be lost without them. Last but certainly not least, shoutout to my parents for supporting me through college, and forgiving me for not using that degree!

Website: https://pnd.design/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paintingsbyperi/

Other: https://www.thumbtack.com/co/colorado-springs/mural-painter/pndesigns/service/361163642011500544

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