Meet Damien Perry | Artist & Martial Artist

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

Hi Damien, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’m a natural born artist. As a kid I would draw my toys and characters from comic books. We had a house fire and the event was traumatizing. I had to remember how to draw again.

As time went on my younger brother, Darnell, and I started painting illustrations on clothes and would wear them to high school. People offered to pay for custom art. We worked long nights after school customizing clothing for people paying us for the art. We stuck with this craft until graduation.

After Darnell graduated we decided to take it up a notch and learn how to do Tattoos. After much practice our clientele built due to what they saw on our bodies. We were hired to work at Sick-Os Tattoo Shop off Memorial Drive on the Eastside of Georgia. We worked there until the shop closed. We are now prepared to open our own shop around 2026. In the midst of it we make house calls for tattoo clients who are interested.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In the midst of preparing to open a shop with my younger brother Darnell, I have been working with my mom billing medical claims.

My mom decided one day that she would teach me how to work one of her jobs and she would pay me for my time. You should know my mom is a tech freak and we’ve always had nice technology in our home so it’s only right I knew how to work computers.

My mom, Lisa Barrett, works billing medical claims. She started me off slow on my first day and as time progressed my workload grew however the funny part is I was finishing the project in top speed, correctly. Since the job is a contract job I did not have to sit in front of a co.puter from 9 to 5. I simply finish the task and go about my day.

I’ve learned that I learn quickly. In this world you have to be versatile and prepared for what is to come. I like to be prepared so I study in a way with routine and self critiquing. I’ve learned not to procrastinate because the earlier you do it, the faster it gets done and at the same time I do not rush. I simply work at a different speed.

What makes me unique is that I was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2010. Only 1% of the world’s population is diagnosed with this serious mental illness. Schizophrenia was tough at first and a bit scary. I was bombarded with what is labeled hallucinations. I went straight home from Auburn University, which I attended after I graduated Stephenson High school. From there I started my journey to a healthier life.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Georgia is full of surprises. I like to show people a good time and depending on the time of the year, there are very interesting places to visit.

Let’s take a trip to North Georgia Zoo where the wolves are. This zoo has a petting zoo within it and you are able to train wolves, venture on a trail in your automobile to see other animals, travel with a zookeeper to learn about the exotic animals there, and enjoy the view.

We also have a Dave and Busters arcade. This arcade is really popular and the food is really good. There is bowling, billiards, good, beer, and games galore. This location stays open after midnight and is also connected to the Discover Mills mall.

For a rare delicate meal we travel to Zone 6 to visit Andy’s, a seafood restaurant. The seafood here can be battered with spicy seasoning. The fish is fresh and can be steamed or fried. The crab legs can be seasoned and cooked. The fries are my favorite. Fench fries are my favorite food. Andy’s is located off of Snapfinger Rd. In Dekalb County. Stone Mountain Park is not that far away from that location.

For a night time drive how about Club MJQ. This club feels like it is underground and opens at 11pm now. The crowd is live and thriving. Club MJQ is located at Midtown, GA. They have a bar and you are free to visit and walk the city before or after you enjoy a good time with your friends while listening to good music. I advise a designated driver. The club is not very big however the people are plenty. Beautiful people at that.

We also have Six Flags, White Waters, The Coca-Cola Factory, Atlanta Zoo, The biggest Aquarium, Hibachi restaurants, the best Mexican cuisines, Sports, beautiful parks, etc.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost I would like to thank the Lord. I want to follow that with thanking my family for the inspiration and parenting from my siblings and parents. I want to thank my fur baby Kana, my sisters Stafford Terrier Crystal and the Bearded Dragon Ryu for watching over us. My parents met in The Air Force so we are military brats. My two brothers and sister have traveled the entire east coast of the USA. We lived in duluth as kids and moved to Dekalb around 2001. This is where I thank my gang, my friends, my homeboys and homegirls, this is where I thank my best friend John Cunningham and RBG. This is where I thank the teachers and staff at Stephenson Middle and High School for the memorable journey of Zone 6.

I like to shout out my Sensei Peggy, Grandmaster Chong, and Master Ron for teaching me Tai Chi at the Tai Chi Association where I excelled and trained for 3.6 years straight. I like to shout out The Aikido Center of Atlanta for giving me a new addiction, Aikido. I trained as much as I could because the techniques were ancient and the hands on gave me a new incite on what is possible and Tai Chi was only the beginning. I attended about 90 classes of Aikido. My mind started to rewire. I want to shout out Sifu from Shaolin Institute for bringing Chinese Martial Arts to town. I also want to shout out Shikendo Japanese Swordsmanship for showing and teaching me how to wield a katana. I practice these arts presently.

I want to shout out all of the fans that support our music. We are known as Fivestoriesup. I want to shout out the strangers we’ve met whether they be angels or demons because in a time of need people I never knew were there to help.

Instagram: @damienrperry

Twitter: @damienrperry

Image Credits
Icon Studios