Elyssa Dorf - Founder & Creative Director, Cheery Designs

Elyssa Dorf

Elyssa Dorf is the Founder and Creative Director of Cheery Designs, a design centric lifestyle brand and creative studio. Elyssa grew up in Westchester New York and now resides with her husband on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Adding color and eccentric design to everything from wall art, apparel, to face masks, Elyssa has made it her mission to spread cheer and add color to people’s lives. Elyssa runs Cheery Designs in her free time, and she’s a huge advocate of art and color in particular, and champions its role in being boosters to mental health and wellbeing. Cheery is intended to provide high style art that is accessible to all. From pop art for the home to trend focused product design, Cheery is meant to spread as much joy to the owner, as Elyssa feels when creating her art and designs.

I’m so excited for you to connect with Elyssa, check out her work and art, and follow along as she continues to bring joy and fulfillment to others through her art and designs.

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

Elyssa Dorf is the Founder and Creative Director of Cheery Designs — a design centric lifestyle brand and creative studio. Elyssa grew up in Westchester New York and now resides with her husband on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

How did you get started?

I studied Communications Design in undergrad at Skidmore College and completed my Masters degree in Design Management at Pratt institute. My Masters program was part-time and I worked in a full time marketing role during the day. This combination of work and school left me so stressed that I turned to doodling as my means to clear my head before going to sleep. I then needed a platform to share these late night doodles, inspirational graphics, and colorful drawings, hence Cheery was born.

What inspired the work that you're doing?

Social media — as addicting as it is — has become somewhat toxic. Our newsfeeds are both competitive, functioning as a highlight reel for one’s greatest moments and accomplishments, and polarizing - saturated by politics and controversy. I wanted Cheery to be a break in the feed. Nothing but feel good, colorful content. A breath of fresh air to the viewer who is scrolling — something that simply makes you smile. While Cheery started as solely a social media account that promoted joy and mental health awareness, by popular demand it has grown into a line of shapable products with an emphasis on pop art.

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

My passion is art and design.

I am a Design Strategist at my full-time day job — working in the world of marketing for the travel industry,. While some may assume that by 5 o’clock I wouldn’t want to touch my design software.... to my husband’s dismay... the computer/iPad are glued to me until deep into the middle of the night. Not only is design my job — it is truly my happy place. When the work day ends... Cheery begins. This means that I am either designing for freelance clients, creating commissioned custom art pieces, churning out new art to be licensed, or making something for a loved one. The lens of which I view the world is through curious eyes, always seeking inspiration — from window displays on 5th Avenue in New York to billboards on the side of the highway. Art, design, and the psychology behind what we see and interact with every day is fascinating to me.

When in the grocery store, my products are selected based on the package design.
When on a streaming platform, my music is selected by the album art.
And when looking for a book — even though they say not to... you better bet I’m judging that book by its cover.

They say that if you love what you do you never work a day in your life. And I hate cliches — I really do. But there truly is no better way to describe the gratitude I feel when Monday comes around and I am happy to be exactly where I am.

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

What brings me the most joy is bringing others joy.

Whether its a social media post that resonates with a lot of my followers, a piece that sells out on my website, or seeing my customers with their Cheery Art, nothing makes me happier than knowing that what brought me so much joy to create — is bringing so much joy to its new owner or viewer. In a world full of so much hate, sadness, and fear — I am proud to bring my audience into my little universe of cheer. A safe space that promotes mental health, love, happiness, color, and an appreciation for all that we do have in this life. When followers message me that my feed made them exhale, and smile, that is all that I need to keep creating and sharing, and pushing myself to be better and reach farther.

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

I am very reflective on life.

At the end of each week — I like to review my highs and my lows. And for the most part — my lows are external sources outside of my control. As long as I am outweighing my lows with highs, and doing everything within my control to keep myself happy - that is the most I can do and ask for. After all, our highs wouldn’t be so rewarding if they weren’t counterbalanced by our lows. I try to live by the Hebrew phrase “b'sheret” which means ‘meant to be’. This is my way of explaining to myself why it is not the end of the world when something goes wrong. Meaning, this is all part of my path and leading to something better.

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

My younger self would be so proud of how far I have come. My love for art was cultivated by my mom and I swear I learned how to draw before I even knew how to write. All throughout my school years I was so eager to become an adult in the working world — and I am happy to say that I was right in knowing that it was much more fulfilling for me than a core curriculum. I am proud of myself for not taking the path that necessarily lead to the most pay or bragging rights, but for following my heart and believing in myself as an up-and-coming artist in New York City.

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation? 

Good things come to those who work for it. I don’t necessarily think it’s about being the most talented person in the room or the most popular person in the room, but instead the most hardworking in the room will come out on top in the long run. Talent and connections can only get you so far but at the end of the day, it is about being the complete package... an artist and a businesswoman, a creative thinker and a critical thinker, behind the scenes and in front of the camera. It is all about effort and what you put into your dreams you will get out of them.

What is your biggest dream?

I want my brand, Cheery, to become a household name. My dream is for my art to fill people’s homes, to make hotel rooms feel like home away from home, to bring warmth to doctors’ offices, to add character to restaurants, and to inspire students in their classrooms. I want my art to not only span across this country but to span across several countries — as art is one of the only languages we all speak. My dream is to grow bigger and better and when I think I’ve reached the top — to keep right on going. I hope you all will follow along with me as I continue to spread cheer through my art and designs.

To learn more about Elyssa Dorf and Cheery Designs visit her website: www.cheerydesigns.com, Facebook @withacheeryontop or Instagram @withacheeryontop For 20% off Elyssa’s Cheery Art, use code JOYCORNER at checkout.

Joy Corner is an interview-style blog series brought to you by Seek The Joy Podcast. Our mission continues to be a desire to share your stories, truths, joys and inspiration in your words. We invite you to join our corner, and share your joys, passions, and moments of inspiration as we continue to seek the joy, together. Join this series here