We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Daniela Delgado. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Daniela below.

Daniela, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I started painting as a child – my paternal grandmother was a self-taught artist in Venezuela and it was something we did together when she would visit. I was very comfortable with acrylic and even had a piece at New Orleans Museum of Art for an elementary school students exhibit. By high school, I wasn’t really painting outside of the art room. My school, Academy of the Sacred Heart, had an arrangement with New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), the regional, pre-professional arts training center for high school students in Louisiana, where students would start their day with academic classes in the morning and leave by midday to take all elective courses at NOCCA. Letting that opportunity pass is my biggest regret in my artistic career. I chose to spend my time playing team sports I wasn’t super passionate about, just to hang with my friends. Art felt so singular and I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted at that age. I let fear overpower curiosity. I always think about where I would be if I had honed in the basics at an early age.

It wasn’t until 2020, almost 10 years after graduating high school, that I got back to painting. I was living alone for the first time and the freedom to spread out and paint wherever and whenever was amazing – even in my small studio apartment. I’d spend my weekends painting things around me – plants, myself, my cat. It became a form of self expression; I think I would have found my sense of self much sooner had I attended formal art schools.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I graduated from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC with a Media Studies, B.A. and quickly entered the world of television. I am an Emmy Award-winning Writer/Producer for National Geographic’s creative marketing team. With over nine years in the media industry, I craft compelling narratives from conception to delivery, writing and producing award-winning documentary film trailers, promos for scripted and non-scripted series, and behind the scenes content.
In the fall of 2024, I took my first oil painting class at The Art League in Alexandria, VA. Oil paint had always intimidated me but I quickly fell in love with the medium. Earlier this year, I attended a queer art market and felt inspired. With the encouragement of my partner, I started Studio DD in April 2025. I don’t always have creative autonomy in my day job, so being able to fully control my art felt amazing. My style is pretty specific; I might not always have the best color instincts and my proportions can be a little wonky…but I think it works! Studio DD is a passion project – I create for myself and if others like it, great! I know my style isn’t for everyone, but I no longer fear sharing my work with the world. I love to do markets in the DMV and build community with other artist. I’m just now starting to do commissions, only if clients are willing to give me the time and space to go through my process.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to always stay true to myself and my style. That doesn’t mean it won’t change or evolve. I continue to take classes but will often push back if my instructor is trying to push me to a more “classical” approach. Art is a form of expression, so if someone is dictating what you do, you are not freely expressing. My art is currently pretty self reflective but I hope to make work that has a bigger impact on others. Art can be political. Art can be empowering. Art has the ability to change or inspire and I hope I get to that stage in my artistic career.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

No matter the medium, art is a form of storytelling. The most rewarding part of being a creative is when someone else is able to interpret or understand the story you’re trying to tell.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bystudiodd.myshopify.com/
• Instagram: @studio__DD
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniela-delgado-13b53579