We recently connected with Danesha Artis and have shared our conversation below.

Danesha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I’m going to say yes in this case? Almost every creative always wishes they started earlier than they did, but more often than not? We usually have our own reasons. For me, it was all down to lack of self esteem and fear.

I’ve been drawing ever since I was younger, but I didn’t refine it until I got to college. And even then? I just thought my work was okay. Nothing to truly write home about and surely not worth anyone purchasing it. It took a lot of urging from fellow creatives to get me to step out of an honestly well built comfort zone. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve stepped out of it to sell my work and to immediately get low balled or demeaned over the “crime” of asking for payment.

As an aside, I feel the day that creative pursuits were boiled down to just “content”, the playing field shifted.

Anyway, it took a little later on and refining my craft to say to hell with it and step out. I decided to make an online store. I honestly felt terrified. The idea of “what if” can paralyze you, but the thing that’s honestly worse is never knowing by not trying.

So yes, I do regret not being able to start my journey earlier, but the way I figure it? I’m right where I need to be at this point, and with a far stronger skill set.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Danesha Artis, and I’m an artist. I realize my last name is a bad joke about my side vocation, but I’ve since leaned into it. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, but I started taking it seriously after I graduated college. (Bachelor’s of Science in art and 2 minors in graphic design and illustration)

I’ve been into drawing a hyper fixation of mine lately, and it’s professional wrestling. I know people may feel a way about it, but it’s a gold mine for those who want to improve figure drawing. Due to said interest, I feel that my work and design sense has grown exponentially.

What I want people to know about me: I want them to know that I tend to be a passionate person about my work and also my biggest critic. But in that criticism, there’s always the opportunity to evolve. And now? I revel in that fact.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

People can support artists by not only purchasing our work, but attempting to understand the amount of time and dedication it takes for us to create. For some reason, people feel that we can just churn out masterpiece after masterpiece with ease. That’s not the case. It takes time, and it’s still work. We might enjoy the process, but it’s still time and effort.

Keeping that in mind, another thing society can benefit from is moving away from generative AI. The biggest excuse I’ve seen for people using it for art is to “level the playing field.” There’s nothing level about what it churns out, especially since it draws from other work. The playing field was always level in art; there’s no gate. The supposed gate might be the idea of people are scared of being bad at it, but you don’t know until you try. Pick up a pencil and give it a shot. The journey is worth it.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest thing I am still unlearning is the feeling of inadequacy. Seeing folks create some amazing work while I feel like I can’t measure up is a hard feeling to sit with. I don’t know the journey of others or where their onboarding point is with art. I want to see good art that makes me want to do more. Not in the way of competition, but in the way that will drive me to reach my contemporaries.

There’s space for us all; we just gotta make that effort.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://daneshartis.carrd.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fenicenera_illustration?igsh=cmlmcWsxcDd1eHFy&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://bsky.app/profile/scorchtheground.bsky.social

Image Credits

These are drawings of the following wrestlers: Wheeler Yuta, Jay White, Darby Allin and Swerve Strickland. (Note: there are 2 picture of Yuta and 2 of Jay White)