We were lucky to catch up with Danié Gomez-Ortigoza recently and have shared our conversation below.

Danié, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The main theme of my practice is tracing the invisible thread that braids us together; I do it through a daily braiding ritual that is about letting go from the hair, and then braiding with intention. My daily intention has always been about helping another woman rise in some way that aligns to her purpose. It has evolved into braiding circles of humans bringing to life a visual of interconnectivity and interdependence. I also braid people together through an organization that is all about giving back to children around the world, which I cofounded alongside Martha Graeff in 2018 called The Bazaar for Good, that unites the most relevant voices on social media into one philantropic cause every year.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

The only constant in my career has been creativity; my first job was when I was 15 years old and I hosted a show for Disney in Mexico for about three years. I always wanted to be an actress, but was not allowed to follow that path, so I studied marketing, which was the closest creative expression I could find, that lead to the creation of narratives, and brand voices. In time I became the voice on social media for brands such as Volkswagen while I lived in Canada, Later I moved to Stockholm where I continued this marketing path. I had a life changing experience bringing together the top 50 women in Mexico for The Women’s Forum for Economy and Society in France, where the braid was born. Later I started in the world of fashion as a correspondent for Conde Nast Mexico and Latin America, In time I realized the power of visuals, and how they could be a window into sharing deeper messages. I initially created a body of work that was all about photography that shared deep feelings and my personal search for meaning. In time those photos evolved into videos that used voice layering, which bridged English and Spanish, This continued to evolve into social practice, which is all about mending the social fabric through braiding circles of people. I’ve also created a limited edition of ‘Canvas’, which is my headpiece, and I write poetry. Through @journeyofabraid on both tiktok and instagram, I share my life experiences and reflect on culture and belonging. Nothing makes me happier than expanding my artistic practice, which is my main focus at the moment alongside The Bazaar for Good.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One of my key strengths is the ability to re-build myself no matter what life brings. I believe I am so confortable in my skin and in my daily experimentation through braiding as an element of power, and colors simply because after living in so many cities, I’ve removed all the layers of pretense of being one with the status quo. The need to belong is innate to all of us, but it can also be blinding of who we actually are. I use to mimetize myself and make myself small to fit into boxes when I lived in Mexico City, where I was born. In time, after living in Madrid, New York, Toronto, Stockholm, Miami, Cancun, spending considerable amount of time in France every year for the past 14 years, and now sharing my time between Miami and Dallas I’ve had no option but to be myself. Not belonging anywhere can free you from expectations. I don’t belong to one single country or one single group of people. It has been a hard process, but a revealing journey specially being the mother of two kids that have shared this experience, having a mixture of a French-Mexican culture at home, and Sebastian, my eldest, having been born in Canada, and Dominic, in Sweden.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had known at a younger age the power of mirrors as self-programming tools that can help you hack your mind even when you feel at your lowest, and also the power of yoga and mantras. I am very careful with what I sing and the way I speak. Spelling contains the word SPELL. The things we say matter. We are creating our own reality every single day, and this reality will always be a balance between light and darkness. It will never be one-sided.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.journeyofabraid.com
• Instagram: journeyofabraid
• Facebook: journeyofabraid
• Linkedin: daniegomezo
• Twitter: journeyofabraid
• Youtube: journeyofabraid
• Other: tiktok: journeyofabraid

Image Credits
Celia D.Luna Emma del Rey photography