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

Daja, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I learned the craft of photography and video through trial and error and most importantly consistency. Mentorship also played a huge role. I have a mentor named, Westley, who became a brother to me. People in our lives can be mirrors, teachers, and or expanders. I believe that Westley is that to me. Wes is one of those guys that you just want to be like. His business acumen and mastery and knowledge of the craft is a standard I’ve always admired and looked up to. I believe it would have sped up my process more if I wasn’t afraid of failure and if I had let go of perfection. As an artist, I’ve always been at everything I’ve done, it comes naturally. I’m able to learn and adapt very quickly. I excel at everything that I do; so, it’s easy for everyone else to see my work and say that it’s great, but I tend to still see the flaws in my work or where I could improve or have done better or made better artistic choices because again the standard of excellence that I set for myself is so high that I don’t even know if it can humanly be achieved at times. The skills that are most essential is the ability to adapt, the ability to stay consistent, and the ability to be teachable. You have to stay in the game.

Just recently I worked on a very meaningful project called The Link Up Season 2 featuring Coco Jones for Revolt and Xfinity 10g. I remember dropping everything and taking a flight to California. I was first hired as a PA (production assistant), but I was promoted to BTS (behind the scenes) Camera Op within one day. We worked 12-14 hours a day throughout the night, and I will never forget how much it felt like a dream. Coco Jones is also a very humble person, she was amazing to work with, and I hope that I have more opportunities to work with her.

Daja, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m skilled in many areas in the realm of the arts. Spoken word, songwriting, photography, videography, production, there may be more that I have yet to tap in to, I’m considered to be a multi-potentialite. For clients, when they hire me, these gifts are skillsets that allow me to curate, create, and consult for their businesses, brands, or products. So, although I’m an artist and I have work that I’m personally passionate about; I also have to step into the role of business that was modeled before me, to now offer these skillsets that are now profitable to help others. I got into this industry just by creating and posting content and being consistent. Not giving up, even when the world feels like it was on my shoulders. Even through loss, and grief. I’ve been through many forms of adversity, but I’ve always held on to God and my craft.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Something that non-creatives may struggle to understand about the journey of being a creative is how difficult it really is. It’s more than holding a camera, pressing a button, and taking a picture. It’s so much deeper than that. There’s an equation for a great image or video. There is a lot of investment on expensive equipment. There is a lot of time on editing, pre-production, and post-production. This craft is literally like a second job. Actually, more than a job it’s really a lifestyle. It’s a grind. People don’t always understand the work and the battles that we face as creatives. You know art is very subjective so finding ways to make your craft profitable can be a challenge in a very competitive environment. And people don’t understand all the L’s you take before you see the success.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

A part of my story that illustrates my resilience is the sacrifices I made to follow my passion. I sacrificed my education and even my job security at times. There was a time where I was almost homeless if it had not been for a friend that helped me to get back of my feet. At that time all I had was my camera. I had no money, no car, no place of my own but I just kept shooting. I kept creating. I kept showing up. I remember there was a point where I was only getting booked for shoots in the Detroit area and I didn’t have a vehicle, I took greyhound busses to make to photoshoots just to get by. I slept on couches, floors, at my friend’s places or their families. I was hungry for my purpose more than how hurt I was by my circumstances. I’ve lost thousands of dollars in equipment along the way, I’ve been taken advantage of early on. Doors slammed in my face; opportunities missed. There have been so many L’s that I have taken behind closed doors to the point where now I roll with the punches. I know how to pivot, and I know how to persevere, and nothing will stop me from achieving my dream.      

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dajaexcel.myportfolio.com/work
• Instagram: instagram.com/she_excels
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063470294026
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2kmPNgMvtPAZCSWRc7n0qA
• Other: The Link Up Season 2 Starring Coco Jones https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLVC1ONYr3o

Image Credits
Daja Excel Johnson/Excel Media & Entertainment LLC