We recently connected with Dalayni Etienne and have shared our conversation below.

Dalayni, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

My first dollar as a creative was amazing! It actually was from a classmate who asked me to draw a portrait of her and her boyfriend for their anniversary. I was honored that she trusted me to document their love in this stage of their relationship. After this piece was sold, it solidified the idea that I truly am capable of creating and selling my views on the world through my art.

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 Dalayni Etienne! I am the founder of Dalaynidraws, an art brand centered around creating a world of togetherness through visual art. I am born and raised in Miami, Florida but currently based in Minneapolis attending the University of Minnesota! My art is centered around pencil drawings, however I paint, sculpt, create digital drawings, and cultivate events as well. I started Dalaynidraws in 2020 during the pandemic, but I have been creating art since I was able to pick up a pencil. When I started Dalaynidraws I was unsure where it would take me, but just excited to create art and share it with the world in a new way. Now, four years into sharing my art under Dalaynidraws, I love how art has lead me to connect with such amazing people in the Minneapolis community. I can’t wait to see how it expands and where it takes me in the future!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I have many goals surrounding Dalaynidraws, but one of them would be to bring together more Black and other POC artists in our community. It is such a beautiful thing to see so many POC enjoying a space together while being creative in their own way.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I started Dalaynidraws in 2020. This was during the pandemic for all of us, but for me this was also when I started college and competing in collegiate Track and Field at the D1 level at the University of Minnesota. Being a collegiate athlete is very demanding on its own, but I was determined to keep being creative and continue to make Dalaynidraws flourish while juggling the demands of collegiate track and field, making sure I was passing my classes, and still having somewhat of a social life. Looking back on those times, I could have definitely stopped creating and pushing Dalaynidraws, but it was an escape for me. I learned how to manage my time effectively in order to continue perusing my passion.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dalaynidraws.com
• Instagram: @dalaynidraws @dalayni.etienne
• Facebook: @dalaynidraws
• Linkedin: Dalayni Etienne
• Twitter: @Dalaynidraws @DalayniEtienne
• Other: TikTok: @dalaynidraws