Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dana Calandrino. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Dana , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I have been creating art in various medium for my entire life. Acrylic, watercolor, fiber, beads – if it could create something reflective of the best parts of the world and the human experience, I wanted to feel it in my hands. My happiest, truest, most-contented and well-rested self has always been found in the act of creating.
Crossing the threshhold into “professional” artistry is another matter entirely, and one that I am only just – after 37 years! – able to fully embrace. For me, the journey to working as a professional artist has been first a meandering quest to truly believe in and appreciate my own skill and ability and worth, and then to shift my mindset from believing all the myths around work and security in United States culture.
My parents and family were overwhelmingly supportive of me “doing something with my art,” but I grew up feeling very insecure. I was, in some ways, afraid to believe my art was worth something – much less tell others that it was worthy. To be honest, it took decades before I felt comfortable calling myself an “artist” at all. I still struggle with Imposter Syndrome when I look at some of the amazing things other creatives are sharing with the world, but I’ve also come to realize that no-one creates quite the same art that I do, and that’s a gift.
Embracing the idea of myself as a worthy artist was one journey (one which, I suppose, will never be complete), but I still shied away from the idea of selling my creations for a living. I have a lot of dislike for capitalist systems in general, and I felt like my “day job” in the mental health field allowed me to contribute to my community while also offering security in a way that independent and small businesses may not. However, watching others succeed in their small businesses and craftsmanship through social media continued to inspire me, and I realized every day how much I longed to spend more time in my studio, creating.
Early on, I developed a plan to begin working on some specific projects: two tarot decks (with the hope of eventually crowdfunding each), and commissioned watercolor portraits, usually of couples and wedding scenes. I did not want to be beholden to commissions (which I originally and wrongly mistakenly believed was the only way most artists could survive), but I enjoyed the hopefulness, joy, and intimacy of these couples’ portraits, and I reserved some artistic freedom for myself in the commission process.
Now I’m in the process of developing a two-to-five year plan to shift full-time into my artwork, which is deeply exciting and very nerve-wracking! I am meeting regularly with a friend who is an entrepreneur and small-business-owner. She is guiding me through the business components and keeping me balanced and motivated, while also helping me process the mental challenges and internal obstacles of shifting work-mindsets. I also try to keep connected with other working creatives through social media, workshops, and phone calls. They keep me motivated, keep me inspired, and keep me constantly learning.
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
I really started my professional art career my creating two projects for myself: I decided I wanted to work on two tarot card decks and eventually crowdfund the print runs. Tarot card decks are big projects – they require a minimum of 79 pieces of art each. My goal was for one deck to be focused on the mysticism of the traditional tarot, and the dreamlike, fantastical symbols we often associate with magic, cartomancy, and the unknown. The second deck, I decided, would view each card through the lens of what I call “mundane magic” – the quiet and cozy moments throughout our everyday lives that are deeply powerful in their own ways. I named these decks The Fox&Thorn Tarot and The Cozy Mystic Tarot, respectively.
As I move forward, I want to focus more and more on using these pieces to create other “cozy” products for people, as well. In addition to prints and stickers, I’m beginning to sell PDF coloring book pages based on the art this year. My goal is to eventually branch into bookmarks, journals, and other items that I think resonate with people who, like me, find magic in the mundane, and want nothing more than a cozy weekend curled up by a fire.
I am still doing commissioned watercolor portraits as well. I love working with clients to try to recreate the most meaningful emotions they are experiencing, especially on significant days of their lives. Photography is an incredible artform that captures magical moments forever – and I have the privilege of exploring those photographed moments, isolating the themes and feelings and expressions, and recreating them in a way that hopefully captures the overall experience. I love this work, and I love hearing from people who have seen their feelings of joy, romance, connection, and love bloom out from the watercolor page.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
There are so many practical things our society could do to support creators and promote a thriving culture of creativity. However, most fundamentally, I want us to value our artists the same way we value other career- and life-paths. It saddens and frustrates me that people with speak scornfully of creative work, while still enjoying the fruits of artistic endeavor (like movies and shows, books, music, and more). I’d love to hear our cultural dialogue shift to admiring and valuing creative pursuits for the beauty and empathy they add to our experiences.
On a small scale, I want to see more creatives bringing up the creatives behind them. Support each other, and especially our newer and younger peers! Let’s share our experiences with each other, offer mentorship and advice when asked, and support our fellow artists in hard times and celebrate their successes.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part of what I do is the feeling of reflecting the best part of the human experience. For me, that’s the moments of coziness and intimacy, of deep love, of companionship. It can also be moments of deep sadness: of empathetic connection, of human understanding. And finally, it’s wonder: the awe of a perfect moment, a snatch of remembered dream. A star-filled sky, a glowing candle, the perfection of fireflies or thunderstorms or the perfect circle of a pet curled up on your couch.
As an artist, I get to see and feel these moments, and then translate them onto a page through form and color in a way that may not reflect reality precisely, but evokes the feelings nonetheless. It’s a beautiful kind of magic and power, and I get to share that with whomever wants to join me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @thecozymystic AND @dreamingfoxillustrations