We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dana Satterwhite a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I was a psychology major. During my junior year in college, it suddenly hit me. I didn’t know exactly what it was I wanted to do. More accurately, I knew what I didn’t want to do. I didn’t want to dress in a suit and tie for work everyday. I wanted to be in a setting that encouraged creativity, one that, perhaps, would allow me to express myself fully and embrace me for me. One where I could potentially wear jeans and a t-shirt and have that be completely okay because it wouldn’t impair my productivity but, on the contrary, contribute to it.

In high school, I was a band geek. I was popular enough, I suppose, but still relatively uncool in the eyes of my peers. At many points in my life, I felt like a misfit and, as careers go, I was hoping to find a space where other misfits may reside.

I attended several job fairs, suited up, with my résumé in-hand, and I never quite felt like myself. I felt like I was role-playing, going through the motions, trying to be something or someone I wasn’t.

It was at these times, feeling all of these feelings, that I knew a future in some creative field would best suit me.

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?

Professionally, I’m a Writer/Creative Director at a Kansas City-based advertising agency. My creative partner and I oversee several brands across various categories, helping create memorable, strategically-sound campaigns that cut through and generate awareness and brand lift for a variety of clients. Day-to-day, in addition to managing a small team, I write scripts, headlines, taglines, and concept campaigns that communicate any number of messages that will resonate with specific audiences.

Outside of that, I am simply a creator, using my words and imagery to convey whatever it is I’m feeling in the moment. The medium often changes. Some days, it’s poetry. Others, it’s photography. Others still, it’s drawing, collage, or design. Whatever best serves my mood and the idea.

I think of myself as a generalist and a multidisciplinary creative, using whatever tools I have at my disposal to communicate every day.

I am an arts advocate and a champion for all things involving creative self-expression. With my illustrator partner Joseph Watson, I’ve self-published a children’s book series.

While freelancing, I also ran a gallery space in Las Vegas for about two years. It was the most challenging and rewarding creative pursuit of my life. I loved it because, over time, people began to look forward to the exhibitions and seek it out. I am a firm believer in “If you build it, they will come.” It started as nothing—little more than a pie-in-the-sky idea—and then, by the final show, people were turning out by the hundreds and following on social by the thousands.

My path to the advertising industry was unconventional and circuitous but you may find, as you connect with more ad folks, that this isn’t quite so uncommon.

I took a design class and a drawing class in that same junior year I mentioned earlier. I assembled enough of a portfolio to demonstrate that I had at least a little talent. Then I was fortune enough to meet a graphic designer who had his own studio. I volunteered my time in exchange for him teaching me all that he knew, and that turned into a two-year working relationship. He was my first true mentor and, decades later, we’re still friends to this day.

During the second year of that apprenticeship, he helped me assemble yet another portfolio which got me accepted into the esteemed School of Visual Arts. I spent one year in art school. Once I was there, among other artists and creative souls, I knew it was exactly where I was meant to be. It was honestly the best, most inspiring, and most liberating year of my life. During that time, I took my first advertising class and it was clear to me that using my brain to solve problems visually and verbally was something that was appealing. I got a B+ in the class and the professor encouraged me to consider pursuing the industry. And pursue, I did.

These days, I love that I get paid to think and to express myself creatively. I am part of a larger team and that team values what each individual brings to the table. Beyond the words and concepts I can generate, I’m valued for my perspective and my judgment. I appreciate that.

I am thankful for every opportunity that comes my way and love the people I get to work with. At several points in my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by some insanely gifted talent. I started off at an agency in Boston called Arnold and I’m currently with an agency called Barkley. Different times. Different clients. Different teams. But a similar feeling. Great work being delivered by great people for great brands, and I’m learning something new each day. A lot of that is beyond our control but, when you achieve that mix, you know it. You feel it. And it’s something you want to hold onto as long as you can.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

These days, I would say I’m a bit more purpose-driven in the work I’m doing, personally and professionally. There’s a lot of content coming at us and vying for our attentions every day. Much of it, to me, is noise. Poorly curated or completely unfiltered messaging that adds little inherent value to our lives. Entertaining? Occasionally, but even that is up for debate.

So, I am electing more and more, where I can, to work on things that matter. Trying to compliment, inspire, elevate, and contribute positively as much as each opportunity will allow. Not every single client or project affords that but, where there is a chance to do something bigger than all of us, I’ll take it.

Early on in my career, I was fortunate enough to be among and cultivated by some really special individuals. This afforded me some great opportunities and I/we garnered some level of success, as it’s sometimes measured. So, in many ways, I feel like I checked that box and now it’s about giving back, creating opportunities for others, and using my voice for the greater good of any number of often marginalized communities.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Art often takes a backseat to other subjects and gets relegated to a trivial pursuit. I think that needs to drastically change. I would love to see art and all forms of creativity be championed and elevated, globally, to its proper status. When we think about the world, art is an integral part of practically everything. From the shows we watch to the goods we buy to the books we read to the homes we occupy, there’s some level of creation involved. Design is an integral part of virtually every aspect of our lives. I would love to see kids introduced to creative career paths early on, with some non-traditional vocations put forth for consideration. Graphic design, animation, coding, interior decorating, illustration, writing, typography, theatre arts, product design, textile design, game design, printmaking, mural painting, photography, cinematography, film direction. All of these are legitimate career paths through which one can make a good living, and there are many others. Making kids aware of all the opportunities out there when they’re young is vital to these industries and future generations.

Contact Info:

• Website: brotherhoodofawesome.com/dana
• Instagram: @quiverd
• Facebook: facebook.com/danasatterwhite
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/danalsatterwhite/
• Twitter: @danasatterwhite
• Other: gogogreta.com tastyspacelv.com kingwoodphotographer.com teamquiver.com satterworx.com greatamericanpeacemeal.com

Image Credits
Headshot courtesy of Wenzelhaus.com