Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dani Fallon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dani , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I know the exact day I wanted to start my business Embracing Obsession and dedicate my time to painting, art, and eventually poetry. It was November 21st, 2017, it had been about three weeks since I ended a long-term relationship, but along with this new-found feeling of freedom I was truly beginning to accept my OCD diagnosis. A lot was going on. So, on this day, I found myself sitting at the café you see inside of every Barnes & Noble. After scouring all the books for inspiration I ended up with a stack, but the one book I could not put down was “How To Sell Your Art Online” by Cory Huff. It wasn’t necessarily the content, the how-to of the book that I was struck by, it was more of the fact that it felt like it was possible. This possiblity, of becoming a creative, an artist, a painter, suddenly felt more real. It also, wasn’t the selling part, it was the dedicating part, the part where you choose to rearrange your day to day for what you love to do. So, sitting there in those metal and plastic chairs with a stack of books in front of me, I started to think about my mind. The obsessive-compulsive thought patterns of my brain. For years my brain had driven me to avoidance, to hiding, to a state of rumination and overthinking, that up until this point made everyday tasks overwhelming. I realized I wanted to move beyond acceptance. I wanted to embrace my mind, to express it in the only way I knew how. Creating art. To this day, I still have written in the notes app on my phone “embracingOBSESSION” from November 21st, 2017. This is when I knew, my life and art were always going to be intertwined.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hey there! First off, my name is Danielle Fallon, but I will always go by Dani, it suits me better. All of my art is currently encapsulated by the name Embracing Obsession. Here, you will find, paintings on canvas and paper, as well as, spoken word performances. I work mostly in abstract oil paintings however, I am learning to experiment with my craft and it is currently leading me towards new paths I am looking forward to sharing!

While I consider myself, mostly a self-taught artist. I did take some art courses in college, however, I quickly changed my major from art to art history and continued this into a Master’s degree. While for many years these degrees, in some ways, stopped me from creating my own work, it allowed me to gain a vast knowledge of many different types of artwork throughout history and the world. This education I will always be grateful for and I think continues to give me a new perspective when focusing on my own art.

If I were to sum up what I do and what I hope to do in one word it would be, Connect.
Embracing Obsession was created from my own personal drive to use my art and intrinsic need to be creative, to embrace my OCD brain. After years of healing and therapy I had reached a point where I wanted to start sharing my experience and also hear what others have experienced whether it be OCD or any mental illness/struggle/healing. My paintings represent an aspect of my mental state, exploring positive, negative, and neutral emotions. This process of making them, of putting paint to the empty surface has always been and always will be for me, but I have always felt that the end result will always be for someone else. I want to use my language of color to help people connect. Connect with me, but also connect with themselves. This idea continues into my poetry. For my entire life, I have always done two things, paint and write. I have kept many journals, sometimes I’m surprised I have that much to say! My words are another form of expression, this one much more direct than my paintings, but just as thoughtful.

Currently, I am most proud of the fact that I keep finding incredible artists, poets, and small business owners to work with. I have been lucky enough to collaborate and share my creative journey with beautiful people and at times have a front seat to their life and experience. I cannot wait to connect with even more of you out there.

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?

Every single time we share a new collection, new content, new project, it is an act of bravery. Most of the work an artist or creative does, is done alone. As someone who has put out collections before, it takes dedication, time, but also once it is done you then have to put it out into the world and set it free from the confines of your creative space and mind and let go. While it is always exciting, it is also scary and exhilarating. Every. single. time. I think releasing the work we have worked on, non-creatives can see this as something all artists or creatives are used to, but in fact, setting it free can sometimes be the most stressful part! With every new piece of work, you just never know what will happen, how it will be received, and how it may or may not connect with others. So, whenever I see a new artist release work or perform a poem, I always commend them for their act of bravery.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Develop, fund, and embrace your LOCAL community. If there is one thing I have learned most recently is that artists are literally everywhere, in the best way. However, with the continued globalization of artists and artwork, as well as, social media platforms, many people think the best way to support artists and creatives is to engage with online content. While this may help, looking to your own community and seeing what artists live in your area and engaging with them is extremely important. Developing local art shows, mastermind group, concerts, and finding connections within your own space is the best thing you can do for a thriving creative ecosystem. If this ecosystem already exists, choose to attend these events and learn about the creatives that you can support by showing up.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.embracingobsession.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/embracingobsession_bydani
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcV6Pfdoum1NDZRo–7qd7Q
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/embracingobsession