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

Alright, Dani thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?

I absolutely do. I even try to treat some of my trips for exhibitions as semi-vacations, adding an extra day for visiting museums or seeing friends, or just enjoying my AirBnB in my pj pants. I spent many years pouring everything not just into my work, but into taking care of people who were in my life at the time, usually to my detriment. I have learned that self-care is paramount. I consider time off to be essential for success.

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?

My name is Dani. I’m a visual artist and writer hailing from San Diego, CA. Much of my commissioned work involves concept art and illustration for the publishing industry, bands (primarily in the punk scene), and film/entertainment. I have been a self-taught artist since early childhood. I chipped away at getting into the visual arts field little by little, honing my skills through years of practice and self-study. I often learned things the hard way, haha!

I feel that my work uniquely combines semi-realistic beauty with rawness and ferocity that my fans and clients are drawn to. Much of the art you see used in, for example, the punk scene tends to be very heavily inked, hard-edged, and at times naïve in style (which I love!!), whereas my work brings a detailed, painterly quality you don’t see very often in that subculture.

I would say that the biggest issue I solve for illustration clients would be helping them to focus on a solid end goal for what they are looking for, and guide them in that direction. Sometimes, visual art clients are not entirely sure what they are looking for, and it is my job as a professional to cut through the “fat” and hone in on what would be best. My favorite clients are the ones who trust me and let me be free to do what I do best, resulting in the best possible visuals for their project.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had listened to my instincts rather than to outside parties. I went through a period where I was specifically working in comics, and honestly, I hated it. But people were telling me that comics were what I *should* be doing, and I wasted a lot of time on that. Not to say that I haven’t enjoyed working with clients in the comics industry, but being a painter focusing on more of a “semi-realist” lowbrow style and embracing my own forms of storytelling have always suited me more than any other art world niche.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Creating beauty, telling stories, and giving the viewer something to ponder and escape into.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniquickdraw/