We recently connected with Danielle Hoopaugh and have shared our conversation below.
Danielle , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
My friend Ruth (That Weird Art Girl on Instagram and Etsy) invited me to share a booth with her at The Social’s craft fair back in October of 2022. It was my first time ever trying to sell my art to more than family and friends. I was anxiety-ridden at first since I was trying to figure out what products to make, how to display them, how to advertise, and everything else that goes along with running a booth at a craft fair. But Ruth gave me plenty of advice, and let me use her card reader, so it worked out well! It was a risky investment, but my first and only sale that day came from a good friend of mine who surprised me by showing up. She has been very supportive of my whole journey of becoming an artist and vendor and has been the biggest inspiration for me to even attempt this small business ordeal.
And she showed up at the best time too. I had gone three of the four hours with no clients. Some people were interested, but the demographic was not the best for my art, unfortunately. And I was starting to feel very disheartened. I had put a decent bit into buying supplies and products and that first show was making me debate ever trying again. But my friend came and hyped me up through it all. So I am glad to say I will be attending more craft fairs in the near future! And I already have many of the supplies needed.
Danielle , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am Dani, an avid fan of all things fantasy and magic. I adore mystical creatures like dragons, drakes, wyverns, and more, and that reflects in my art. I mainly do cartoon illustrations of creatures in form of prints, stickers, buttons, and keychains. However, I also do some sculpting! I have some simple fantasy forest-inspired ones based on mushrooms, dragon eggs, and wings, but plan to make more elaborate ones in time.
I started doodling dragons back in middle school. I don’t remember what inspired that exactly, but I kept drawing and eventually landed on a cute cartoon style. My goofy little dragons bring me a lot of joy, and I just hope they bring that to others too. I know what I make is not “fine art” but I think sometimes people need a break from all the seriousness of life and if dragon stickers and coloring sheets are how people find joy, then I’d love to be the source of that!
Locally, there are not many artists that make what I make, although I am aware of other similar artists online! But I do pride myself in my variety of subject matter, products, and skills. I plan on making YouTube videos come summertime, and I am good at motion graphics and editing. Not to mention, then I would great documentation of my journey of becoming a better artist to look back on.
You can find some of my art @zaidas_dragons on Instagram! But I am undergoing a rebrand, I will post my new account information there!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Seeing people’s faces light up when they have been given something that I created gives me one of the best feelings in the world. I struggle sometimes with the idea that I’ll never make a meaningful impact in the world, and that may be true on a global scale, but making a positive impact in the world around me is something I learned is more important. It’s like seeing all of the work I have put into designing, making, drawing, or crafting all paid off in that moment of joy.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I grew up seeing many family members be stuck in jobs they did not have any heart in. They would come home and complain about the day, the people, and the environment, and I realized I did not want that kind of future for myself. I currently work retail to make the money I need, and this only furthered my passion. If I cannot enjoy what I do for a living, it is going to be very difficult to enjoy life, given that work is such a huge part of it. If I am able to earn a living doing something I love, I know I will have a better quality of life, which impacts the quality of work I can then share with others!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @zaidas_dragons
Image Credits
Tessa Haag