We recently connected with Danielle Knight and have shared our conversation below.

Danielle, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Since I was a child I had a talent for drawing that was often praised by my family. I was put into art classes and given art supplies from paint sets to easels. Even though I was encouraged to draw, art was never looked at as a career but a hobby. I only saw my gift as something to do outside of work. In high school I started expressing my creativity in other ways and started a YouTube channel. Once I was in my second year of college my gift of creating helped me grow a large following on my YouTube channel. I realized quickly that I could be an artist full time, but deciding the type of creative business was my challenge.

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?

In 2020 when the pandemic hit I decided to start my art business. I had a lot of free time staying locked inside so I began brainstorming what exactly I wanted to do. I knew my love for lifestyle accessories and stationary items was crazy. I always had to have a cute artsy phone case, posters, notebooks and stickers. But, one thing I did struggle with finding were cute art designs that looked like me or represented me as a Black woman. That is when I knew I wanted to create space for the expression of Black women and their art so I created Elle Nine. I wanted to create art for Black women and our culture in cute simple designs. I started out by selling my art on phone cases which then grew to me selling posters and soon stickers.

I am most proud of myself for starting my art business and being consistent. As a kid I would have never guessed I would have a successful art business as an adult.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is knowing there are people around the globe rocking a phone case with art I created on it. Knowing that I’ve helped other Black women and girls who also wanted cute lifestyle accessories and home decor items that fit them.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

TiKTok is where it’s at for artists and creatives. I focused heavily on marketing my art on TikTok posting 2 to 3 times a day. I batch record on the weekends and hop on trends, relating it to my art. I gained an amazing amount of supporters who became repeat customers. Another app you should consider is Pinterest. I know it sounds strange but Pinterest is like Google for pictures and videos. I gained a following there by repurposing my TikTok videos.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ellenine.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ellenineshop
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellenineshop
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ellenineshop
• Other: TikTok: https://www.TikTok.com/@ellenineshop

Image Credits
The first photo of me was shot by Kasey Rollins. Instagram: rollinsmedia_