We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Danielle Lazala. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Danielle below.

Alright, Danielle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Being a creator really does make me happy. Art has always been a way for me to express how I feel and/or distress when I’m feeling overwhelmed. My full-time job is being a mental health technician at a behavioral hospital which can sometimes be really stressful. I do love what I do and after all, it is a very rewarding job. I love helping others struggling with mental health and this is where I tie my job and passion together. Using the arts to help others cope makes both of my worlds come together and become more special and meaningful.

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?

Arts and crafts has always been one of my favorite hobbies. My mother and grandmother are both an artists, and my father is a musician so I was always involved in a very creative and artistic environment. My brand, DML Paintings, started back in March 2017 with a very small circle of supporters, creating custom paintings for friends and family. By this time I was still residing in Miami, FL. The following year, my family and I moved to Orlando, FL looking for a fresh start. This is when I began taking the business more serious and becoming more active on social media.

During the pandemic lockdown in 2020, my main source of publicity for my business was Twitter. The art community on this platform was very supportive and helped me grow a lot. Fast forward to 2021 and this is when I became more involved with the local creative community in Orlando, FL by attending craft markets. This was quite nerve wracking for sometime, you know, relying so much on the online world, to sharing my art in person where you can see people’s reactions, whether they were good or bad. It was a huge step for me.

My main creations included canvas paintings. Over the years, I’ve always tried to find new products to keep the business interesting and inclusive. My goal is to create art for everyone to enjoy, whether that is canvases, apparel, stationary items, wearable art and/or home decor. I also absolutely love creating murals and I’ve had the opportunity to work with the Miami and and Denver Selfie Museums, Wall Crawl Photography Studios in Orlando, FL, among other businesses and home improvement projects.

Im very thankful and proud of where I am and excited to see where this brand goes. Putting yourself out there can be scary and believing in yourself can be hard sometimes, but it all starts with you. While you’re creating for tigers, always remember creating for yourself as well. Enjoy the process. Remind yourself of why you started your journey in the first place.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think the first thing people think of when you hear “support small business” is “spend money” but support isn’t always just buying things from the businesses, I mean it’s a great way to support. However, spreading the word is just as helpful. Social media today is one of the main ways small business promote their creations/services/etc. So as silly as it sounds, a simple “like,” “share” or comment can help creators and business owners reach new audiences and potential supporters/clients.

I think understanding that small business owners and also still humans is very important. Many of us run a one-man/woman show meaning we’re playing many roles or job positions in one which can be overwhelming, so being kind is also very helpful.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative for me is being able to create art that others can relate to or being told “wow, your art really makes me smile.” Working in the healthcare and mental health field, I use my art as a way to promote positivity and mental health awareness as well which is why I like using bright and fun colors.

Contact Info:

• Website: Dmlpaintings.com
• Instagram: @dml.paintings