We were lucky to catch up with Destani Matthews recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Destani thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I was always meant to be an artist and have a creative career path, simply because I was born into that lifestyle; my mother was also part of the entertainment and fashion industry when she was about my age. She began her modeling career early in her adolescence and throughout young adulthood, on top of being a successful, licensed cosmetologist and nail technician. I admire my mother’s work ethic because she still has a creative mindset and loves to keep up with trends and things that fuel her artistic side.
I knew I had a passion for the Arts when I was introduced to reading early in my childhood, I remember going to my local library, picking out at least 10 books, and reading every single one throughout a weekend. I loved music and art classes in Primary School, and I’ve always been an Avid Reader and writer. English and creative writing courses I excelled in, I have a really big imagination so I’m always writing poems or short stories. Even if I haven’t finished them, I still love creating something completely within my mind and putting it into written words. One day I will publish a complete novel, fingers crossed a few more!
I learned how to model early too, I walked in a few fashion shows & attended modeling school for a while; I danced as well. I loved dancing contemporary and ballet the most, tap was fun just because of the shoes!
I feel like there’s so much I want to do, so every day, I try to incorporate some sort of creativity within my life. I feel like art balances out the everyday wear and tear effect that life can have. So I’m very grateful to be able to do what I love and also showcase what I can do to other people. And try to get people involved!
I love supporting my community in Philadelphia, I love supporting the Arts because Philly is a very creative city where there are so many talented people. However, a lot of people feel jaded because of bad business and naysay, so they get a little discouraged and don’t want to create or don’t want to share their creations with people because of that. I believe that the creative community and creative thinking people deserve to have spaces where everybody’s voice is heard equally and justly, and those that don’t have good intentions behind making art should be held to a higher standard. I think that’s fair, and I feel like it’s possible if people were more tapped in and also spoke up against injustices within the creative community. Every circle has its own problems, but that doesn’t mean that those issues cannot be rectified or fixed if everybody wants peace.
I feel like it’s going to be a lot of work to change certain weak links in the creative community, but I believe it’s worth it because the art of creation is what could save humanity and we have to keep creating in various ways to let everybody’s voice be heard as a collective. Art is what makes people talk, it’s what makes people pay attention; it’s an eye-opener and as we live our lives each day, we need to be aware of what’s going on around us now more than ever. So, I’m very proud of myself for the hard work I’ve committed to being a creative, and I’m proud of everybody that is a part of this community and is doing it for the right reasons. It’s not just for fame and glory, but to build a story, create genuine connections, and to deliver a message.

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.

I am a multifaceted person, I do a little bit of everything! I feel like I can accomplish whatever goals I set in my mind, write it down, and manifest it into reality. During my last semester before graduation at my alma mater, the pandemic shifted things into perspective for me. I realized that I could not rely on the old ways of obtaining a career where I could excel and be content with the work that I was creating; I was going to have to come up with a completely different approach as to how and where I wanted to work, what type of content I wanted to create, and who I could establish long-lasting, genuine networking connections with.
One day on X, formally known as Twitter, I saw one of my mutual followers post about opening applications for a TV show she had been producing. She was looking for talented, young, determined creatives to apply and come out to audition to be a part of production. So, when I submitted my application, I had that little voice in the back of my head telling me that I wasn’t going to make the cut. Although I had made peace with possibly not getting picked, a few days later, I received an email from the CEO/producer, Tiffani Hall. She liked my submission and wanted me to move forward to the next phase, I was super excited! I went to the audition and I made some good connections with other candidates, content creators, and photographers.
A year later, I was blessed with the opportunity to be a part of a TV show called Girls Night: Reality Reinvented that highlights being a young entrepreneur can have its challenges, especially as a black woman. Most of the cast members are mothers who are in school, the work field, or both, but we still find time to have fun, fellowship, and build a community. I’ve had multiple photo shoots throughout filming, opportunities to walk in fashion shows, and I’m still creating content and connecting with people.
Between modeling, returning to school for my Master’s degree, and taking care of my child, I enjoy creating handcrafted skincare products such as soaps, whipped shea butter moisturizers and body exfoliants. The process of all the various components; melting down the shea butter and mixing it with other butters, fragrances, and oils that I use, and the aromas from the dried & crushed herbs and flowers, is very therapeutic to me. Creating something from scratch And essentially making art that people can utilize is something that fascinates me and makes me want to keep creating these products. They were created out of a need to fix something. I had really bad pre-adolescence acne and I suffered a lot of insecurity because of it. When my mother came up with this idea to create a unique salve of shea butter mixed with other different types of tree nut butter and vitamin and essential oils, word of how well the shea butter worked spread like wildfire!
I want people to know about me and my brand and how much I care about everything that I put into my work; whether it be modeling, writing, or creating products to nourish and love one’s skin, all these components tell a story of determination, persistence, and self-discovery. I believe that no matter what happens in life, you can always bounce back and strive to be a better person than you were yesterday. The sky is not the actual limit; you can go so much further if you are willing to dedicate time, energy, resources, and good intentions.

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

Honestly, I’ve been building my social media platforms for a while, and I feel like I’m somewhat getting the traction that I want to see. I don’t need a million followers to watch everything that I post, but I do know lots of brands look at your followers which means better metrics and insight. On average, I usually pull in about 20K views to my profile on Instagram and I only have about 1,500-1,600 followers.
I think I’m past the point of only posting on social media for flexing, I have multiple IG accounts, two business accounts, and my main account. I use all my pages interchangeably; I share bits and pieces of my life, network with other creators, and use my platform to build an online portfolio.
My best advice for building your social media presence is to post consistently, be authentic but don’t overshare, and don’t be scared to show support to others. Everybody wants to be seen, and everybody wants their work to be acknowledged, so don’t be the person who doesn’t support anybody but watches everybody’s stuff, also don’t take it personally when people don’t interact with your content. The right audience is out there for you, so keep going!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think the most rewarding part about being creative is seeing how your work affects people and their reactions to it. I like to inspire people, and I like people to talk about what I’ve been up to, so creating for me isn’t just about fame or riches. People are always going to have something to say and if that’s the case, I’d rather them talk about how good an outfit looks on me that the designer and stylist put together, or how well the pictures that I modeled in came out, how much they liked my short story or poem, or how good their skin feels and smells after they use my skincare products!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @thegirldestani
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/destani-matthews/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Thegirldestani

Image Credits

Photos by: Mikel Thomas (@locviewprodcuction), Brihem Johnson (@vi3ions), and Idriss Byrd (@byrdviews)
Featuring Tiffani Hall (@lovetiffhall_, @the.senetwork_ & @girlsnightoutxo)