We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Destiny also known as DESTI a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi DESTI , thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
Personally, I don’t wish to change a thing. I feel as though everything has aligned for me in this very present moment. Although, of course I would have loved to have the courage to pursue this dream of mine sooner, maybe I would have made it further…. Or maybe not. I also am so grateful to have begun my journey now that I am wiser, mindful and more spiritually and emotionally aware. Now I feel as though I’m ready to write music that’s true to me and can be relatable to others who have been through the same experiences as I have. So nonetheless, I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
DESTI , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Here’s a little bit about myself and my story. First let’s start with my name. Hi, my name is Destiny Contreras and I am a 26 year old queer Chicana born and raised in Los Angeles California. I come from immigrant parents and have grown in a Mexican/ Guatemalan household. I speak both languages and I’ve always been very involved in my culture and where I come from. As I grew older eventually I found it difficult living at home, especially being queer and the only child. Eventually I moved out of my home at 19 with very little and searched for a more free lifestyle. I just had graduated community college and I hoped to one day find a job in my major which was in Communications. It didn’t go as planned. when the pandemic hit my life became mayhem. Days were just floating by for me at this point. One thing that did always carry me through my days was music. My passion and love for it was undeniable. A love I always knew would never leave or betray me. I grew up a musician, played piano when I was very young till I was a teenager. I always knew I could sing since I was very young, but I never knew I had a gift till I was as old as I am today. Before I decided to take this seriously I did always dream of the day I could actually make music to share with the world. But my insecurities and self esteem only drew me away from me actually seeing that my gift was legit, beautiful or worth sharing. I was afraid of rejection, I couldn’t stand the idea of people telling me that I would never make it. Now with all the wisdom and spiritual/ emotional intelligence I have gained from adversity, I have learned the hard way to actually be happy for myself for how far I’ve come. I’ve learned to give myself grace for all the adversity Ive faced through out my life. I am very proud of my strength and ability to believe that I am worthy of being in this space. I admit it didn’t happen over night and I’m still working at it everyday. I am a creative, I make music, I tell stories. This is who I am. I am unbelievably grateful for where I am in this very moment in time, and very excited for what’s to come. So, my advice to anyone who faces adversity and feels as though life is never going to get you where you’re meant to be… be patient. Don’t compare, don’t rush, and don’t feel like you’ve failed. You haven’t. Whatever you’re facing in this moment is meant to open more doors for you. It’s meant to lead you and guide you to what is aligned for you. Always remember to give yourself love and respect for all the challenges you’ve over come. Keep your loved ones close and continue to work hard for what you love no matter how risky it gets. Push forward, it’s always just a step closer. I am super excited to continue my career in music and I am so certain that everything I want is coming because I believe.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I think the most rewarding thing about being an artist/ creative is making people happy. Including myself. It makes me feel so good to play my music and they enjoy it just as much as I do. Especially love sharing with other creatives who also want to pursue their careers as well but are afraid as I was once was. I just want to be a good example for others and show them that anything they dream is in their reach.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
A particular goal or mission driving me is to make myself and my loved ones proud. I finally have the courage and confidence to further pursue my dream of becoming a singer/ song writer. So now that I have the tools to become successful, I owe it to myself to really try and work hard for the things I want for my life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @desti.music
Image Credits
Zahrya (ZEE)