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

Destiny, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

My first dollar as a creative began in the summer of 2023, after having an artist’s block for a few years. I decided to let my imagination run wild and allowed myself to create art without overthinking its meaning. I gathered my art supplies and bought some new ones I was excited to use. I put on my music and began to create. And just like that, my artist’s block was gone. I created art pieces that were utterly mine and made out of my mind! I felt so euphoric.

Seeing my original artwork made me smile; I created an Instagram account dedicated to my art. Initially, I made it private so only I could see my art. As I began to add more art, it started to look like an art account I would like to follow; therefore, I made my Instagram public and slowly began to tell my family and friends about it. They knew I was creative and always encouraged me to create. But then, people I did not recognize and people from around the world began to follow me. The more art accounts I followed, the more I started to see flyers about art walks and artist calls. The first art walk I saw as an art enthusiast was in Riverside. They had local artists who displayed their art. I went with my sister, and it was such a fun summer day. The sun was shining, and we talked to many artists and bought some art. This was the day I decided I could do this!

While scrolling on Instagram, I was surprised to find a “Live Painter Artist call” for Riverside Artwalk. It was for the first Thursday of the month. I impulsively signed up, and it was in one week, so I had one week to be ready. That same week, I found a box of discarded frames—good frames! I upcycled them and spray-painted them. I reviewed my artwork and decided which ones to display and sell. I bought an art easel, borrowed my father’s tarp, and bought canvases to live paint. I was ready. I was so nervous on the day of the art walk, but I arrived, set up, and enjoyed myself. There were so many people who wanted to stop and see my artwork and wanted to have a conversation with me. I felt nervous about live painting, but I heard many positive comments about my artwork. I was painting live when a young art enthusiast saw a painting of worms in a red frame, and they wanted to buy it! Sold! I just sold my first painting, which was a painting of worms. I giggled so much, but I was thrilled.

That experience made me realize that I should not be afraid or embarrassed to display certain art pieces. Before putting the worms in the frames, I was telling myself negative comments about them. And that is why I giggled: It was the first one sold. My advice is not to shy away from displaying art pieces you are unsure about because someone out there will be overjoyed to have that piece.

Destiny, 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?

I was always a creative child; my preferred method of play was to create, whether by drawing or creating sculptures with materials I found in my house or found items. Throughout my life, my teachers encouraged me to continue my art and praised me for my art. In high school, my teachers came to me with an idea to create a logo for their academy. They mentioned this will be the official logo of this academy. They gave me their ideas, and I made a logo that expressed their mission statement. To my surprise, they loved it. They immediately displayed the logo on jackets, shirts, pins, and banners. This was the first time I saw my artwork be used and displayed thoughtfully.

In college, I felt like I had an Artist block. So, I took this time to join some art classes and learn new skills. At the same time, I felt I needed to grow as an individual, so I talked to more people, went to art museums, and gained healthy hobbies.

Within a few years, I felt ready and confident about who I was becoming as an artist and individual. I began to take art supplies with me wherever I knew there was a wait time. I created art all the time. The more I made, the more an art collection began to form. During this time, I posted my artwork on Instagram. My content consisted of videos and pictures of my setup during my painting sessions and the finished artwork. I also included music I listened to so my supporters could paint and vibe with me.

My art will evolve with time, and I will evolve as an artist. I continue to paint, engage in art communities, collaborate with other creatives, exhibit in galleries and shows, and continue to learn throughout my art career.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When I first started my art account, I wanted to remain anonymous. It was easier for me to post only my art. I didn’t care to title or have a caption for my art. I took a picture and posted it. There is also a setting on Instagram that allows me to hide the number of the like counts. This setting encourages me to post my art without worrying about the number of likes I receive. I imagined my Instagram as an online portfolio.

While looking for art walks, I came across an art walk for Goddess/ Queer Mercado in East Los Angeles. I applied and got accepted, and they requested an art easel and art to display; the only requirement I was nervous about was promoting and posting about the art walk. This requirement had me overthinking. I wanted to remain anonymous, and it was different for me to be in the spotlight. The community at Mercado is very welcoming, and they want Artists to grow their following; therefore, they pushed social media leading up to the art walk.

Before the art walk, the curators, such as MAPS.LA, Honeydrop Factory, and The Goddess/Queer Mercado encouraged me to post on social media by tagging me on Instagram. Doing so allowed me to repost or remind me to post. They also created videos and posts about my artwork on their accounts to showcase my art. This gave me the extra push to be more active on social media.

Being a part of the Mercado is very encouraging. It is during the day, and there is foot traffic, so people can see and talk about one’s art. On my first time at the Mercado, I sold my first big painting, which was 16″x 20″, to Mexichic Crafts. She encouraged me to post about my process and continue to display my artwork.

As I was limiting my anxiety towards social media, I was trying to figure out what kind of content I should post that would be easy for me to keep up with. I then realized I naturally take many pictures throughout the day, such as my setup when I paint, how my painting changes throughout time, a funny image or scenario I may encounter throughout my day, or music and art that I enjoy. I decided to share all this, reaching more followers who wanted an interactive page to follow.

Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed and nervous about posting, but if I feel this way, I do not post. I let time pass for a while, which is okay with me. I want my Instagram to feel like an extension of me. I post what I want and do not feel I need to.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission in my creative journey is to create art in which people feel an unspoken connection with. I want to bring out the artwork in my mind and make it into a reality. I want to create bigger artworks that fill a whole wall and have my art in a gallery. I have so many things in mind and in the works; I hope you continue to see my creative journey and see how much my art evolves over time.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: LaaaFresita