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

Destiny , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

I am incredibly grateful to have been raised by parents who recognized my gifts at a young age and did their best to ensure I had all the tools necessary for success. Even when I didn’t see greatness in myself, they spoke it into me; enrolling me in summer arts programs and encouraging me keep going. They always gave me the space to grow and find myself. When I convinced myself that pursuing art was a waste of time, they fell back and allowed me to walk my own path until I eventually recognized what they saw the whole time. I know many artists and creatives who didn’t have that essential foundation of parental support, and witnessed the road blocks it created for them on their journey. I never take this privilege for granted and know for sure that I wouldn’t be where I am now without it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

While I’ve been creative my whole life, my journey to being the artist I was always meant to be begins in the summer of 2020. With covid-19 in full force and discourse surrounding the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, I was feeling very disillusioned about the state of the world. One day, as I was completing my daily routine of lying hopelessly on the floor of my studio; listening to music instead of getting any work done, Boris Gardiner’s 1973 track “Every N****r Is a Star” began to play. Gardiner’s sentiments about the perseverance and strength of Black people in the face of oppression struck me in that moment. I began to think through the ways we as a people have been able to hold onto hope and maintain our light despite continued, systemic efforts to stomp it out. This power inspired the now iconic star motif featured in my work. My practice serves as a visual reminder to all Black people, including myself, that this light exists even when we can’t see it.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Nothing feels better to me than seeing my art mean something to someone else. My creative process is a very solitary one. When I get an idea, i tend to lock myself in my studio, spending many hours considering only my own point of view until that idea is executed. During this intimate time of creation, I feel myself become almost bonded with a piece as it evolves. Because of this very internal process, it isn’t until I release the final product into the world, that I really get to see it’s impact on others. It’s incredibly rewarding to talk with someone at a show and see them be moved by something that only I knew about just a few weeks before. I love seeing them make connections from their own experiences to something so personal to me. The look of joy on their faces is such an affirming reminder that what I do is important and means just as much to others as it does to me.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I know it sounds cliche, but it wasn’t until embraced being myself and began to trust my original ideas, that I acquired a “following.” Following “trending templates” always felt super inauthentic. My most popular content, “Art or Fart” began as a random joke in my studio about my cat, Artemis. There’s so many people out there trying to be seen online as artists or content creators. It’s important to recognize what sets you a part from the crowd and makes you special. Putting yourself out there and being vulnerable can be very scary, but if I could give one piece of advice, it would be to move forward through that fear. We often think success comes when we let go of fear. This thinking often keeps people stuck, waiting to shed the fear before moving forward. Do the thing afraid, move with authenticity, and greatness will follow.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: _oilpaintprincess