We were lucky to catch up with Destiny Darcel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Destiny, thanks for joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Being an artist is a wild ride! The freedom and autonomy? Absolutely priceless. But let’s talk real life – one month you’re riding high with 20K, and the next, you’re looking at 2K. It’s a rollercoaster, for sure.

So, what’s my secret? I’m all about learning the ropes of running this creative business. You’ve got to know the costs, and be ready for those slow months. The economy’s a bit scary, but that’s where the magic happens. Betting on yourself, even when it gets nerve-wracking – that’s what makes us creatives and entrepreneurs special.

I know what it’s like to have a regular job. It’s significantly easier. However, it is a safety net as I can always go out and get one if need be.

Destiny, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

So digital illustration kind of just fell in my lap. I was always super creative as a child but I never pursued it. One day when covid first hit us I called my dad and asked him to buy me an ipad and the rest is history! I started drawing everyday just as something to pass the time. My instagram that now has 100k followers started out as a finsta. I didn’t want anyone to judge my work so I just posted it there as an outlet.

As people began to notice my work they began requesting commissions. It was hard to kind of create a business model out of thin air because it was never my intention to start a business. But I had the time, the resources, and decided to see where this thing could take me. I am commissioned to illustrate everything from family portraits, affirmation cards, journals, phone cases, notebooks, and really anything you can dream up.

I am always so happy that clients are so eager for me to bring their visions to life. I’ve created such a distinct look in my artwork that anyone who pays attention can immediately tell it’s my work. That is so very rewarding.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think non-creatives struggle to understand the trial, error, and time that it takes to master your art and master the ability to serve clients in that art form. Things can look so simple and a lot of the time people feel like “I could’ve done that,” but there’s so much love and discipling put into our art that you can’t replicate that. Getting to the point of having your own style, loving that style, and evolving is a long road. It doesn’t happen overnight.

Deciding to serve clients in your art form is an added layer of difficulty because it is giving someone that option to kind of dictate and manipulate your work while staying true to yourself. You don’t always agree with what they want and what they need especially when everything you put out into the world is a reflection of you regardless of who the deliverable is for. So sometimes it feels like turning my creative passion into a career isn’t feeding my creativity. But it is feeding me LOL so we move!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

INTERACTION. My audience was built purely on interacting with accounts. People buy people. Commenting, replying, reposting, supporting, and being thoughtful about making your community feel seen was something that created such an organic following for me.

When I first started gaining traction I was super intentional about choosing women who were within my target audience and drawing them, tagging them, and interacting with them. You never know who those people know and how it felt that you saw them and wanted to create art for them. It brought in clientele but more importantly it brought in the community of girls I love so much.

Posting consistently of course is also a way to maintain your following. But it’s hard and it’s something you have to be realistic with yourself about. It’s also something you have to be very intentional about with planning, organizing, and staying on top of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.destinydarcel.com
• Instagram: @destinydarcel
• Facebook: Destiny Darcel
• Linkedin: Destiny Darcel

Image Credits
Destiny Darcel