We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Destiny King. 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 open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Music has been a part of my life since I was a young child. My grandmother lovingly introduced me to this art form through the hymnals she would play every weekend when I visited her. After begging for lessons, I began learning not only piano but also violin, clarinet, and eventually my primary instrument, the oboe. My ambition—and the strong support of family and friends—led me to attend music school, where my arts career and a life-changing risk would begin.

My music education degree at UNC-Greensboro is something I would never trade for anything in the world. Beyond the many lessons learned through coursework, it was the incredible music professors, my cohort, and my Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI) sisters who made the experience truly unforgettable. However, aware of the risks that come with an arts degree, I wanted a fail-safe in case life didn’t turn out as planned. That led me to add an arts administration minor, which has shaped my career path today.

In 2020, COVID struck, and the performing arts took a tremendous hit, as many of us know. Arts organizations were deeply affected, and the collegiate space was no exception—students were sent home, and many music education courses, particularly those involving in-school teaching experiences, were no longer possible. As a result, I leaned heavily into my minor and began taking on more leadership opportunities within the North Carolina Music Educators Association (NCMEA).

After a marketing internship with Eastern Music Festival (EMF) and serving as NCMEA Collegiate President, I felt a strong calling to pursue arts marketing. Despite this, I was scared that all the time and energy I had invested in my degree—from student teaching and the edTPA to my degree recital and rigorous theory classes—would be in vain. I began applying for arts marketing roles but wasn’t hearing back, despite my experience with NCMEA and EMF. That’s when I started searching for year-long professional development opportunities.

In my final arts administration class, Fundraising in the Arts with Jackson Cooper, I had a life-changing opportunity: presenting my final project—based on The Cartography Project at the Kennedy Center—to Trés McMichael, one of the project’s leads. After my presentation, I shared that I was searching for professional development opportunities, and he introduced me to the Allen Lee Hughes Fellowship (formerly the Allen Lee Hughes BIPOC Fellowship) at Arena Stage. That moment set me on a new path.

During student teaching, I had an incredibly rare and beautiful experience. I loved my OSTE, the students, the school, and was even offered a teaching position in my county. Yet, before graduation, I was also accepted into two year-long fellowship programs in the DMV, including the Allen Lee Hughes Fellowship at Arena Stage. I received endless advice from friends and family on what to do: stay in North Carolina to teach or pursue a career in arts marketing. The best advice came from a former boss at my part-time job: “You can always come back to teaching, but opportunities like this don’t come often.” After many discussions and careful consideration, I decided to take a risk on myself. I knew the challenges, but my ambition—and my foundational passion for the arts, especially arts education—brought me to where I am today.

At Arena Stage, I have progressed from Marketing & Media Fellow to Marketing & Communications Administrative Assistant, and now serve as Marketing & Communications Coordinator. A key highlight of my role includes leading strategy for one show per season and managing our influencer marketing efforts.

My passion for arts education, which began in childhood, continues to be a through line in my work. Whether co-leading a book swap or crafting unique influencer experiences, I’m constantly inspired by the opportunity to merge art forms in ways that build community and elevate the arts.

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.

As a multidisciplinary artist, aside from being an arts administrator and oboist, I am also a portrait photographer. In college, I took an internship with Eastern Music Festival, which had a large component of digital photography as part of the learning experience. I learned many DSLR skills from a peer marketing intern. Even though my experience primarily involved taking photos of weekly rehearsals and concerts, I found a deep love for taking portraits through the small opportunities given to do so during the internship. Heading into my senior year at UNCG, I invested in my first DSLR camera and began taking photos of my peers in the School of Music. I started off taking free portraits for those seeking recital photos or creative headshots, and once I gained confidence in my shots, I founded my photography business, avcutephotographer. From there, I broadened to couple and graduation shoots. I also expanded into using a studio, as many of my portrait sessions were primarily outdoors.

After moving to D.C., my photography business took a brief pause so I could really hone in on my fellowship and, eventually, my first full-time job. During the past two years in D.C., I have taken on event photography, provided headshots for a class at my job’s summer camp, and taken portraits of friends for fun. With a stronger sense of the photography scene in D.C. through Facebook groups and meeting fellow photographers, I am confidently working on a refresh and restarting my photography business.

As someone who made music their focus from age 7 to 22, I’ve learned how extremely important it is to know when it’s time to take a pause so burnout doesn’t occur. This translates directly to my business as well. With full transparency, there are times when you have to lean into your gigs or full-time work that pays the bills until you have time to really hone in on small pieces of joy from your side hobbies. Just be transparent with not only your clients, but yourself, when this occurs.

As this is a side gig, what sets this business apart from others is that I do not let money be an obstacle for clients. I keep my prices very affordable—especially for D.C.—as having access to a professional photoshoot is so important, no matter the occasion. Balancing a full-time arts career and a creative side business isn’t always easy, but it’s taught me the importance of joy, boundaries, and community. I hope my work can reflect that—and maybe even inspire others to keep their own creative spark alive.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Go to concerts. Visit museums. See a show at the theater. Support small organizations. Support local artists. Support your city’s art scene. Invest in your city’s arts council. Don’t knock visiting your local college’s music scene—many of them will be the next headliner at your city’s upcoming festival. As always, support can also look like following and engaging on socials!

For my D.C. people, be safe and do what feels comfortable, whether from a distance or by attending only daytime activities of local organizations. There are ways to stay involved with organizations without directly visiting the physical location. This can be as simple as sharing resources on your socials or donating. A few resources are listed below for staying up to date on safety, finding orgs for fresh produce, and following local influencers who share things to do in D.C.:

D.C. Updates:

@washingtonianprobs
@notifydc
@freedcproject
@dcmigrantmutualaid
@dcw1mutualaid (Ward 1)
@ward2mutualaid (Ward 2)
@ward3mutualaid (Ward 3)
@ward4mutualaid (Ward 4)
@ward4mutualaid_ua (Ward 4)
@ward5.mutualaid (Ward 5)
@serveyourcity (Ward 6)

Local fresh produce:

@dcmutualaidapothecary (Ward 7)
@ecfarmdc
@commongoodcityfarm

Things to DC:

@dc4free
@clockoutdc
@yourdcbestie
@taliacadet

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Knowing that I chose me in this lifetime. It’s a risk being a multidisciplinary artist, but I can fully be confident that I’m happy with the people I surround myself with and the arts that I know changes lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.avcutephotographer.com
• Instagram: @___destineeee / @avcutephotographer
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dnking/

Image Credits

Personal photo :
Headshot – Ceylon Mitchell (@m3mitchellmedia)

Additional photos:
Arena Stage Marketing team – Cameron Whitman Photography (@cameronwhitmanphotography)
A WRINKLE IN TIME Discovery Lounge with artists & curators – Albert Ting (@pootie_ting)
Three portraits – Destiny King (@avcutephotographer)