Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to D’Maia DeVoe. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, D’Maia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

There is a list of things that my parents have done right. I can definitely say one of the most important things that both of them have ever done for me is give me reassurance. My parents have always been very big on letting us know what is for is is for us, and there is nothing that can form against us to stop that. Self-doubt is not something that lives inside of me. Staying true to myself, consistency, and confidence is something that has helped achieve a lot of my goals and has helped me get to where I am. Those attributes will continue to help me get to where I want to be, and I owe that to my parents.

D’Maia, 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?

When I look at some of my favorite artists’ work, I can tell it’s THEIR work. They have a signature style, or color, or symbol. A signature SOMETHING about their artwork. When you look at mine as a collective, you don’t see that. No two pieces look exactly the same. I went to art school, so I utilize what I spent all that money to learn within my work: the different art styles and mediums. I feel like I don’t have something within my pieces that is an identifier that I am the artist, because there is no uniformity. That alone is what I think sets me apart from other artists. I was worried at first that I needed a signature style, but I’m proud I’m able to showcase that I don’t have to stick within one box when it comes to my creativity. I honestly never have been. I have been drawing for as long as I could hold a pencil, and everyone knows the creativity and imagination of a child is limitless. I remember getting a big X on one of my art assignments in kindergarten. The instructions on the paper said to “color the brown bear”. But I knew that a brown bear wasn’t just brown. Hairs have highlights and low lights and all different shades of brown that give it that gorgeous color. You could see that easily when a bear walks around in sunlight. So I colored the brown bear different shades of brown, maroon, and orange, and a little bit of black here and there. You would think as a teacher she would be smart enough to know what a brown bear actually looks like, in addition to just enjoying the creativity and the realism of this brown bear I created, but no. She put a big red X on my paper saying that I “did not follow instructions”. If she really wanted a boring bear the instructions should have read “color the bear brown“. But from then on I always knew to let my imagination flourish and put my passion first so that others can see what I see, no matter what their personal thoughts may be. That’s why no matter how many times my parents tried to convince me to go to school for computer science I was stuck on being an artist. They were so worried about me being a starving artist, while my argument was there are starving people with Doctorates out here. Starving or not I am going to create my artwork, because that is my talent that I need to share with the world. I’m glad I made that decision, because I was able to be challenged in ways that I have never been challenged before and learned a plethora of art styles that I couldn’t have even imagined being able to do on my own. My parents were able to see what I’ve learned and have supported my art career. I’ve been able to create so many diverse pieces, but one thing that stays consistent is the subject: the Black experience. I wanted to create artwork that I want to see and what I would buy, which is why I create work that uplifts, inspires, heals, tells a story, sparks questions and conversation, maybe even controversy, and promotes Black excellence. My brand will always do just that.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I would say the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing or hearing about how my artwork made someone feel or what it was able to do for them. I do a lot of commission pieces whether it’s portraits, or logos, etc. and it’s always a rewarding experience to get feedback for my work. The positive and the negative is always appreciated because it helps me because a better artist and be better at my craft. I of course will do whatever necessary to make sure the client is pleased, and the process of it all is what’s pleasing to me. For the art I create just for myself, I get to absorb the reactions of those who are interpreting the artwork for the first time, or even those that come back to view it multiple times with a new realization or new emotions. It’s never a negative experience to me.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think society can stop trying to gatekeep artists and creative as well as PAY THEM! Pay people what they are worth. Stop looking for a discount or a cheaper way out. If you can’t afford them or their work, it costs nothing to share their videos, artwork, music, writing, etc. Give them exposure! Give them recognition! Give them their flowers while they are still here to smell them! This world would be so bland without creatives. Do your due diligence to keep that creativity going.

Contact Info:

• Website: dmaiadevoe.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/dmaiadevoecreations
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/d-maia-devoe