We were lucky to catch up with Dumarys Espaillat recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Dumarys thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, I was always interested in arts. I went to college for Graphic Design with a minor in Animation. I did an internship in a company called SBS entertainment which is a company that owns multiple radio stations across the USA. After college I ended up working as a Production assistant manager for a live event company (mostly EDM festivals and such) I did a lot of work in the production of the events as well as street promotions. Overtime I became interested in photography and started taking photos at different types of events and concerts until I was able built a strong portfolio on it. This happened for about 4-5 years. I had always wanted to expand and at some point live in a bigger city, where bigger opportunities existed, but never really had any plans to make the move. This was until September of 2017 arrived.

On September 20, 2017 Puerto Rico got hit with the worst hurricane it had ever experienced, Hurricane Maria. Leaving massive destruction across the island. Sadly I knew, that, because of the bad organization and corruption currently present in the government. It was going to take a very long time for the island to recover. Two days after Maria, I booked a flight to NYC, just for a week. Because, the airport wasn’t working properly it actually took me 3 weeks to be able to leave the island. As my flight continued to keep getting canceled over and over again.

Finally on October 8th of 2017 I came to NYC. I rented an airbnb for a week and though I was going to return after it. But a week went by so quickly that I knew I wasn’t going to return that quickly. So I decided to extend the stay. Little by little I started looking for a job until I found one in a store. Then I rented a more permanent room, then got a different job, then a different room and now it’s been 6 years of me living in NYC and even though my first 2-3 years were pretty harsh. (Economically because I had no family here and getting used to a big city like New York) I’m still living here 6 years later, made a good career and I am currently happy of where I am now, How far I have come and always looking for ways to improve more. I am currently working full time as a Motion Graphic Designer and I do photography on the side. I have been able to work with pretty awesome brands and so far I love my job.

Dumarys, 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 have always been dedicated to all forms of art since I was little. Always interested in drawing and music and art in general. Which let me to pursue a Bachelor Degree in Graphic Design with a minor in animation. During my college years I started working in the entertainment industry as a production assistant manager. During that time I did a lot of street promotions and project management along with design and photography for the events. Today I have become a full time motion graphic designer. I create videos for brands to advertise themselves through different mediums like social media or Tv. I also have continued to do photography on the side. Having worked with a roster of amazing brands such as HBO Latino, Dove, Dunkin Donuts, Theragun, among others and a big list of music festivals and artists as well.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

During my early years in NYC, I was working in events and my main goal was to continue to grow in the music industry. I loved working on helping create such amazing experiences because I also love music too. Until… Covid came along. Suddenly, everything I worked for was gone, I had to re-invent myself. I took all the extra time I had to built a Reel that could portrait me as a Motion Graphic Designer. I focused in advertising, created content that looked like what I wanted to work on and changed my whole website. This eventually led me to find a job at the New York Stock Exchange where I worked as a Motion Graphic Designer.

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

Being able to turn an idea into reality. I definitely love the process of having an idea and taking all the steps necessary to make it happen and learning along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://msmoonlightarts.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msmoonlightarts/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MsMoonLightArts
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msartsandphotos/
• Other: https://www.threads.net/@msmoonlightarts

Image Credits
Dumarys Espaillat – @MsmoonlightArts