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

Alright, Francisco thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I always have had a creative mind. I grew up with friends and family who were artists, musicians, etc. I picked their brain and acted like a sponge for years and years. What I felt really made me unique was the fact that I could use one creative medium to influence another. I was picking up a bass or a set of drum sticks and almost treating them like they were a paintbrush. On the flipside, if I grabbed a pencil to draw, how would it invoke the emotion I was going for? Would I get that calming, serene feeling like I was listening to Bjork, or would I have that raw, unfiltered anger like I would get listening to old Slayer.

Francisco, 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’m what they call an “audiovisual architect”. What that means is that I’m well versed in audio creation and engineering, graphic design, photo/videography, and video editing. Basically since I got my first computer in 1997, I always played around creatively. I never went to school for it, I was just self taught. I kept a lot of creative works to myself, partly because I didn’t have the confidence, and partly because I used the arts as a way to get feelings down that I couldn’t express to others.

I had a mental health episode in 2019 and attempted to take my own life. I made that extremely hard leap of getting help and it’s the best thing I ever did. Then the pandemic hit. I had a lot of time on my hands, so I started to actually put my stuff out there. First on Soundcloud, then actually putting albums out on streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, etc.

Sales weren’t my goal. I don’t create to make money. I create to ease my mind, and to hopefully help others. My very first single was “My Story Isn’t Over Yet”, which is the first tattoo I got after I got help. It was super awesome to see people on TikTok using my song in their videos talking about overcoming mental adversity. I made sure to watch every single one and show my support and thank them for opening up and being here.

Now I’m helping out an amazing non-profit called HeartSupport, which uses music and mental health support to help bridge that gap, something I had attempted to do on my own for years.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Three simple words: SUPPORT. LOCAL. ARTISTS.

Local artists are the lifeblood of a community. They’re what makes our community who we are, how we express ourselves. I despise AI, and if I needed an art piece I couldn’t do, I would GLADLY commission a local artist and support them and their craft.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Your local library!

Not only are there great books, but a lot of bigger ones have resources and spaces that you can use if you don’t have the capabilities at home, and all you need is a library card!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.djstarion.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/djstarion.mp3
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@djstarion
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/djstarion