Danielle is a day dreamer, night thinker and is creative by nature. Her journey toward becoming her authentic self began 10 years ago when she fought a battle with cancer that invaded her pancreas. She won that battle, and in that moment, she became a survivor! She doesn’t say she is a cancer survivor; simply that, she is a survivor!! Danielle’s unique images, draped in quirkiness, tell stories of love, life, laughter, sadness, connection and everything in between. Her fine art portraits stand alone. Each one more unique than the next. She honors the imperfect and her work does not fit inside ANY box. We like that about her.

We are so thrilled to welcome Danielle as Unraveled Expert Artist and Instructor. She has been such an influential member of the community already so this was the next right step for her! She is never afraid to out herself out there and is always willing to help others — and of course, get a little weird.

Danielle, we value your presence so much. Thank you for being here. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for you!

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Here is Danielle, Unraveled…

What inspired your art?

I am inspired by IMPERFECTION! I am in love with movement and the rawness of a moment. I see beauty in odd angles, crooked lines and blurred vision. I often tell my clients “when the wind blows your hair, don’t rush to move it back into place, let the wind play, there is beauty in that!”

What other ways do you express your creativity?

I have always been creative by nature. I write a lot, I am fascinated with spoken craft and poetry, I am a storyteller! I am also an actress. I love gracing the stage and the challenge of stepping outside of myself and taking on a character”

What other ways do you express your creativity?

I have always been creative by nature. I write a lot, I am fascinated with spoken craft and poetry, I am a storyteller! I am also an actress. I love gracing the stage and the challenge of stepping outside of myself and taking on a character!

How do you de-stress at the end of the day?

I spend time with my 6 year old daughter. She is silly and happy all of the time. Her innocence still exists and it calms me.

What kind of music do you listen to while editing?

Oh my goodness, me and music. I listen to anything I can sing out lout to. I am an actress and it shows big time when a song comes on that evokes a sense of passion. Oh I sing loud and i do all the movements. It is funny, when I am driving, people stare and I love it when they do, I sing right back at them. Since being a part of this group and seeing the silliness of Ace Fanning, I have often wondered what it might be like to drive around with him...I am not only quirky and a little bit cray cray in my art but also in life. After my battle with pancreatic cancer 10 years ago, I learned that silliness fuels the soul and so what if people stare, they are just jealous they are not brave enough to do the same.

What is your favorite book?

Oh I have so many but the two the I love that have sculpted my craft are , Henry Cartier-Bresson's books, The Decisive Moment and The Minds Eye.

Name one movie that inspires you.

The Help

What has been the most difficult part of your creative journey?

Living a life in constant pain and being a single mom are what I struggle with the most. Ten years ago, I had a Whipple surgery to remove a mass from my pancreas. That surgery got rid of one problem and left me with a lifetime of others. I live with chronic pancreatitis. They say it is one of the worst pains to endure. I have learned to focus on mind over matter. Some days are harder than others and I have amazing parents that help me through those times by helping with my 6 year old daughter. My parents are the reason I am able to continue running and growing my own business. I recently moved one minute away from them to be as close as possible because their help is crucial to my balance.

Who is one of your favorite photographers?

Right now, I pay a lot of attention to and learn so much from Theresa Vick. Theresa does not know it yet, but she will find out when she reads this, that she was my inspiration to put myself out there in the Unraveled community. I paid attention to her work and took her class. I started to focus more on what fueled my soul as an artist instead of trying so hard to fit in by conforming. What makes us unique and sets us a part from others is the exact thing that allows us to fit in.

How do you handle selfdoubt or creative slumps?

I use it as a sign to take a step back, take a break, and rest a moment. It is ok to not be on point all of the time. And self doubt, fuels my fire. Self doubt is real and I allow myself to feel it and to sit with it a moment and then I dive deep into why and what I need to do to fix it. If you see me doubting myself, and you will, thats a warning that a storm is brewing and to watch out. I actually just went through a phase of self doubt at the end of 2019. I took some time to myself through December and January to work it all out in my head. To look at my map and observe and re-direct myself in the right direction By February, I was ready, there was a burning in my soul and it felt good and these last few days have been insane with amazing news. Im giving a speech, my work was on a magazine cover, I was mentioned on our local news channel, my work is going to be displayed at a community event and then THIS, EXPERT ARTIST! I am literally ON FIAH and I do not mind saying so. It is ok to be proud of ourselves!

What is your favorite course or lesson at unraveled?

Tapping in to Your own unique style by Theresa Vick

What is your favorite pizza topping?

So, I bold and full of variety when it comes to my art. When it comes to food, I am a plain jane, lol. If my pizza has anything other than cheese and sauce, I take it off.

What is your most favorite kind of light and why?

Soft and natural