danielle Garcia

ART DIRECTOR + DESIGNER

NEW YORK CITY

5 favorite musical artists of all time? 

1. Selena (Quintanilla)

2. Michael Jackson

3. Lauryn Hill

4. Anthony Santos

5. Billy Ocean

What inspires you? 

A big inspiration is the culture I grew up around. I grew up in Newark NJ and it’s a melting pot for so much culture and creativity. From Black culture, Latino culture, my own culture as being Dominican and American— it’s introduced me to so many perspectives that continues to inspire me.

What advice would you give to your younger self? 

SPEAK UP. I’m shy, I always have been, but now I’ve grown to be able to speak up for myself and advocate for myself in every way.

What industry blogs/websites/podcasts do you enjoy?

My agency has a slack channel where they share different campaigns/ads/designs happening currently and it’s kept me from looking on my own recently since they’re very on top of it. It’s very cool to be apart of since we usually have conversations and discussions about what is going on in our industry.

I’m taking recommendations for podcasts, by the way.

What do you think the future holds for people of color in creative industries?

I might sound super optimistic but I think people of color will be more welcomed and we will have more people of color in higher positions. We are a strong force coming into the industry right now and we surely won’t be denied.

What is your dream job?

I’d love to have my own agency and create great work with other creatives. I’d also like to be able to mentor entry level creatives and help them get their foot in the door.

What skill(s) would you develop if you had more time? 

I would learn After Effects and animation. I would also look into integrating AR & AI into my designs just to keep up with tech.

What is the last thing you learned? 

I’m continuously learning how to adapt to the changes of the industry. Just the other day I was asked to create an asset using AI and it was interesting yet felt like cheating. But I know it’s just another tool I should have under my belt.

What are you working on right now?

I am currently working on balancing creating for work and creating personally. Which is just to say that I’m not working on any personal projects right now but have ideas brewing as I work as a designer full time.

If you could talk to your favorite creative for an hour, who would it be? Why?

Junot Diaz. He’s an incredible author that talks a lot about the Dominican-American experience and I’d love to chat with him to see how he’s gotten where he is without changing himself and his identity.

What advice would you give to creatives of color looking to pursue their passion full-time?

I would tell them that there’s no one set way to get where you want and sometimes what you want isn’t what you need. What you need can come unexpectedly and be unconventional so don’t be afraid to take chances outside of your plans.

How do you keep your creative drip going? 

I consume a lot of media. Whether it’s tv shows, movies, reading or listening to music it always feeds me creatively.

Contact: daniellepgarcia01@gmail.com

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