Meet Daniela A. Ruiz

We were lucky to catch up with Daniela A. Ruiz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Daniela A., appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

I think creativity is a skill, it can’t be kept “alive” per se you can only work on it to access it more easily. That has been my experience, I believe if you can visualize an idea, a story, or a business you want to convey – you are tapping into the skill of thinking from your subconscious state for it to be truly “creative”. Everyone can tap into that part of themselves by letting go of perfection. I’ve had to work on that and sometimes truth be told I still have doubtful moments, that things aren’t “perfect” enough. I think that is also part of the progress, to know you are still learning when launching a new business or endeavor. For starters – when I came up with Design Reality (my design agency) getting the opportunity to work with Samuel Lynne Galleries and create an event where other creatives could engage… that took letting go of perfection… to let creativity in.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

It’s a cause-and-effect story. I started out as a news/sports journalist and when I got furloughed back in 2020 from that job I created Design Reality. I stayed in the sports area and began working for a sports app to design visuals for Oregon State’s Track and Field Olympic competitions, Utah State Football games, and others. Later I got contacted to produce promos and visuals for brands like Liquor 43 and Pixar. Right now as a design agency, we focus on all of the visuals of a brand. From every aspect, how they should:
– Sound
– Look
– Appeal
Lately, I have been working with art galleries to bring experiential marketing events. The most recent was at, Samuel Lynne Galleries’ where we held Design Your Reality, a speaker series. Also, I still love to draw and design and from time to time create surrealist art pieces.

I’d have to credit that it all comes from my passion for the arts. When I was a kid my mom enrolled me in every single artistic activity you could think of, from art camps to dance lessons. I was that person in high school that would turn in homework with a bunch of drawings on it and have sketchbooks filled.
Now I work with how design can take a brand or business to the next level by forging a genuine, organic relationship with its audience. It’s about more than just aesthetics; design/art is a conduit for inspiration, connection, and transformation. Because at the end of the day, that’s what great design is all about. Which I love! From producing, drawing, fashion, and writing… it’s all an extent of connection.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Three simple ones, right?
1. “Done is Better than Good” (quote from Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic)
2. Recognize people’s reactions don’t belong to you.
3. The obstacle does not interrupt the process, the obstacle IS the process.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

I already like this question, I just listed out a quote from one of the books I read last year – Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear from Elizabeth Gilbert, the same author that wrote Eat, Pray, Love. I’m big on books that you can get inspiration or a lesson from. Big Magic is both, it doesn’t matter where you are in life it draws back to what holds us back, and at the end, it’s always US holding us back. She refers to creativity and empowerment as a tool, and to stop being consumed by acceptance, recognition or rewards which once you get past that you will find your passion.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.designrealityx.com/
• Instagram: @designrealityx
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniale/

Image Credits

Title Image (B&W)- Credit: AcunasPortraits
Design Your Reality: Speaker Series – Credit: AcunasPortraits

Digital Artist:
Dua in Dallas: Daniela A. Ruiz
Naomi in New York: Daniela A. Ruiz