Meet Destiny Santana

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Destiny Santana a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Destiny, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?

Being a kid from new York, I had a lot of personality growing up, I had a strong sense of self and was subconsciously learning how to integrate it into the world creatively. As I matured, I cultivated quick witted strategies that used my natural born talents and abilities to lead me forward. I knew I wanted to create so I worked in hospitality. I knew it would expose me to people out of my reach, I also understood that working as a host at a popular hotel or club teaches you about people. Teaches you how to deescalate situations swiftly, manage peoples emotions as well as your own and be expected to do it gracefully, with poise and class; if not, your just the stereotype. Aggressive, difficult, attitude problem, loud. Working through these challenges taught me how to successfully not take no shit and still keep a job.

Being the only Woman of color in the room has taught me to create strong boundaries. Now I mean strong as an a strong foundation, its not easily wavered or influenced. That does not mean I am not open to adaptability if the circumstances align in that way. Ive learned discernment is key to having a good balance of “working hard & playing harder”.

Being the only one in the room that looks like me has taught me to how to successfully stay true to who I am but still effectively execute what’s needed in a unique way. I have my own style of communicating, coming from a background that is full of life and movement, ive learned to integrate the way I speak to my loved ones to anyone. Successfully relaying my message to a stranger, to a client or to another aspiring artist. I’ve also learned that 9 times out of 10 im the only one that got my back, so I have to show up as 10 of me. I have to show up as the ordained being that I am, gracefully shifting the conversation from my differences to uplifting everything that I am and possibly receiving what I have to offer.

Finally, being the only one in the room should be your first indicator that you are the valuable one in the room. Not because of the color your skin but because of the variety, versatility and color you bring to the table. Going back to my childhood, I grew up around gangstas, hustlas, movers and shakers. I know that and I am proud of that, I walk into every room with that essence, 10 toes down, loyalty and respect. I think that these values are universal, and even if I express it with a little grit, the message is received wholeheartedly whether you can relate to my story or not.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My name is Destiny Santana. I am a fine artist whose cubist, abstract expressionist paintings are firmly rooted in my Afro-Cuban experience of growing up in Harlem, NY. I was raised in the Yoruba and Santeria spiritual traditions. It is here I was first exposed to West African spiritual imagery that once inspired the likes of Picasso. My paintings vividly capture the emotional realities of the young American Black female artist experience, whose voice has largely gone unrecognized for its contributions to contemporary visual art. My work is also imbued with a beautiful sense of movement which comes from being raised with a culture of dancing that is the hallmark of communities of the African diaspora.

I expresses my talents through original, abstract art; focusing on various mediums such as drawings, paintings, & digital artwork.

As a multidisciplinary artist, I have worked across multiple design and experiential projects with heavy-hitter brands like Goyard, Golden Goose, Nike, Major League Soccer, New York City Football Club and Levis. From original artwork on soccer courts, design collaborations for apparel to immersive activations and customization workshops with my current agency, 625 industries, Ive been able to expand my talents from painting through design and creative direction.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Language is one of the most impactful skills in my journey. I used to hate when my mom forced me to speak Spanish; put me in bilingual class. Now, it’s one of my biggest assets, I travel for work a lot and a lot of my clients speak Spanish or Italian. Luckily, Italian is very similar and I was able to pick up some Italian during my stay in Milan. It’s a gift to be able to communicate with others in different ways, and even if you don’t speak multiple languages, being human is universal and a beautiful experience to witness as it unfolds naturally.

Staying authentic to who you are is a quality that has most impacted my journey even in present time. Being myself has gotten me the opportunity to fly across the world and create what I see. Ive gotten more jobs and life changing opportunities from being myself, having a community that thrives from word to mouth; believes in community and my ability to approach life as the blessing and a gift that it is. A lot of inner work and discipline is the driving force behind sustaining this journey. Everyday is an opportunity to be better, so meditation and prayer are essential to my sacred ritual. Keeping my mind body and soul aligned and showing up as the best version of myself.

Knowledge of Movement/ The Arts – My understanding and sense of movement allows me to read and comprehend body language intuitively well. I can anticipate the needs and wants of others and better serve them. It allows me to create a sense of dance or rhythm with every experience had. Knowledge of movement and The Arts enforces a stable and healthy sense of confidence and a respectable sense of spacial awareness. it’s important to know how to communicate in this world with more than just with words. Dance, yoga and pilates are some forms of movement that have brought harmony and peace into my mind body and soul.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I recently discovered, through close family research, that my great grand father played for the negro leagues during the 1920’s and 30’s. I do a lot of customization work with my art with brands like Nike, Levi’s, NYCFC and Major league Soccer. Working on a collaboration for the Negro leagues in honor of my family and all the other amazing players who persevered through such difficult times would be a dream come true and a full circle moment for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.destinysantana.com
• Instagram: destinysvntvna
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/destiny-santana-b7a847145/

Image Credits

First B&W head shot taken by : Tommie Battle @tommie.jpg

Stadium photo by : Alex C. – @captiv_8

Drone shot : Edgar Bolanos @opm_21

BTS for MLS court : Raffi Ferreira

Group photo at Ludlow House : Maxim Skornyakov @maximsaidso

Group Photo of Sketch class : Jonathan Taveras