We were lucky to catch up with Natalie Daratony recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Natalie, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
When you’re a little girl watching your mom and how she lives her life, you pick up on things she doesn’t even know she’s teaching you. My mom would wake up early, go to bed late, arrange her whole day around how she could best take care of her family and for her that meant intentionally starting her own businesses that would allow for her to be present in her kids lives and provide for them. Being that close to such beautiful power your whole life, you see that any dream is possible and any goal is reachable if you don’t give up on your belief and you get creative with how to make it come to life. She would always find innovative ways to get the job done and always gave us the space and resources to craft the life we wanted. I have never seen firsthand a more self-motivated, resilient, and brave individual and it has taught me that you have to show up for yourself and your life to turn your dreams into reality. We were never taught to settle, we were always shown that there are a million and one options for the life you could make as long as you were honest and present!
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?
I am a full-time muralist in Charlotte, North Carolina and I launched my art business officially at the start of 2024. I remember at the start of 2023, I did not have a single wall to paint so I went a bought this huge roll of white paper instead and painted a huge “mural” on it! I knew I was meant to be a muralist but didn’t know how to get there so I used this roll of paper as a way to show myself and others that I could do this! It has been an incredible year since then watching more walls come about through my supportive community and hard work. Murals are such a powerful form of art because they completely change the mood of a street or room. I am so excited to see what murals lie ahead as my business continues to unfold!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Truly know this is what you are meant for. Don’t chase something that does not fully align with you or make you excited!
2. Show up in your community and for your community, be present, and be honest to build a good network of like-minded collegues
3. Do not ever give up, keep doing what you feel called to.
The biggest thing for me was doing what I love to do before any opportunties came up or before anyone else believed in me. Also, the big thing for me has been friendship and connection, I have gotten more opportunities through friends I love and trust recommending me. Relationships are key but not just relationships for the sake of using them for opportunities but relationships that are mutually enjoyed, encouraged, and supportive.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
For. me, my parents never believed I couldn’t be a full-time artist. They never looked or talked down any time I would bring up a dream. That was huge for me, them just saying “do it!” no doubt, no questioning, just belief! They allowed me to paint my room even in middle school any way I wanted and let me paint murals on your house walls! I will never forget that!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nataliedaratonyart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliedaratonyart
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliedaratony/
Image Credits
The photograph painting the large pink flower is from @downtownbelmont and the photograph of me with the big green mountains is from @riah_lange
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
