Today we’d like to introduce you to Dakotah Puccio.
Hi Dakotah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I’d say everything in my life really started when I moved to California in 2015, directly out of high school with my aunts here in San Diego. From the moment I got here my main goal at the time was to go to college and get a degree in marketing, which I did eventually get in 2020 from San Diego State University. Along the way, I had various jobs and internships with some particular standouts that have guided my journey to where I am today. The first one of those being my time during college at Kettner Exchange as a support staff, particularly as an Expediter working closely with the chefs and their culinary program. I truly got a first-hand look at the artistry that goes into a restaurant of that caliber, along with contributing to the Chef’s vision in finishing the plates before going out. During college, I did not truthfully allow my creative side the energy it deserved but did try to find ways that crossed over with my marketing studies, with the second big opportunity that really shaped me along my journey being the social media work I was able to do for Azuki Sushi and Hachi Ramen (now Kinme Omakase). I was able to bring a fresh perspective to their marketing program through their social media presence, which eventually led me to experiment with putting together shoots and later stepping behind the camera.
Since that time, I have moved on in my professional career post-graduation with my full-time job working at Tinuiti, an independent performance marketing agency, where I started out as an intern and in my less than three years there have moved up to Account Manager. I’ve had the pleasure of being a key member supporting the growth of brands under the Unilever Health and Wellbeing Collective portfolio, along with bringing to life some of the most innovative campaigns across the digital marketing industry.
In that time as well, creative projects have also become a key part of my life that continues to grow and evolve. A key moment in that exploration was when I picked up film photography as the pandemic was happening back in 2021. What started as a simple point-and-shoot during raves, events, and festivals has evolved into more elaborate creative portraiture and editorial style. There were definitely many various collaborators, friends, workshops, and mentorships that have helped me figure out the direction of where I have been taking my ever-evolving passion for art and creation. There have been two very important people who’ve been pivotal along my journey, the first one being a dear friend and collaborator Yaz Reve (@yazreve). A significant shoot that I collaborated with them on was one where we pushed the boundaries of our collective creativity with a local drag queen, U.F.O. (@unidentified.fem.object), bringing to life “The Dragoon from the Black Lagoon.” The second person is Carianne Older (@peggyshootsfilm), an LA-based film photographer who has been one of the best influences on my creative journey through her workshops along with one-on-one mentorship. Carianne has given me a unique perspective into the industry and building me up to navigate my own journey.
In my time living here, I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing, drawing inspiration from, and collaborating with local artists that have impacted my own style. While I focus my art around film photography, I would say that I’m discovering that is only the surface of me as an artist and the projects along with the intention that I put into what I create. My art and understanding of the direction I’m going is ever evolving as I continue to explore, but some of my current main passions are set and prop design along with community building. In the near future, I am aspiring to create an art show and interactive experience in the San Diego area that melds all of these passions together. While my perspective is only one small piece of the broader community, I’m thankful to the SDVoyager and its team for allowing me to share my story.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve definitely been blessed and do feel I’ve had a lot of support along the way, who really helped cover a lot of the necessities, allowing me to focus on college and creative endeavors. However, I wouldn’t say that it has come without its share of struggles, both external and internal ones we all have to overcome as we grow.
I would say the biggest struggle that I continue to face is my acceptance and evolution as an artist. When I moved out here, my first priority that honestly consumed my whole existence was getting a degree, paying for it, and getting a stable job after. I wouldn’t even have thought or invested in experimenting with art as I didn’t value it at the time over all the working part-time jobs, internships, and classes I needed to do in order to achieve that one goal. Once I achieved all those things, I realized that there was way more to me than the business aspect of myself and that it is so important to allow the inner creativity to have space in a my life just as much as everything else. I’m sure I’m not alone in sharing the struggles of not feeling like I’m where I need to be, that I’ve achieved enough, or general comparison to others as well that fuels all those other internal struggles. “Learning to embrace my creative side has taught me to be more present and to listen to whatever I’m feeling in the moment. While it might sound cliché, I’ve come to focus on the journey, paying more attention to what’s in front of me rather than letting my mind run wild with possibilities. The more I create, it always teaches me lessons beyond what I expect, and I always walk away feeling lighter because I understand myself a bit better through the creative process.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
Currently, my focus has been creative portraiture as the cornerstone of my art, although I do explore other types, such as street and nature photography. I currently shoot all my projects on 35mm film, and through that, I focus on creating a character, building the story, creating any unique elements or props, etcetera. I would say I specialize in and am known for focusing on the intention of the shoot that translates into the character that is created, the story that is told through props that I create to contrast or complement those characters, and the environment they are in. In addition to that, one aspect that I feel sets me apart is in my projects, I do focus on the people I bring together. My projects I always want to be a collaborative effort where everyone feels comfortable in expressing themselves and adding their own authentic flair to the project. In addition to that, I have always wanted to bring in collaborators who maybe aren’t always represented by the mainstream and are willing to push the creative boundaries.
Two projects that stand out to me, which I’m proud to have been able to highlight and collaborate on with such people locally, are ‘The Dragoon from the Dark Lagoon’ and ‘Once a Clown, Always a Clown…” Both projects brought to life two characters or archetypes that we all are familiar to some degree, but through the set/location, props, and overall story, we created something uniquely ours, putting our own twist on it.
Any big plans?
My future plans definitely involve an art show centered around one of the characters I create, which will bring you into that world. Before then, I plan on continuing to invest in my own personal projects, making more of those characters that I dream of come to life. I’m especially looking forward to exploring the artistic side of me that enjoys coming up and fabricating props or sets. For ‘Once a Clown, Always a Clown…,’ I created fake dummy cakes, and I have recently taken up rhinestoning objects for some upcoming projects. But I’m particularly looking forward to seeing where else my creativity takes me and the different mediums that I’ll explore. The most significant change is that I’m planning to focus most of my energy on personal projects and connecting with other creatives. They currently bring me the most joy, so I intend to follow these feelings and see where they ultimately lead me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dakotahpuccio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cody___p/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dakotah-puccio/
Image Credits
Aldo Cervantes
Annette Witek
Carianne Older
@unidentified.fem.object
Yaz Reve
Erika Alexis Ochoa
@yo.its.mayaa
KINME
Claritza Castro
Tori Nycole
Paola Pujols
@groovyqurl
@faellow
