Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniella Manini
Daniella, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I came to California in 2004 from Lima, Peru. I wanted to work as an illustrator but considering I was an immigrant it wasn’t that easy for me the first couple months. I started doing a lot of babysitting and random jobs like working for Chuao Chocolatier off their headquarters in Encinitas selling chocolate. I was constantly working on my portfolio. I finally I started getting jobs doing art and graphics. It wasn’t until I worked for Aaron Chang when he had his clothing business in Carlsbad that I started really building a career here in the states.
After they closed their business in 2008 and with the economy being so harsh I started doing freelance to pay the bills. I did a lot of projects for the surf industry and got a full-time job at Billabong. I would say that job was a really good experience for me because of the amount of artwork I had to do in such short time. I refined my style and also started participating in a lot of art shows and events. I was also doing a lot of freelance for other industries. For family reasons, I had to move to Ventura and that forced me to become a full-time freelancer. I wanted to also sell my art so started a shop online and an Instagram account and started selling them on the side.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was, for the most part, smooth but there’s a lot of personal growth and bumps on the road for sure. The biggest challenge was making the time to learn about creating a business and being a new mom.
Please tell us about Daniella Manini.
I am a graphic artist and illustrator and I provide creative services that include art direction, illustration and design. I also have an online shop and sell my art there and do wholesale around the US. My art has a strong unique style that comes from a lifelong passion for color and fun creations. I am proud that I made a living doing what I love.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I have a ton but one of my favorite memories is walking around the neighborhood with my grandma to the toy store. She would take care of me while my mom worked so she would take us wherever she had to go. The toy store was right next to her hair salon (which she had to attend bi-weekly) so whenever I had to go with her she would take me to the toy store after she had her hair done. She would never buy me anything but made me save some money towards what I wanted.
One time I was fixated with this Hello Kitty coloring book. I was around 5 years old. I didn’t have enough money from my “savings” to get it. Not sure how long after I got a diploma at school for being a good student. That night we had a little celebration for my diploma and I went to be late. The next morning I woke up super early to find the coloring book right next to me. I was stunned. I ran to my grandma and told her that I had got the book and if she knew who gave it to me. She said that probably the fairies were really proud of me because she had no idea how it got there. I still have that book.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.daniellamanini.com
- Phone: 8585188950
- Email: daniellamaniniart@gmail.com
- Instagram: @daniellamanini_art
Image Credit:
Taryn Kent
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