Today we’d like to introduce you to Diana “DXE” Escamilla.
Diana “DXE”, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Hmm, where should I start? Art has always been part of my life, my savior, my escape. The drug I use to get through some of my darkest moments. I’ve been creating art all my life, I think I was learning how to draw before I could even write my full name. So, I guess I’ll start there, my name is Diana Xiomara Escamilla aka, DXE. Growing up, I always loved my initials because to me they were meant to be seen up in shiny lights. As a kid, I always dreamt of becoming a rich and famous artist who would sell art and travel all over the world.
Although that dream is still up there, as I got older I also started to view art as more than just something I could use to become rich and famous. Art became my passion, what would help me smile during some of my saddest moments. What kept me company when I was alone, see when I say that art is my savior, it’s because art did save my life and continues to do so. Art helped me express everything that I kept bottled up. Things that I was not able to express with words would come out clearly onto my canvas, overall helping me get through my darkest days.
Now that I am 38 years old, my dreams have changed a bit, now all I want to do is inspire others to find what makes them smile and do what they LOVE. I hope that when people see my art, they can resonate with it and it will give them hope and perhaps feel less lonely in this big crazy world.
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?
This journey which I call “ArtistKindaLife” has not been easy at all. See, I suffer from anxiety and depression. So, fighting myself in believing that I am any good at this has been rough and the first challenge that I faced. I failed out of art school and even stopped creating art for most of my 20’s and all because I just didn’t believe in myself.
I tried many carriers and took many paths but the further away I got from art the sadder I would get. Until one day, when I finally decided to take the leap of faith and realized that being an artist is exactly who I am and creating art is what I love to do. At that moment, I became a full-time artist but the struggle was real and I found myself hungry many nights and at one point found myself without a roof over my head because selling art is not easy and I found that out the hard way.
Even today, selling art is still one of the biggest challenges and for me to be able to live out my dreams I also now have a full-time job that I love as an administrator in an alternative charter high school. So, to answer your question, no, it has not been a smooth road to face but it has been worth the journey.
Please tell us about your business.
Not sure where to start honestly but here it goes. I am a visual artist who loves taking photos and painting. I use art as my therapy to express exactly how I feel. When people see my art they are looking straight into my soul.
I mainly use acrylic paint on canvas, sometimes ink on paper and once in a blue moon spray paint on walls. I’ve done everything from live painting, to murals, to t-shirt and hat designs. My company is called DXE Studios, and you will find us online, where not only will you find all my work for sale but where I also share my journey as an artist and entrepreneur.
What I am most proud of is that I’ve been able to inspire others to follow their dreams. I have had people reach out to me and say how I brightened their day because of what I’ve expressed through my colors on a canvas. To me, that is priceless and I hope to do it for the rest of my life.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I would have to say my favorite memory as a child was sitting at the dining room table drawing, while my brother would be building planes and cars with his legos. My dad would be cleaning the house while he played music as loud as he could and my mom would be in the kitchen cooking the most amazing food while she danced.
Pricing:
- $15- $1,040
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dxestudios.com
- Email: dxestudios@gmail.com
- Instagram: dxestudios
- Facebook: dxestudios
Image Credit:
@radskillz
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