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Writer's pictureDC Creators

Voyage Baltimore Magazine Interview!

I’m so excited to announce that I was interviewed by Voyage Baltimore recently. I hope you enjoy the read!

Today we’d like to introduce you to Davina Louise.

Hi Davina, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?

Hello, I am Davina Louise, the proud founder of the following: DC Creators Network, Davina’s Body Art & Heavy Designs. At my core, I am self-taught, self-driven, and unshakably positive.

I’ve always been a creator, but my true journey arose from the dust of Burning Man which I first attended in 2013. A place where creativity is at its best, I fell in love with the co-creating, the warm smiles for miles, and ART as far as the eye could see. While at Burning Man, I felt inspired so I set up a small booth at our camp, called IAMU, and named my booth “LET’S PAINT EVERYTHING!” I put out paints, brushes, canvases & blank puzzles and encouraged anyone in range to paint. What was most inspiring is some of those folks walked away with art they never thought they could create. All it took was a little encouragement. It’s from this experience, I have realized that we’re all creative by nature, and staying positive is KEY when it comes to learning new things. For those who were too shy to paint, I said to them “LET ME PAINT ON YOU!” I painted on any soul willing to be my canvas. Most people were barely clothed and excited to be painted. I mainly just wanted people interacting in my booth. Little did I know, it’s because of this my passion for body painting would grow so exponentially. So much that I returned to Burning Man in 2014 and presented it as a POP-UP so I could travel around.


Before attending my first Burning Man, I never expected so much beauty in one place. I came back to the “default” world (as Burners call it) with that same energy, ready to take on the world with my newfound inspiration. This is how “DC Creators” and “Davina’s Body Art” was born.

Having a deep desire to help others discover their own creative potential, upon returning home, co-founder Jorge (RIP), and myself quickly started hosting creative POP-UP events under the name of DC Creators Productions. We produced workshops, live art shows, warehouse & dance pARTies, “making the creative process accessible.” Our events featured live art, such as face & body painting & EDM (Electronic Dance Music). We also invited artists such as Acro Yogis, Belly-Dancers, LED Hula-Hoopers, sometimes Fire Spinners, and other exotic & eccentric artists to come enjoy similar creative energy. We needed a way to express, share & create at our fullest potential and that is what DC Creators offer.



One good thing to come out of COVID is that we were able to build the online DC Creators Network we promised our community (www.dccreators.com). With in-person events paused, it was a perfect time for this to come to light! We’re now gathering online to continue our ventures virtually.


I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?

On August 4th, 2019, Co-Founder, Jorge Goncalves, passed away unexpectedly from a brain aneurism which devastated me. Then COVID became all of our realities. With that being said, the biggest challenge is mourning for my favorite person and co-creator during a global pandemic. This pandemic has taken a toll on us all, but it made losing him especially hard. From the beginning, Jorge was my rock. He said I was his, but I know now it was the other way around.


Jorge was my best friend for over 10 years, and my lover for the last 4 before he passed, so I had to collect myself & re-evaluate what we started together. I would not have gotten this far if it weren’t for his consistent support & guidance. I know he would want me to find my smile again and keep moving forward.

The DC Creators Network was built to help honor Jorge, and it gave me a place to tell our story. It was great therapy to cope with my loss & the pandemic. I’m very proud of what I’ve created, and I’m sure Jorge would be too, as I promised him I would “never stop shining.” He helped me believe in myself, and that has been priceless to me. Now I shine brighter than ever before.

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?

  1. HEAVY DESIGNS (my bread & butter): I have been contracting as a self-taught graphic & web designer since 1999, via www.heavydesigns.com. This was my first creative company, and I’m so proud of how many clients I have been able to help over the past 23 years.

  2. DC CREATORS NETWORK (my mission): Our online platform is for locals to gather safely, and outside of social media. We’ve had over 50,000 unique online visits since launching in March of 2021, so we’re doing something right! Our Network (www.dccreators.com) was made for creators, by creators. I also pride myself in bringing attention & showcasing local artists & their creatives for the world to enjoy.

  3. DAVINA’S BODY ART (my passion): After years of body painting events, I have finally mastered this realm, now being hired as a professional for photoshoots, themed events, and even kids’ parties, which is very exciting! I wouldn’t have gotten this far without our DC Creators events, so I thank our creative community for encouraging me to pursue this unique skill. (www.davinalouise.com/body-painting)

What’s next?

DC Creators will continue expanding our outreach throughout the DC, Maryland & Virginia areas. We’ll also continue collaborating with communities such as Mettā Creative (Baltimore), Sunset & Chill (DMV), Sunday Love (D.C.), PLF / Party Liberation Foundation (Richmond), Markster Con Productions, as well as others. We’ve enjoyed working with venues such as the Graffiti Warehouse (Baltimore), Club Flash (D.C.), Spacy Cloud (D.C.), and several other awesome spaces. Plaza Art (D.C.) has also been a big supporter of ours with creative supplies. We collaborate with those who are passionate about making the creative process accessible, as we inspire positive vibes and leave no trace behind.

I also plan to continue Davina’s Body Art ventures, so if you have any parties that you would like my creative vibe at please contact me.

We look forward to hosting live events again and hope to continue to see new members signing up on our DC Creators Network. We will continue to mold this network into a useful tool so we can stay focused on our creative goals together. We intend to feature one (1) local artist every Monday on the network to share their story with our community. We share it on our blog and across social media, supporting all who show initiative.

Pricing:

  1. NETWORK MEMBERSHIP 1: FREE TO JOIN – Share in our exchange boards & create and join groups to collaborate & connect with other locals.

  2. NETWORK MEMBERSHIP 2: $5/mo – Post on our blog (which WE share on social media) & view all members of the network.

  3. BODY PAINTING SERVICES: Rates vary (davinasbodyart@gmail.com)

  4. WEB DESIGN SERVICES: Please ask for my packages. (heavydesigns@gmail.com)

Contact Info:

Image Credits

  1. Charles Planck

  2. Mike Kozemchak

  3. Igor Shkvarunets

  4. Mark Baggett


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