Devanee is a mutual Instagram user I followed about two years ago. The first thing I thought, what a lot probably think of when you get to her landing page, is "She is so beautiful."
There are a lot of different accounts you find on social media and a lot of users with different brands. To place Devanee in a box of "beautiful Instagram girls" is not only a disservice to her, but to all of us.
Why? Because she is a creator. A designer. An artist. A young Latina with a voice. And Devanee's voice has inspired me to focus on my passion and pursue my most creative dreams.
"I've always been surrounded by art as a young girl since my dad is quite the artist himself. I believe I picked up a lot of that from him. Maybe it's just in my blood"said Devanee.
Maybe it is in their blood that drives her to create and have such genuine kindness show through a phone screen. Whatever she gives credit to, it drove her to pursue it in college.
She is currently a sophomore at New Jersey City University, majoring in Graphic Design and Arts. She balances being an artist and student while maintaining a job. Despite all her responsibilities, it is designing that keeps her going. This should inspire all of us to pursue our passions no matter the pressure of anything else.
"Senior year of high school was the turning point for me where I feel like I really need to decide if I wanted to be all in and take this creative life seriously since I was graduating. I'm glad I made the decision to be serious about it and never look back."
Devanee started her design/art Instagram page in her sophomore year of high school. donebydev is where she uploads and showcases all her latest designs, inspirations, and works in progress. This account has received proper recognition where she has gained interaction with influencers/ celebrities with who she has created art around.
"It might seem like nothing to others but to even get a like from celebrities like Kimora Lee Simons and Mariah The Scientist meant the world to me. I was just grateful that the people I am influenced by noticed my work that I put time and effort into."
I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem like nothing to me. Who wouldn't want to be recognized by one of their creative influences? Whether those interactions happened or not, I don't think it would have dimmed the bright passion Devannee has to create.
"I believe it's important to be creative because at least for me it helps stimulation the mind and the world. Without creatives or creativity in general the world would have no sauce."
Sauce she calls it. She spreads that "sauce" through her online shop. In 2022, she launched her website. With that launch, she dropped her first tote bags, paintings, and graphic sweatshirts. In this collection, you can see how she partakes in an abstract art style.
"Abstract art has always been the one for me. I fall in love with abstract art every time I do it. Anyone can interpret it however, and how I feel and how you may feel about it can be different, and that's okay"
Her tote bags, Instagram, and website are all a great foundation for Devanee's art. But that's precisely just what it is - a foundation. She continues to create and learn, building her artistry. Devanee launched her very own brand called Animo Studios which integrates her love for design and fashion. She is expected to have some drops this year.
"My dream is to keep expanding my creativity as whole and to keep learning new things. I love designing, I love painting, and I love fashion. I hope I am able to execute all of things within my lifestime and ultimately just create on different platforms and scales."
In the slide show above you can see some of her pieces. Be sure to follow her on all social media platforms and stay tuned for more work so that you can inspire yourself to pursue your own creative endeavors. She isn't afraid to display the behind-the-scenes of her art and the mental strength that is needed to be focused on a project. This alone can be a vital example to us all that if we truly enjoy something, we need to push aside all doubt and work on our crafts.
"You have to overcome the obstacles of one's self. With being a creative comes a lot of doubt and anxiety since I am putting my soul, heart, and passion out into the world. But as long as you trust yourself and choose to keep going that's all you really need."
I couldn't agree more... except maybe you also need to buy one of Devanee's hoodies as well so you can look good overcoming those obstacles.
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