Episode #17: Cuban-American Illustrator Danny Brito

Episode Summary:

In this episode, I speak with Cuban-American illustrator Danny Brito. Danny was born and raised in Miami and creates vintage-inspired kitschy illustrations. He has been running his Etsy store since 2009 and believes you can create a fully sustainable online business as an artist. Keep on listening to hear us discuss his experience as an alt-Cuban in Miami, how he’s made his shop sustainable, and how he feels about online art theft.

Episode Notes:

If you feel that running an online shop isn’t a solid long-term plan, today’s guest is about to blow your mind! In this episode, I chat with Cuban-American illustrator Danny Brito, who has run a successful and sustainable online shop for over a decade.

Danny originally went to college for Graphic Design, but eventually dropped out to pursue illustration independently after “the universe told” him he wasn’t good at academics. Once he realized you could sell prints of your illustrations instead of only originals, he opened an Etsy store and has kept it running ever since.

After 38,000 online sales, Danny has learned to design products as he goes, as opposed to developing entire collections, in order to get a sense of how his customers receive the new merch. With this method, he’s been able to create a variety of products that make his online shop more sustainable in the long term.

Tune into this episode to hear Danny and I chat about his experience as an alt-Cuban in Miami, the intricacies of Cuban politics, how he’s made his online shop sustainable, and exactly how he feels about online art theft.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

1. Growing up in Hialeah aka “Little Cuba”

2. How his family immigrated from Cuba

3. Facing culture shock when you leave Miami

4. Trying to fit in with American “white” culture

5. Reconnecting with his Cuban roots with his Cuban boyfriend

6. His experience of losing his connection to the Spanish language

7. Avoiding racism by staying in the Miami bubble

8. The politics of Cubans in Miami

9. Why he chose to drop out of Graphic Design school

10. How he started his merch career with custom painted tote bags for clients from Livejournal

11. How he started an Etsy shop in a different era (2009)

12. Fundraising with sticker sales and matching donations for charities

13. Dealing with artistic theft from Chinese manufacturers

14. Whether he thinks art theft is ultimately preventable in an online era

15. Struggling with imposter syndrome as an artist

16. How finding community can help you cope with imposter syndrome

17. Rolling with the punches when it comes to the ever-changing social media trends

Guest Links: Danny’s online shop, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok

Host Links: Follow Fabiola on Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok

Free Download: Listeners of the podcast can get a free, undated weekly and monthly planner inspired by the show from our website here.

Episode Transcript (auto-generated):

00;00;10;02 - 00;00;32;02

Fabiola Lara

Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Draws in Spanish. This is a podcast that showcases the creative journey of notable Latinx, visual artists and designers. I'm your host, Chilean American illustrator Fabiola Lara. If you're interested in learning more about Latin American artists and designers, then I really suggest you hit subscribe, because that's what I do with every episode of the show.

00;00;32;09 - 00;00;57;15

Fabiola Lara

I interview artists from Latin America, and we talk about their culture and identity in relation to the U.S. and everything. So I think you'll like it. So if you haven't already, please head subscribe. All right. So back to today's episode. Today I have Danny Brito on the show. Danny is a Cuban illustrator and artist based in Miami. He creates cute, kitschy and vintage inspired illustrations for his online shop that has over 38,000 sales.

00;00;57;27 - 00;01;23;05

Fabiola Lara

Keep on listening to hear us discuss his experience growing up Cuban in Miami, how he's made his online shop sustainable and how he feels about the ever changing social media landscape. Now, let's get into the show All right, Danny. Hello. How are you? Welcome to [Draws in Spanish]. I am so happy to be hanging out with you today.

00;01;23;12 - 00;01;25;00

Fabiola Lara

How are you doing? What's going on?

00;01;25;02 - 00;01;44;22

Danny Brito

Hi. I'm really happy to be here. I don't really have much going on right now, just kind of fulfilling. I feel like I've been trying to finish fulfillment. Yeah, I'm just running my shop and stuff like that. Hopefully there are some events coming up now that things are opening again. And I can do in-person events begun, which I enjoy.

00;01;45;02 - 00;01;47;08

Danny Brito

There's some coming up that I'm excited about.

00;01;47;12 - 00;01;51;17

Fabiola Lara

Yes. I'll keep my fingers crossed that everything stays open.

00;01;51;19 - 00;01;54;18

Danny Brito

I've definitely signed up for some and then follow through because.

00;01;54;18 - 00;02;03;29

Fabiola Lara

You know, it is what it is, though. I feel like we've all accepted it. All right. So to start things off, could you give the listeners a little introduction to who you are?

00;02;04;12 - 00;02;24;10

Danny Brito

So my name is Danny, and I am an artist. I've been self-employed since 2009 Like 13 years or something like that. Just selling my illustrations on prints, different types of products, stickers. I just kind of go with what's popular at the time and then just kind of go with that and just put my drawings onto merchandise and stuff like that.

00;02;24;19 - 00;02;38;04

Fabiola Lara

Yes, I love it. I've actually been following your work. I think I told you this via email since like tumbler days, I went to go find your Tumblr and I couldn't find it. And then I was like, Am I imagining things? Like, I'm pretty sure I followed you on Tumblr.

00;02;38;04 - 00;02;55;13

Danny Brito

It's not only that, but I mean it, so it's hard to find because I had a lot of regret over deleting by my journal, so I like to have it like archived, but I was like kind of a I would post a lot of selfies on Tumblr and stuff, and so I don't want that.

00;02;55;24 - 00;03;08;13

Fabiola Lara

It was a different time. It was a different culture was a different culture. I know I do have a lot of regrets over deleting my MySpace because even though like at the time I was like, Get this out of here now. I'm like, Oh, I wish I could see what I was up to then.

00;03;09;03 - 00;03;19;14

Danny Brito

Yeah. Yeah. So that's why when I saw the ability to kind of like hide inappropriate, I thought I was like, That's what I'm going to do. If I want to look back, I can. But it's not it's.

00;03;19;14 - 00;03;21;13

Fabiola Lara

Not coming up in Google. Trust me.

00;03;21;18 - 00;03;25;05

Danny Brito

My Tumblr username was my name, so it would be really easy to find.

00;03;25;10 - 00;03;42;15

Fabiola Lara

So before we move into everything about your career, I want to talk to you about your Cuban roots and your identity. That way, people have a little bit more context as to who you are before we move into kind of like the more art and design talk. So can you start off letting us know, like, where were you born?

00;03;42;15 - 00;03;46;11

Fabiola Lara

And raised? And like, just give us a little background, a little color there.

00;03;46;25 - 00;03;53;13

Danny Brito

I'm born in Miami. I've lived here my entire life. I was mainly raised and highly. I listened to some of the punk rock and I heard that about the Miami as well.

00;03;53;19 - 00;04;09;05

Fabiola Lara

I did. I did. Miami's a hot topic on the podcast because I'm a little bit of a Miami hater. I have to I feel like I have to be transparent because you'll hear it eventually. In a podcast episode. So I'm being upfront here, but I am from Miami, so I feel like I have the right to be like if I want to hate on it is valid.

00;04;09;05 - 00;04;10;24

Fabiola Lara

You know, that was my experience too.

00;04;10;24 - 00;04;39;11

Danny Brito

But I also really above it. But I'm still here. Exactly. Yeah. I was born in Hialeah, which is like little Cuba essentially. My grandmother immigrated here in the sixties or 1950 and essentially when Castro took over. So she came on a plane legally, but my grandpa came illegally on a boat in 62 or something like that. And they actually met in Jersey of all places, and then eventually moved back down to Florida and that's when they started their family.

00;04;39;12 - 00;04;43;10

Danny Brito

My dad was born in Cuba, and pretty much somewhere, man.

00;04;43;16 - 00;04;58;15

Fabiola Lara

Interesting, interesting. I love hearing real stories about the Cuban like migratory experience because oftentimes like if you don't know anyone who's experienced it or you don't have a direct connection, it's like talked about so broadly. So I love getting this.

00;04;58;24 - 00;05;17;27

Danny Brito

Outside of Miami. People don't really get it. And I'm still very tied to Cuba because my boyfriend is a Cuban immigrant. He came when he was nine and he has a lot of family there. We talk to them like almost every day. They find like hot spots and companies and stuff like that, and they face time and stuff and youth.

00;05;17;27 - 00;05;18;11

Danny Brito

What's up?

00;05;18;17 - 00;05;41;23

Fabiola Lara

Wow. So you're very connected. Yeah. I feel like Miami is like such a hub for Cuban culture. And I think people always think I mean, it's obviously because of the proximity that people just assume. It's just that but then there's like such an elaborate history with immigration and U.S. immigration laws and stuff like that. Did you feel like you always fit in with Cuban culture growing up in Miami?

00;05;42;04 - 00;06;03;08

Danny Brito

Well, my family is very Americanized because I feel like as immigrants, you want to fit in as much as possible. So as a kid, I didn't really feel like I didn't fit in with other Cubans because I went to a very small school. I went to elementary school and middle school where like the classes were like 30 students or something.

00;06;03;08 - 00;06;26;18

Danny Brito

It was very small. And of course all of them are Cuban. So I didn't really feel like I didn't fit in because I was surrounded by Cuban people. So I thought I did like I didn't feel like growing up that I didn't fit in until I became an adult. And I realized how Americanized I was. My partner's family is very Cuban, and, you know, his parents don't speak English.

00;06;26;20 - 00;06;43;12

Danny Brito

They have obviously a lot of ties to Cuba. My boyfriend doesn't get a lot of my references because, you know, on top of him being younger than me, he came here when he was nine, so he didn't have stuff like that. So I do feel now as an adult kind of a disconnect to Cuba.

00;06;43;14 - 00;06;53;08

Fabiola Lara

Yeah, it's like the more you learn about Cuban culture, the more you realize maybe how diluted your experience was. Perhaps I don't want put words in your mouth. So you tell me if that sounds right.

00;06;53;09 - 00;07;08;19

Danny Brito

No, it is true. It's like I feel like I was trying to be white and when I was I lived in Fort Lauderdale for ten years when I first moved out before I moved, and it was a shock of how white outside of Miami.

00;07;08;19 - 00;07;18;04

Fabiola Lara

So that is always my biggest point with like Florida. I'm like, dude, you get outside of Miami, you're no longer like whatever you thought you knew you you don't know.

00;07;18;11 - 00;07;21;21

Danny Brito

I didn't know a single white person until I was 20.

00;07;21;21 - 00;07;29;26

Fabiola Lara

Something. Yeah. And by white, we're talking just for listeners, white American, right? Because there are white Cubans you know, I'm not I'm conscious of that.

00;07;29;26 - 00;07;44;19

Danny Brito

But yeah, I mean, obviously I consider myself a white Cuban. I don't consider myself white passing because I am on the browner side. My boyfriend being of Cuban of the earth, he's extremely white passing here. But milk your skin has light eyes.

00;07;44;26 - 00;07;54;20

Fabiola Lara

The minute you leave Miami, I feel like it's like this veil lifts from your eyes and you realize everything you thought you knew about American culture. You have no idea how deep it goes.

00;07;55;07 - 00;07;58;05

Danny Brito

You don't even have to leave Florida. You just have to leave Miami.

00;07;58;05 - 00;08;27;01

Fabiola Lara

And I think, like I was telling you earlier, like, the reason that I like hate or dislike Miami is because I feel like it's so insulated sometimes that it protects you from the realities. I guess it's good that it protects you from the realities of like American culture, but it also blinds you, right? Like, because you think that you're white just as white as anyone else because you're white, Cuban, but then you realize you're in a bubble and like, how was your experience meeting some real, real white people?

00;08;27;12 - 00;08;30;29

Fabiola Lara

I feel like I have anecdotes for ages, and I'm wondering if you do, too.

00;08;31;02 - 00;08;45;13

Danny Brito

It was a culture shock just with the way people interact with each other. I feel like Cubans are very touchy feely and like very, like real. Right off the bat. I didn't get the nuance of like small talk or like fakeness.

00;08;45;13 - 00;08;47;01

Fabiola Lara

Yeah, it's like niceties. Yeah.

00;08;47;01 - 00;08;57;13

Danny Brito

Niceties, stuff like that. Like, I feel like Cubans are just real straight up, about to a fault. And I love that type of behavior. Like, I feel immigration at home, like before my family.

00;08;57;14 - 00;08;58;16

Fabiola Lara

That's how you were raised?

00;08;58;22 - 00;08;59;18

Danny Brito

That's how I was raised, yeah.

00;08;59;19 - 00;09;21;01

Fabiola Lara

I have a white boyfriend just to disclose to everyone on the podcast, and I always tell him, like, I didn't realize that I was like raised a little bit rude, but like now because we, like, knew that it was rude. It was just like, I think in Miami with Latin culture, you're a little bit more blunt. You're a little bit more like you don't, like, sugarcoat things as much.

00;09;21;07 - 00;09;28;13

Fabiola Lara

And then when you transition into, like, American culture, that doesn't always translate. Do you feel similarly?

00;09;28;20 - 00;09;48;09

Danny Brito

I do, because up until my current relationship, I've been with my boyfriend for now seven years. I only dated white guys. So it was the first boy that I dated a bunch of Spanish, and then it was very short. But the first real relationship I had was with a white person, like a British white person. So it was like full.

00;09;48;09 - 00;09;49;06

Fabiola Lara

Colonialism.

00;09;49;18 - 00;10;06;00

Danny Brito

On them. And that was my peak, like I'm white phase. I was underneath my hair to have naturally curly hair when I got here. And it's a culture shock at the culture shock for sure. Like once I got with my current boyfriend, I was just like why had I never dated another Cuban person before?

00;10;06;01 - 00;10;20;09

Fabiola Lara

You're literally speaking the same language, your understanding, even though you have, but now you've encountered a different barrier, which is like this, like maybe pop culture, like American references barrier, which you know, you can navigate with some YouTube videos.

00;10;20;14 - 00;10;25;13

Danny Brito

It's great, though, because I feel like I'm learning so much about Cuba and Cuban culture through him and his family.

00;10;25;15 - 00;10;29;18

Fabiola Lara

Which is like getting to know yourself and your roots in a whole other dimension.

00;10;29;21 - 00;10;35;19

Danny Brito

Yeah, because my family left so long ago that they know Cuba and during the hardships, you know what I mean?

00;10;35;22 - 00;11;02;25

Fabiola Lara

Tell me about your experience adapting to white culture, because I feel similarly, I'm Chilean, I'm white, I'm white passing, and I feel like for my own survival, I leaned into being white because of survival in the U.S.. So what was your experience like and do you have any moments that you remember, like doing something that you were like, Wow, I can't believe I did that to like do that?

00;11;04;08 - 00;11;23;21

Danny Brito

Well, I feel like in Miami I never experienced that because, of course, I don't have the need to like I feel like I'm I'm not a minority here, you know what I mean? I think because I wanted to fit in and I moved to Broward, I was like, I was 24. So that's like really formative years into your adulthood.

00;11;24;09 - 00;11;27;20

Danny Brito

And I felt like I needed to fit in with all of my white friends.

00;11;27;25 - 00;11;32;02

Fabiola Lara

And when did that flip for you where you were like, Wait, maybe, maybe I don't need to do this.

00;11;32;05 - 00;11;33;00

Danny Brito

When I met my boyfriend.

00;11;33;27 - 00;11;36;27

Fabiola Lara

Okay, okay. Okay. Full circle here.

00;11;36;28 - 00;11;44;08

Danny Brito

I don't know. I guess I didn't see that I was doing it. I don't think I was doing it intentionally. I spent a lot of time I did have a fling. You live in Philly, right?

00;11;44;09 - 00;11;44;23

Fabiola Lara

Yes.

00;11;45;03 - 00;11;46;03

Danny Brito

I had a fling and failure.

00;11;46;22 - 00;11;47;18

Fabiola Lara

Oh, my gosh.

00;11;47;26 - 00;11;57;22

Danny Brito

And I was there for like four months and for me or I don't even know. And that was a shock to me. It was like America.

00;11;58;15 - 00;12;18;22

Fabiola Lara

Yes, it really is. It really is. Like, you saying like phase one of realizing that you are not gringo white is leaving Miami. You get exposed to, like, southern white people. You know, you start seeing redneck flags. There's like another name for them, but I'm just going to call them redneck flags. You start experiencing maybe a little bit of people glaring at you.

00;12;18;22 - 00;12;27;27

Fabiola Lara

If you speak Spanish, which you don't experience in Miami. And then phase two leaving Florida, then you uncover like another veil.

00;12;28;14 - 00;12;47;16

Danny Brito

I consider myself a gringo like gringo Cuban because my Spanish when I speak Spanish, I sound like a king because Spanish was my first language. But when I got to like first grade this strip that away from you and because I went to such a small school and everyone was Cuban, the goal was to get everybody to speak English.

00;12;47;23 - 00;12;57;14

Danny Brito

So I'm fluent in the sense I understand every word. It's just that when I try to speak, I can't speak as fast as every Hispanic person speaks, you know what I mean?

00;12;57;20 - 00;13;12;24

Fabiola Lara

Wow. I we have so many things in common here. Danny. I feel the exact same way I went to school, and then you just, like, become Americanized very quickly. And, you know, like you're saying, it's part of survival, right? All the Cuban kids at your school needed to learn English.

00;13;13;10 - 00;13;33;09

Danny Brito

It's hard, because if your family doesn't keep Hispanic culture going, you lose it in school. So my family was very my mom specifically was very Americanized and Spanglish. I didn't get to learn how to be conversational in Spanish because they go in and out of English and Spanish, like, you know, like it's its own language. Wow.

00;13;33;09 - 00;13;36;09

Fabiola Lara

Yeah, I totally get that. Do you feel like that's a disadvantage for you now?

00;13;36;15 - 00;13;50;02

Danny Brito

No. I have a hard time speaking to my boyfriend's family. Because they really do always speak French, like not like English. So sometimes I just have them translate for me because I'm like, by the time I form a sentence, they moved on to the next topic. You know what I mean?

00;13;50;06 - 00;14;10;09

Fabiola Lara

Oh, that's so rough. That's so rough. Well, I know that this is like a common thing in like, Latin culture, Hispanic culture, whatever you want to call it. Feeling like if you don't speak Spanish, you are not Latino enough. How do you feel about that? I obviously don't think that's true. Being someone who, like, grew up here, how do you feel about it?

00;14;10;11 - 00;14;21;02

Danny Brito

I don't think it's true because when you leave Miami, even if I'm like, Oh, I'm not Latino enough, people are going to think that I'm Latino, you know what I mean? Like, the second I step into Georgia, they're like, Look at this much we don't even know. I'm not Mexican.

00;14;21;03 - 00;14;22;19

Fabiola Lara

Yeah. Yes.

00;14;22;20 - 00;14;26;00

Danny Brito

My my brother moved to Georgia, but I have a twin brother and.

00;14;26;01 - 00;14;26;11

Fabiola Lara

I was.

00;14;26;11 - 00;14;46;19

Danny Brito

Shocked. I know everyone's asked about oh, she lives with his wife in Georgia, and she's more assimilated into white culture than I am. So like, she fits in very well. But when I go there, I feel like I get a lot of stares because I am brown, I'm gay, I have tattoos, you know what I mean? It's just like it's a laundry list.

00;14;46;28 - 00;14;56;18

Fabiola Lara

Right? Right. Oh, that's so rough. I feel like in that sense, like, do you think that's one of the reasons why you enjoy being in Miami? Right, like knowing what's out there?

00;14;56;25 - 00;15;12;07

Danny Brito

I mean, like you said, it's a bubble, and it does make you feel safe because I don't experience racism. My crew is going to be racist against me. Like, all my neighbors are Cuban so yeah, I don't know. I do feel like I'm aware of the bubble and I kind of like enjoy the bubble.

00;15;12;12 - 00;15;38;05

Fabiola Lara

Right? I think that's the thing. As long as you're aware of the bubble, you know what is going on outside of the bubble. You can make like educated and informed decisions, let's say, politically and whatever. But I feel like where sometimes there's that disconnect as if like people stay in Miami forever and then and don't get out much like beyond Miami, then maybe when they go to the voting booth, they think they're voting one way, but they're voting against themselves, too.

00;15;39;07 - 00;15;45;06

Fabiola Lara

Because like even though you think you're white, because you're in Miami and you're white in Miami, you're not white in Georgia.

00;15;45;17 - 00;16;04;04

Danny Brito

That's why a lot of Cubans end up being I don't know, I didn't want to go political. But it's so hard because the politics in Cuba has to be spoken about. Like, I feel like a lot of Cubans end up being Republican because they're afraid of socialism and they're afraid the Democrats are socialists.

00;16;04;11 - 00;16;21;22

Fabiola Lara

And I understand their fears to an extent. Right? Like that's where we get into like the complexities everywhere. I'm like, I get it. You live there. I get why you are fearful. But then like, look outside of Miami. Look to the rest of the country where a huge country, you know, like it's.

00;16;21;29 - 00;16;26;19

Danny Brito

Like that'll do a little research, you know what I mean? Like, it's not a lot of fun.

00;16;26;23 - 00;16;49;23

Fabiola Lara

It's not the same thing. And yeah, I think that's that's what happens when you're like are in this bubble, essentially. And I think that's why like just to get a little bit more political, let's say Cubans in Miami don't vote necessarily the same as like other Latino communities in Miami. And even outside of Miami, like Latinos in Texas, maybe vote differently.

00;16;49;23 - 00;17;05;08

Fabiola Lara

Like it's not this big monolith Latino voting group that votes the same in every state. And I just want to point that out because one of the reasons I made the podcast was to like highlight different Latino cultures. And that's like a big part of what influences their politics, you.

00;17;05;18 - 00;17;06;24

Danny Brito

Know, not to generalize.

00;17;06;27 - 00;17;12;28

Fabiola Lara

Yeah, like I want to break the generalizations that keep happening. When we say like Latino, which we have to use.

00;17;13;06 - 00;17;22;04

Danny Brito

It's common for Cubans to, you know, in Miami with their hair blond or Republican. But it could be the first time. Yeah.

00;17;22;04 - 00;17;25;22

Fabiola Lara

Like we've seen Cubans for Trump we've seen it. OK, it's happens.

00;17;25;24 - 00;17;29;08

Danny Brito

Listen, I live in Southwest, and I don't know if you know anything about this area.

00;17;29;08 - 00;17;33;22

Fabiola Lara

I grew up in Kendall. I was a kid, so I, like, don't have my geography correct.

00;17;34;00 - 00;17;38;06

Danny Brito

It's very suburban. It's very like mansion fancy kings.

00;17;38;06 - 00;17;39;00

Fabiola Lara

And yet as.

00;17;39;17 - 00;17;43;13

Danny Brito

So it's very like you can tell who voted for who.

00;17;44;21 - 00;17;47;29

Fabiola Lara

Most though I got me thinking about that. I get that. I get it.

00;17;47;29 - 00;17;51;26

Danny Brito

I don't know if you're aware of the South Cuba thing that happened a few months ago.

00;17;51;28 - 00;17;55;19

Fabiola Lara

Actually, I think I saw it on social media, but I'm not like in it.

00;17;55;19 - 00;18;14;06

Danny Brito

So it was essentially like Cuba was just asking for help because the US put a lot of sanctions on trade and stuff like that with Cuba and they rely on that a lot to get goods into the country because whatever doesn't come in doesn't come in like you could have a cow in Cuba, but that's not your cow that's the government's cow.

00;18;14;20 - 00;18;36;21

Danny Brito

If you were to slaughter that cow, Anita, you would go to prison even though it's your house because it's in Cuba. So like volleyball, we think the Cubans can eat or fish, like if they're going to catch it themselves and whatever is in the stores. So that whole SARS Cuba thing, I had a lot of pushback from my white followers and stuff like that because they think that Cuba is I feel like a socialist environment.

00;18;36;21 - 00;18;43;00

Danny Brito

And when it's like that's hard, you know, and that's why I don't know any Cuban for coming here however they need to go out here.

00;18;43;08 - 00;19;00;13

Fabiola Lara

I agree with that. And I and that goes for all people in Latin America. And my point of view, too, like people are struggling all over. And I feel like in that sense, like if you're Cuban, you know, and you're and you're immigrating to the U.S., Miami is the best spot to be. Like, it'll be such an easy transition, comparatively.

00;19;00;14 - 00;19;03;22

Danny Brito

Easier to not speak English. Yeah. Everyone speak Spanish.

00;19;03;22 - 00;19;07;06

Fabiola Lara

Yeah. How do you feel about that? I have mixed feelings about that. Sometimes I feel.

00;19;07;06 - 00;19;16;22

Danny Brito

Like if you're going to stay in Miami, what's the point of learning English? Like I wish that as I'm trying so hard to be better at Spanish, I wish we could meet somewhere in the middle where we can speak English.

00;19;16;29 - 00;19;41;23

Fabiola Lara

I feel that sometimes it's a little frustrating. I mean, I love it. That's what I love about Miami. When I go there, I've learned to accept that that's what I'm walking into. And thankfully, like my Spanish is is pretty fluent, so I feel fine. But sometimes I am like, Man, I wonder if it would be cool for people here to get a little bit of more of an English experience just because once they step outside of Miami, it's going to be very like tough.

00;19;42;00 - 00;19;59;27

Fabiola Lara

So I'm always like, yeah, I kind of like, I wish we could break that bubble like a tiny bit, but it's really hard and whatever it is, what it is. I was talking to another guest and we were saying that Cuban culture is kind of like what dominates Miami because they're such a big majority of a Cuban population in Miami.

00;19;59;27 - 00;20;21;22

Fabiola Lara

So but like, you know, it's kind of stereotypical, like what we think about Miami, what we think about Cuban culture. Is there anything like Cuban ish or Cuban related that you feel like people don't know enough about outside of like the typical KFC, though? The style, you know, like the basics, right? Like, what's something a little bit more indie Cuban that you're like, Man, I wish I got more love?

00;20;22;06 - 00;20;36;14

Danny Brito

I would say the younger generation does have a lot of because all of my friends are Cuban and we're like, alternative, whatever. Like, I think that a lot of people like we were speaking about earlier, I think of Cubans and they think that like beach blond, Republican, Cuban, and it's just like, no, that's not that's not the case.

00;20;36;14 - 00;20;58;05

Danny Brito

There is like little pockets of different types of people, different types of Cubans before the pandemic. So I used to participate and I was in fear of the West. Kendall's being fair and it was just great to be surrounded by, you know, Hispanic people, mostly Cubans, of course, artist, craftsmen, people that are in zone dreams and stuff like that.

00;20;58;05 - 00;21;03;26

Danny Brito

And I feel like a lot of people don't really think of that when they think of Miami Hispanic culture.

00;21;03;29 - 00;21;20;25

Fabiola Lara

I feel like the word alternative is not like the right word, but like I don't know a better word and Cuban. And I feel like most of the time that gets overlooked, you know, just like the same way you can be like IMO in Cuba and you can be like a rocker and Cuban, like whatever I say, because, look, it makes me laugh.

00;21;20;27 - 00;21;29;14

Fabiola Lara

But how has it been for you, like being, let's say, alternative within the Cuban community, being that you're Miami?

00;21;29;21 - 00;21;49;24

Danny Brito

Sometimes I got some stares because I am tattooed. I live in a very suburban area. There are people like me here, but it's hard to find, like I won't see someone that looks like me in Costco. So I do get there sometimes, but it's nothing bad because I feel like Cubans are very accepting people. My family and my partners family are both very accepting of us.

00;21;49;25 - 00;21;56;05

Danny Brito

We have kind of like alternative lifestyles and careers. He's a tattoo artist and illustrator, so.

00;21;56;08 - 00;22;07;16

Fabiola Lara

Do you have any memories of you like growing up that show that you're like a creative kid, or were you always creative? Tell me a little bit more about like little, little little Danny.

00;22;07;17 - 00;22;28;20

Danny Brito

I was always creative, always drawing. I feel like a lot of kids draw, but I feel like I was encouraged to draw a lot. I used to draw mermaids and my little ponies because my mom let me be into whatever I wanted. I was really into Care Bears, my Little Ponies, The Little Mermaid and stuff like that. I also had like Power Rangers, so she, like, let me do whatever I wanted and I would essentially draw fan out of that.

00;22;28;21 - 00;22;29;06

Fabiola Lara

I love.

00;22;29;06 - 00;22;47;03

Danny Brito

That. And, you know, she was always really, really supportive. And when I went to school, I went to Ringling in Sarasota and I went for a year. It was it was too expensive for me. So I went to bringing for a year for graphic design and I was like, This is $12,000 a semester. This is too much.

00;22;47;03 - 00;22;49;08

Fabiola Lara

Oh, wow, that hurts. Yeah.

00;22;49;23 - 00;22;54;14

Danny Brito

And I had grants and then for the second year they were like, No more grants. So I was like, I'm gone.

00;22;54;15 - 00;22;59;19

Fabiola Lara

That's what they don't tell you. That they give them for year one and then you're a little bit screwed year too.

00;23;00;10 - 00;23;07;12

Danny Brito

Yeah. And then I came back to Miami. They went to New World, but then at New World, they make it like academic. So I was like, Wow, I can.

00;23;07;23 - 00;23;10;10

Fabiola Lara

At least you're real with yourself. You didn't lie to yourself.

00;23;10;12 - 00;23;12;20

Danny Brito

The world told me when I failed twice. So.

00;23;14;01 - 00;23;16;12

Fabiola Lara

All right. So you tried twice. For the OK.

00;23;16;12 - 00;23;34;06

Danny Brito

So after that, I just quit school. And I at that point, I think I was like 2007. I was already like kind of drawing a lot, of course. And I found that I didn't want to do graphic design any more, that I wanted to focus more on illustration. And that's kind of where this whole thing started.

00;23;34;11 - 00;23;49;15

Fabiola Lara

OK, so you drop out of school, you're like screw graphic design. How did you land on illustration? Like you just woke up one day and you were like, I'm going to draw stuff for a living or you know. Was there some signs that led you there beforehand?

00;23;49;27 - 00;24;04;13

Danny Brito

Well, I always wanted to do illustration, but I felt like I picked rocket design because I was like, Oh, this is a good financial decision in the future because I was like, She's going to buy my drawings. I didn't know that you can do what I do back then.

00;24;04;15 - 00;24;19;26

Fabiola Lara

I feel like that's something that happens to a lot of people. And again, like a lot of graphic designers later go on to illustration and it works out very well. So I feel like you were smart in that sense. Like that was a valid decision making process.

00;24;20;08 - 00;24;24;13

Danny Brito

Yeah, I learned some things. I learned how to use Photoshop, I learned how to use Illustrator.

00;24;24;13 - 00;24;26;03

Fabiola Lara

And then you pick out, you're like, That's enough.

00;24;26;08 - 00;24;30;02

Danny Brito

Yeah. Once they were like, Let's design this brochure. I was like, No, no, no.

00;24;31;00 - 00;24;37;21

Fabiola Lara

Please. I got to go. Yeah, OK. So so how did you actually get started with your illustration business?

00;24;37;21 - 00;24;55;18

Danny Brito

So it was on my journal. I've been using social media since the beginning of time, so I was just posting my drawings on there as well as like journal entries about my life and stuff like that. And I started to gain a little bit of a fan base by posting my drawings. And in my journal there was like five communities and I can post there.

00;24;56;05 - 00;25;02;10

Danny Brito

People were, you know, people that didn't follow me. And I think the first thing was that I sold a hand-painted tote bag.

00;25;02;16 - 00;25;03;20

Fabiola Lara

It was on these tote bags.

00;25;03;21 - 00;25;12;05

Danny Brito

I think was what I can remember fondly is just like I drew someone commissioned to me, actually, that was my first commissioned to do one of their friends riding a unicorn.

00;25;12;15 - 00;25;14;02

Fabiola Lara

Oh, that's cute.

00;25;14;05 - 00;25;20;12

Danny Brito

And I would just paint on them with fabric paint, and I don't know how well they held up, but kind of where I started.

00;25;20;24 - 00;25;34;06

Fabiola Lara

Yeah, I love that because it always takes like everyone's like first couple commissions are always like I always feel kind of like out of the blue and then like, expand your world. So from there, I take it you started your Etsy shop?

00;25;34;06 - 00;25;57;05

Danny Brito

Yeah, I started my Etsy shop in 2009, and in between those two periods, I started participating in local art shows. There was kind of a lowbrow gallery called Bear and Bird, and they were my first big break, I guess, like I did an open call or show there, and I believe I sold the piece and then after that they invited me to do like a group show.

00;25;57;08 - 00;26;04;05

Fabiola Lara

Perfect. So that was kind of like your they like validated your career, right? Like one of the first validate.

00;26;04;05 - 00;26;15;14

Danny Brito

Yeah, yeah. And I feel like I got a lot of publicity from that. I was in the New Times newspaper here in Miami, and then in 2009 I had my first solo show.

00;26;15;15 - 00;26;16;16

Fabiola Lara

Amazing. I love.

00;26;16;16 - 00;26;31;05

Danny Brito

That. Which was really cool. It was with this venue called Tango and it was 1950 themed and it was all very like girly 1950s type illustrations and I was able to like decorate the face, stuff like that.

00;26;31;05 - 00;26;54;23

Fabiola Lara

Oh, that's amazing. I'm so glad that that was like kind of what happened for you. Like everything kind of added up to that moment. I know that even today your work is really inspired by like vintage esthetic vintage references. So like are there any vintage elements that you feel like you always gravitate towards? Like that are almost like your favorite?

00;26;55;13 - 00;27;09;27

Danny Brito

I love kitschy things. Like I love toys, I love kitschy art. They refined up the thrift store. So like I'm constantly inspired by stuff like that. Toys definitely like stuff geared towards kids. I guess I just really borrowed, but kind of pathetic, like, really care.

00;27;10;05 - 00;27;26;26

Fabiola Lara

And I see it in your work because in your work is like really playful and colorful piece after piece. Back to your Etsy store. You've been on Etsy for a really long time. Like I've had a lot of other guests on the show who have online shops, but I feel like you've had an online shop for so long now.

00;27;26;26 - 00;27;38;20

Fabiola Lara

You've seen kind of like the Internet change while having this online shop. So what do you think are like the biggest differences when it comes to running an online shop now versus back then when you first started?

00;27;38;22 - 00;28;02;16

Danny Brito

I get that question a lot, like people asking me like how to start an online shop? And I'm just like, I started it in a different time. Like I started my Etsy in 2009. So right after that out I opened a shop because I didn't know that you can sell art prints. I always felt like original stuff. So at the show I had art prints of some of the pieces, and then I just basically put them on top of it and it was different back then.

00;28;02;16 - 00;28;17;02

Danny Brito

Like the shipping stuff was easier. Like you didn't have to provide tracking numbers and like the fees were astronomically lower. It was just easier also to be seen on social media because I was I think it was online. I was still on MySpace or something like that.

00;28;17;14 - 00;28;24;20

Fabiola Lara

Yeah, Instagram came around in 20, ten, so I feel like you are ready to take advantage of Instagram. Once it came on the scene.

00;28;24;28 - 00;28;32;14

Danny Brito

I was definitely an early adopter. Like, I remember how it looked like when it first came out and I didn't even have an iPhone. I was using it on like a really old iPad.

00;28;33;28 - 00;28;53;14

Fabiola Lara

I love that. That's like just goes to show how dedicated you were to getting it done, you know, like on your iPad how you find like inspiration to continue coming up with new products, new brands, new stickers for this long because you've been doing it for a while now and you still are going hard with your with your shop.

00;28;53;24 - 00;29;13;24

Danny Brito

I had no other choice. I mean, when you've been doing something for so long, it's my job, you know what I mean? I see it as my job for so long, but I just think of things kind of seasonal, like I know about this time of year. I got to like create some new product and know that's usually how it does move on to the next.

00;29;14;06 - 00;29;20;05

Danny Brito

If it does well, I'll it'll be on my shelf forever. Like I've had some things on there that have been in there for like six or seven years. Oh.

00;29;20;12 - 00;29;47;20

Fabiola Lara

My gosh. You're such a seasoned pro when it comes to online selling. I love seeing it. I feel like your shop has over like 38,000 sales, like it's such a robust shop and I just love seeing you continuously updated and keep doing your thing because I feel like right now it always seems really hard to start and now you're like proof that you can just keep going once you, once you gain that momentum.

00;29;48;03 - 00;29;55;29

Danny Brito

Yeah, I definitely always want to promote the fact that it's sustainable. It's sustainable if you can make it sustainable, you know, what I mean?

00;29;56;01 - 00;29;58;25

Fabiola Lara

What do you think is like the thing that makes your shop sustainable?

00;29;59;00 - 00;30;19;17

Danny Brito

I offer a lot of different types of art prints, different sizes, like as long as you're into like a cute esthetic, I feel like you're going to find something that you want in my shop. And I think what also what I try to do is provide kind of a lower price point and have a higher volume of sales versus a higher price point and a lower volume of.

00;30;19;17 - 00;30;22;07

Fabiola Lara

Sales over time. You've just realized that's what works for you.

00;30;22;12 - 00;30;32;21

Danny Brito

My goal is a consistent sales throughout the week versus, you know, having a big shop drop and then not have sales really until my next. I want to have like consistent.

00;30;32;29 - 00;30;51;19

Fabiola Lara

Yeah, because I feel like that's something that I've noticed now is a lot of people who have shops do like shop updates. And I always wonder, like how sustainable that is because you have to do like a big launch every single month that feels kind of overwhelming as opposed to what it sounds like you're doing, which is maybe trickling new product as you see fit.

00;30;51;29 - 00;31;15;11

Danny Brito

Me personally, it's harder for me to think of like five or six products to drop in one go. I like to just design a thing and then get it up and get it going. And I think that a lot of artists do that to kind of like alleviate the shipping thing. But like I've been shipping for a long time, so I feel like I've gotten it down to a science where I can just do it weekly and it's not a chore.

00;31;16;09 - 00;31;25;15

Fabiola Lara

That was my next question, which is like, how are you dealing with fulfillment when you're going for high volume sales but still kind of doing it yourself, I assume?

00;31;25;26 - 00;31;50;14

Danny Brito

Yeah, I am doing it myself for the most part, because since the pandemic, like I've been focusing a lot on flat pack items. So like stickers, prints and paper goods, my apparel is print on demand because when the pandemic showed, I was very afraid of investing a lot of money and aware and then having it not sell. Eventually I want to go back to having stock and house, but that's kind of what I do right now.

00;31;50;20 - 00;31;56;22

Danny Brito

I think a lot of people just end up quitting because they don't see those numbers right away, but I don't see those numbers right.

00;31;56;22 - 00;32;02;08

Fabiola Lara

Away, yeah. When did you decide to go full time with your shop? I'm assuming you had like a in between or something before that?

00;32;02;15 - 00;32;07;11

Danny Brito

Well, I've always been full time. My boss a real job with Michael in 2008.

00;32;07;11 - 00;32;08;06

Fabiola Lara

I love that so much.

00;32;10;05 - 00;32;20;19

Danny Brito

I worked in the custom training department and I learned a lot about freemium, so that's cool. And then after that I quit and then I went to the UK for like three months or something.

00;32;20;21 - 00;32;21;27

Fabiola Lara

So you have British boyfriend.

00;32;22;07 - 00;32;27;14

Danny Brito

British. So then when I came back I was like, Well, I really don't want to work for anybody here.

00;32;27;18 - 00;32;29;04

Fabiola Lara

Like, I can't go back to my goals.

00;32;29;08 - 00;32;35;23

Danny Brito

I was living at home so I didn't have bills and I gave that advice to people. Like If you live at home, start a business now, right?

00;32;35;23 - 00;32;37;12

Fabiola Lara

Yeah. You're overheads low.

00;32;37;13 - 00;32;39;13

Danny Brito

Like if you don't have bills go for it.

00;32;39;15 - 00;32;40;07

Fabiola Lara

You're so right.

00;32;40;12 - 00;32;47;02

Danny Brito

So I felt financially stable enough to move out and to double 12. So I just three years after launching my shop.

00;32;47;14 - 00;33;10;06

Fabiola Lara

That's very realistic and inspirational for people. I feel like I like hearing that because sometimes it's like people are like, yeah. And then six months later it was, you know, a huge success and hit and I could go and do whatever. And your story is much more realistic and it just goes to show like you just have to be consistent, you have to be hardworking, you have to be dedicated and you can make it happen.

00;33;10;16 - 00;33;31;14

Fabiola Lara

So I know you've been fundraising through sticker designs for organizations like Trans-Texas and the Zebra Coalition, which are orgs that fight for LGBTQ plus. Right. So first of all, I want to say like, yeah, I think all those bills are horrendous, especially the don't say gay bill in Florida is like total bullshit. But what made you want to fundraise?

00;33;31;14 - 00;33;34;09

Fabiola Lara

And specifically, like, use your art for this?

00;33;34;09 - 00;34;05;04

Danny Brito

Cause I'm like, I've started fundraising. I think in 20, 20 like I've always done little fundraisers for different organizations and town and raised money with a T-shirt for the Bill Fund project during the Black Lives Matter movement. I raised money I think in 20, 21 for Texas for the anti-abortion laws. I just like to be able to give back because I can't financially just donate like I do, but I match a lot of the donations because I can.

00;34;05;18 - 00;34;27;08

Danny Brito

But it's hard for me to financially give a big chunk. So I like to, you know, with my trade be able to raise awareness, raise funds, in a way, because I find that a lot of people will make donations. But I feel like when you're given the opportunity to have a product and to make a donation, it gives people an incentive to.

00;34;27;23 - 00;34;52;06

Fabiola Lara

Yeah, it really incentivizes and like builds momentum a lot faster, I think. I love that you're doing that. I feel like it's always just like such a delightful experience for everyone, right? Like I feel like everyone kind of wins in that situation and there's not that many opportunities where that happens. I just wanted to call out because I think it's really cool that you're doing that and you're kind of giving back and I totally get what you mean.

00;34;52;06 - 00;34;59;19

Fabiola Lara

Like, it is hard to make big like substantial donations when you're an independent artist and it's like you need cushion because you don't know what's going to happen.

00;34;59;27 - 00;35;09;25

Danny Brito

Yeah, I mean, any little bit helps, but I was able to raise $500 with both fundraiser, which you know, $500 for me is a big chunk of, you know, my bills and stuff like that.

00;35;09;25 - 00;35;31;23

Fabiola Lara

So I feel that. I love that it's beautiful and I want any listeners who are considering doing something similar to go for it. I feel like you're a good example, like you don't have to wait for anything. If you don't have the funds, you can do it this way. There's like a lot of ways to give back I know you recently had a sticker designed stolen, and I wanted to ask you about how that experience was for you.

00;35;31;23 - 00;35;33;27

Fabiola Lara

Like what was it like going through that?

00;35;34;06 - 00;36;02;00

Danny Brito

So it was a little traumatic because it's happened to me before. I've had parts, designs and designs stolen from Chinese manufacturers and sold on websites like Express. This one just kind of hurt a lot because like it was an exact copy. I want to say, like some good came out of it because there was a resolution. But also I feel like I got to raise awareness that this does happen.

00;36;02;01 - 00;36;08;09

Danny Brito

It actually just happened to I'm neutral of mine. I don't what happens that it's pervasive.

00;36;08;09 - 00;36;09;07

Fabiola Lara

Yeah, it's everywhere.

00;36;09;09 - 00;36;21;19

Danny Brito

And I think that, like, if it happens to you, like, hit the ground running with a social media call out because it's the only way to get some pressure stuff taken down to, you know, go back home.

00;36;21;22 - 00;36;28;27

Fabiola Lara

Do you think it's still worth sharing your artwork online even though you kind of expose yourself to having your work stolen?

00;36;29;10 - 00;36;50;22

Danny Brito

I think so, because honestly, whatever you do is going to happen. If your stuff is online, it's going to happen and I think I benefit more from showing my work, you know, every day and getting stolen. And like I did, there was some good and that situation. Like I did have some photographer viral or whatever. So I did generate a lot of sales from people wanting to support me and stuff.

00;36;50;26 - 00;36;58;05

Danny Brito

It was like crazy but it happened and I feel like it was like a three record deal for me and all I can think about for about time.

00;36;58;24 - 00;37;08;16

Fabiola Lara

Right? It was like consuming your every day for sure. I get that. And do you think art theft is preventable in any way? Like with our online nature?

00;37;08;26 - 00;37;27;10

Danny Brito

No. Like a lot of people are like copyright it copyright it the copyright laws in China are just like nonexistent. Like, I know people that have had stuff copyrighted and it's copyrighted, so it's only will protect you if your you can be like, here is my copyright, but it doesn't stop them from doing it. They can still do it.

00;37;27;18 - 00;37;41;20

Fabiola Lara

I saw that you shared on Instagram today, gave us this today that you're struggling with imposter syndrome. And so I was wondering I'm calling you out. I'm wondering if you could share how you're dealing with that, how you're coping with that and just like what that's like for you.

00;37;42;02 - 00;38;04;17

Danny Brito

I think because I'm so like especially now, you know, pandemic times, I'm so alone, like, you know what I mean? Like, before I do a lot of art fairs a lot of craft stuff like that. And I got the feedback from you physically seeing people supporting your work. I feel like because I don't have that anymore, I feel very much like, who am I like?

00;38;04;19 - 00;38;08;15

Danny Brito

I feel like it's like, I don't know, like I'm not a big deal. Like, it.

00;38;08;15 - 00;38;10;00

Fabiola Lara

Feels a little bit meaningless.

00;38;10;00 - 00;38;10;16

Danny Brito

Yeah.

00;38;10;16 - 00;38;13;14

Fabiola Lara

You're like less important because like, you don't see your work connecting.

00;38;13;14 - 00;38;20;29

Danny Brito

Yeah. And I listen to some of your other podcasts yesterday. I listen to your friend Paloma and Natalie's.

00;38;21;13 - 00;38;22;15

Fabiola Lara

Oh, I was like.

00;38;23;12 - 00;38;28;21

Danny Brito

Oh, my God. There's like, I feel like there's such hot potatoes. And I'm just like, little old man, you know what I mean?

00;38;28;24 - 00;38;45;01

Fabiola Lara

No, Danny, you've been doing this shit for a long time. I've had you on my radar for a long time. I almost forgot that you were Cuban. Not because of you, but because of my memory. And then when I put it all together, I was like, I have to have you on the show. So I think you're just as good as everyone else.

00;38;45;01 - 00;38;58;08

Fabiola Lara

And I feel like if you listen to the certain episodes, everyone struggles with this, too. And then I also struggle with Imposter. I'm like, I just made the show last October, right? So, like, don't let this have any influence like this baby dude.

00;38;58;17 - 00;39;19;09

Danny Brito

Yeah. It's just like, I think it was just like the domino that like, everything over because I do have, like, other things coming up and they're like, bigger things but of course I can't talk about it, but I'm just like, why? Like, why do you want to work with me? You know what I mean? Like, I get that a lot and it's hard to shake sometimes, you know?

00;39;19;23 - 00;39;26;07

Fabiola Lara

Yeah, and do you think there's anything that you do to lessen that feeling, or do you think you just, like, go through it.

00;39;26;15 - 00;39;44;29

Danny Brito

Half and half? I feel like I just go through, but then I also surround myself with other creatives. We kind of just each other up. So my partner is a tattoo artist and he works at a studio here in West Kendall and like, I love going there and just being in that community of artists and stuff because they're very supportive of each other.

00;39;44;29 - 00;39;57;19

Danny Brito

And I feel like in terms I in turn I get some support from it as well. So yeah, I think just having other artists friends or like having people that do what I do around me just really helps me get out of that funk.

00;39;58;09 - 00;40;20;07

Fabiola Lara

Yes, I agree with that. It's I think that's why the pandemic exasperates those feelings because you're maybe not as connected to your community as you used to be. So you feel a lot more like just out in the world alone, you know, and that's when you start to have like self doubt creep in because you're not getting like that reinforcement from friends or from your community or from whatever, from even from the craft fairs like you're saying.

00;40;20;14 - 00;40;39;13

Fabiola Lara

So like I said and speaking about social media, like I used to follow you on Tumblr and now you're on Instagram and now I notice that you're on TikTok and now I know that you're also reviving your YouTube. So how are you feeling about social media now that we're like undergoing kind of like another shift to video and all of that?

00;40;39;21 - 00;40;40;19

Fabiola Lara

Where are you at with it?

00;40;41;00 - 00;40;45;14

Danny Brito

I think as somebody that has been on multiple platforms, it's just it is what it is.

00;40;45;14 - 00;40;46;15

Fabiola Lara

I agree.

00;40;47;02 - 00;41;07;28

Danny Brito

It is what it is. I hate to be that person to complain about Instagram changing because like I've been on LiveJournal, I've been on MySpace, I've been on Tumblr, I had a blogspot. At some point in there, you have to adopt and it's harder, easier said than done. But as somebody that has been on social media for over a decade, you just have to roll with the punches.

00;41;08;00 - 00;41;08;16

Danny Brito

That's what it is.

00;41;08;23 - 00;41;25;09

Fabiola Lara

I love seeing how you evolve every single time, and there are like two schools of thoughts now where it's like people who are hating that Instagram is shifting and then people who are like down for whatever. And I feel like it's because I wonder if you feel the same. Like Instagram has lasted a really long time.

00;41;27;12 - 00;41;37;27

Fabiola Lara

Like it's been a top tier social platform for a long time and we're of course resistant for for it to change, but otherwise it becomes obsolete. Like all the other ones before it.

00;41;38;02 - 00;41;54;28

Danny Brito

I don't feel the pressure to do like the tech talk. Like, I know this is a podcast, but you know what I mean? Like both kind of like trendy tech talks. Like, I don't really see myself doing that just because I can't do that. So I think that a lot of people feel pressure to do those types of things.

00;41;54;28 - 00;41;59;17

Danny Brito

And I think that TikTok is such a new app that you just have to find what works for you.

00;41;59;17 - 00;42;05;00

Fabiola Lara

I love your tech tag. I'll see you there. I'm going to keep watching it. But tell me about what's going on with your YouTube channel.

00;42;05;07 - 00;42;14;10

Danny Brito

So YouTube I just I want a studio quote I watch, of course, Spike Lee's studio part. Pardon? That was such a friend of.

00;42;14;11 - 00;42;16;04

Fabiola Lara

A such a cool community. There.

00;42;16;04 - 00;42;19;24

Danny Brito

Amazing studio of our current favorite studio, Maggie.

00;42;19;27 - 00;42;20;27

Fabiola Lara

She's really good. Yeah.

00;42;20;27 - 00;42;27;06

Danny Brito

I love her stuff. So I get inspired by these younger artists because a lot of them are younger than me. Old.

00;42;27;06 - 00;42;44;24

Fabiola Lara

Well, I think you're doing an amazing job. I can't wait to see where I will follow you subscribe on YouTube. I subscribe on YouTube as also if you're like a older artist on YouTube, I'll see you there. So one last question just to wrap up this interview. How can we all, like, support your work and your efforts this year?

00;42;45;09 - 00;42;56;15

Danny Brito

You don't even have to support me financially. I just think follow me on Instagram or whatever social media and see what I'm doing. So if you see something you like, interact with it because that is defined as golden.

00;42;56;16 - 00;42;58;25

Fabiola Lara

Words, underrated liking and commenting.

00;42;59;01 - 00;43;02;09

Danny Brito

So underrated like in commenting and sharing.

00;43;02;10 - 00;43;17;23

Fabiola Lara

All right, Danny, thank you so much. I already follow you everywhere, but I will continue to and continue engaging. I just want to thank you once again for your time before telling us your story for opening up to us. So, yeah, thank you so much.

00;43;17;29 - 00;43;21;27

Danny Brito

Of course, I'm so happy that you're able to do it.

00;43;23;10 - 00;43;43;23

Fabiola Lara

Thank you guys for listening to another episode of Jazz in Spanish. This one was so amazing. I absolutely love talking to Danny as always. I'll leave Danny's links in the show notes so you can open them directly in your podcast app and check out his Instagram, TikTok YouTube channel and you don't have to miss a beat from Danny once again.

00;43;43;23 - 00;44;09;26

Fabiola Lara

If you want more from me, I share videos on my YouTube channel every other week between podcast episodes so you can find my channel link below or search for at favorite draws in the YouTube app. Finally, if there's a lot of next visual artist, that means designer illustrator, photographer, 3D artist, any visual medium really. Based here in the U.S. that you think I should speak to on the show, please go ahead.

00;44;09;26 - 00;44;28;18

Fabiola Lara

and nominate by going to DrawsinSpanish.com/nominate once again that's DrawsinSpanish.com/nominate and remember if you enjoyed this episode please head subscribe so you don't miss the next episode of [Draws in Spanish]. Thank you y hasta la proxima chaoo