We had the good fortune of connecting with Donice Bloodworth and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donice, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’ve always been creative so it was only natural for me. From the time I can remember Art class was my favorite and I was always one of the best in the room. As I went through school I started to know the work I was doing would guide me in my college choices and most likely the career that I would eventually choose. Starting my 20th year as a teacher definitely wasn’t a part of the plan though, becoming an art teacher was all about timing and being in the right place at the right time. But I love every minute of being in front of my classroom as much as I do being in the studio in front of a canvas.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As an artist I have tried my best to tell our stories in a way that people could be proud of them. It started off just being that, portraits of people that were around me in some capacity. But as I continued to tell the stories some seemed to be more important than others. And when I started showing interest in Natural hair I noticed the beauty in it and the beauty it brought out in the people I was choosing to paint. Then the reaction to them created a whole different conversation where people were starting to see the beauty in themselves through my paintings… Or people began to understand why there’s so much beauty in natural hair and the identity it shares with the people with that amazing hair. I’ve gotten so many messages like, You gave me the confidence to wear my hair this way, or the painting is hanging in my daughters room to reaffirm her beauty every morning… It was definitely unexpected but a welcomed response to the series. To say it was easy to come up with the work I’m doing now would be a lie, but it wasn’t that difficult in the beginning, I was just in the mood to paint and had already been working on a series where the faces were not significant. So it was a progression. My brand, my story, my art is all about telling the story of us and it will continue to be about that as long as I can hold a paint brush

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love the new places in Atlanta… The Battery ATL that surrounds the Braves stadium is amazing, there is something there for everyone. I love Burn, the cigar lounge there. With the pandemic it’s hard to have more places on this list but I enjoy those social places. Krog Street Market, Ponce city Market and the many others are always good places to check out with some diverse crowds which is always a plus!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My Students inspire me… so I dedicate this to all the students I’ve ever had the privilege to learn from.

Website: www.DaCre8iveOne.com & www.DaCre8iveOne.store
Instagram: instagram.com/DaCre8iveOne
Twitter: DaCre8iveOne
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaCre8iveOneArt/
Youtube: youtube.com/DaCre8iveOne
Other: Online Stores: Redbubble, Society6, and my personal store links here: linktr.ee/dacre8iveon3

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