Interviewed by Danasia Fantastic
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Miami-based creative D’ana Nunez. When she isn’t blogging at COVL, she’s creating dope ass art that speaks to Millennials in a big way. Her latest collection, Socially Exhausted, explores our generation’s obsession with social media.
TUR: I love the concept of Socially Exhausted. As someone who has a love/hate relationship with social media I can totally relate. At what point did you realize that you had to address social media through your art?
DN: I started whipping up Socially Exhausted to enable me to stop taking social media so serious. I needed an outlet besides the ones we live on to experience something different.
TUR: What are your favorite things about social media?
DN: I am a fan of instant gratification. Social media provides that. And the ability to instantly connect with people. I love that. Social media has made it easy for us to share, talk, express and be.
TUR: What do you absolutely loathe about social media?
DN: Well two things: That it’s in the primary source to how we share everything. Like, you had a bad experience at Wendy’s? You tweet them. You’re having the time of your life at a party? You share it. You just broke up with your boyfriend? You write a long ass status.
And then I see how Social media has been great in connecting people digitally but has also disconnected us from one another in real life.
TUR: Have you experienced the quarter-life crisis?
DN: I think I’ve woken up everyday this year experiencing a quarter-life crisis I’ve never been the kind to know who I should be, I just do things that make me feel like I think they should. I can’t put a time-line or due date on who and where I should be when I’m 30 because I don’t know and the fear of not knowing might hinder me more than not knowing and just doing.
TUR: What are 5 things you’d tell your 20 year old self?
DN: I’d like to remind myself of these 5 things when I overanalyze my next move:
1. You’ll never be like those other girls. And that’s perfectly fine.
2. Ruin is the road to transformation.
3. Fried chicken and puppies is the cure to depression.
4. I don’t need to compromise my form for faux strength.
5. Everything is everything.
TUR: You’re ridiculously fashionable. How would you describe your personal sense of style?
DN: Geez. Thank you! Over the years, I stopped dressing for others
and started dressing for myself. And I know that shows. If I had to describe it then I would say its an ode to Lily Allen meets Norm Core.
TUR: Any advice for millennials who are just starting to pursue their passions?
DN: 5 words: Get out of your head. As both millennials and creatives, we can easily fall victim to our own negative thoughts. In order to create dope shit, you need to step outside your mind.
TUR: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
DN: People say stuff all the time and I take it with a grain of salt because half the time advice given, isn’t followed by the advice-giver. But the best? Was when my friend who’s married said to me; “Never say something that you can’t take back.”
TUR: What’s the worst?
DN: The worst? …”Shit happens.” Which happens to be a pet-peeve of mine. Like yes, I know. Life can’t be controlled and you can’t control everything. But half the effort we put in results of what comes out. Almost feels like people don’t want to take ownership of the mistakes they’ve made. It’s an eerie feeling to know that saying that feels okay that something happened.
TUR: What do you hope people will take away from your latest series?
DN: To not take social media so seriously. That life does exist outside these social platforms. And ultimately you won’t die.
Be sure to follow D’ana on Twitter. Also, D’ana’s work is available for purchase here.
