17: Cuban-American Illustrator Danny Brito

Draws in Spanish | Conversations with Latinx Visual Artists and Designers

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.

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.

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
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