Dare to protect your peace - Danielle Weber

Summary

Daring Creativity Podcast

Episode: Dare to Protect Your Peace
Host: Radim Malinic
Guest: Danielle Weber
Date: March 23, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode takes an intimate, unvarnished look at the artistic journey and mindset of muralist, creative entrepreneur, and founder of The D Collective, Danielle Weber. With honesty and empathy, Danielle shares her evolution from a curious, rebellious child to a public artist navigating both triumph and hardship. The discussion explores how patience, resilience, and self-protection are essential for creatives, the complexities of working in public, the power and challenge of forming community, and the long, nonlinear arc of sustainable creative growth.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Power and Pain of Patience in Creativity

[00:09]

• Danielle emphasizes the necessity of patience for a sustainable creative career.

  “I don’t want to burn out in two years… The patience that I’ve had to get to where I am now is what I carry through day to day.” – Danielle Weber

• She discusses detachment from outcomes and not getting “too attached to every encounter...” as a way to protect her emotional well-being.

2. Early Influences and Parental Support

[06:48 – 08:50]

• Danielle’s creative journey started very young, supported by parents who offered resources—but not rigid structure—letting her curiosity lead.

  “They tapped into that and Mum would just set me up on the table and just say, ‘here’s this, just create this, or whatever’... Not so much any structured play, it was like just play and figure out what you loved.” – Danielle Weber [07:10]

3. Navigating Teenage Rebellion and Rediscovering Art

[10:00 – 11:22]

• Danielle candidly shares how art “grounded me and essentially saved me” from potentially destructive teenage behaviors.
• She’s open about her “inconsistency” as a young artist and the time it took to understand the emotional rollercoaster of creative life.

4. Creativity, Curiosity, and Growth

[13:42 – 15:06]

• Danielle links untapped curiosity to risk-taking or destructive behaviors.

  “When I’m not challenging myself creatively, I notice that I see other risk-taking behavior or just the obnoxiousness in me flares up...” – Danielle Weber [13:55]

• She advocates for “kissing many frogs” in art—experimenting with styles, embracing failures, and not fixating on finding a single “voice” early on.

5. Honesty and Vulnerability in the Social Media Age

[18:12 – 23:42]

• Danielle discusses the shift in her approach to sharing online, moving from just showing finished, “polished” pieces to opening up about struggles and real process:

  “It’s not the finished product, it’s not the polished me... It really is the day to day shit that we enjoy as creatives and what goes on in our head that makes us who we are.” – Danielle Weber [18:12]

• She notes the liberation—and some vulnerability—in sharing honestly, and the importance of choosing when (reflection vs real-time) and how to share.

6. Emotional Endurance of Working in Public

[24:46 – 30:32]

• Danielle details the energy cost of murals: balancing controlled, meticulous work with unpredictable public interaction, empathy, and sometimes boundary violations.

  “People don’t understand that me working on the street isn’t a place for you to come chat and hang out all day and bark at me... I need energy to actually put that energy into the wall and into the art.” – Danielle Weber [26:47]

• She is candid about both the privilege and difficulty, describing the intensity of community interactions, street interruptions, and the challenge to maintain boundaries.

7. The Studio–Street Paradox

[30:32 – 31:08]

• Danielle describes a cyclical tension between craving solitude in the studio and, once there, feeling lonely, leading her to “tread carefully” between extremes.

8. Mastery, Curiosity, and Never Arriving

[31:48 – 34:16]

• Despite external accolades, Danielle feels like an “infant” in her craft, always pushing for improvement and rarely—if ever—feeling finished.

  “I still feel like a complete infant in my craft and... I’m just getting started. The obsession that I had with getting better made me more of a polished craftsman rather than an artist.” – Danielle Weber [31:48]

9. Client Work: Balance and Boundaries

[35:23 – 39:12]

• Danielle works to balance client briefs and her creativity, seeking “good people” and relying on intuition developed over years of client interactions.

  “Intuition is something I probably didn’t pay enough respect to earlier on... It has taken 15 years.” – Danielle Weber [37:58]

• She accepts that some projects are transactional, while others allow more storytelling and creative depth.

10. Sustainable Growth and Rejecting Overnight Success

[40:16 – 42:00]

• A recurring theme: the danger of seeking fast growth and viral success. Danielle values slow, incremental evolution.

  “I wouldn’t want overnight success... I would do this 15 years over and over again because it’s given me that time to be able to learn...” – Danielle Weber [40:16]

11. Building a Community: The D Collective

[42:41 – 45:25]

• The D Collective was born from Danielle’s desire to create the supportive environment she never had.
• Early frustration with transactional requests (“Tell me how you did this...”) led her to focus on mindset, endurance, and sustainable business—not just technical skills.

12. Protecting Energy and Setting Boundaries

[45:25 – 49:43]

• Danielle is rigorous about protecting her “safety bubble”—managing multiple roles by pursuing slow growth, practicing boundaries, and prioritizing mental and physical health.

  “If something doesn’t feel like I want to do it, I just don’t... just boundaries and listening to how I’m feeling and not letting people into the safety bubble...” – Danielle Weber [45:25]

13. Mentorship, Imposter Syndrome, and the Value of Humanity

[49:43 – 51:00]

• Danielle is honest with mentees about challenges: “If I’m having a day, I’ll tell them.”
• The value in creative mentorship lies in shared humanity—not perfection.

14. Looking Forward: Open-Ended Goals and Patience

[51:40 – 53:52]

• Danielle’s goals intersect creativity, business, and community impact—but she remains “super patient” with her own trajectory, emphasizing the absence of an expiration date in art.

  “The beauty of it is there’s no expiration date... I’m just embracing the fact that I have time.” – Danielle Weber [53:52]

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Memorable Quotes

• “If you’re just going out and creating, you’ll very quickly figure out: do like this, don’t like that. There’s going be some things that you carry through all of your work and there’s going be some things that you leave in the past.” – Danielle Weber [06:13]

• “It is the utmost privilege to be creating and trusted to create like that, but also to have those conversations and those encounters... Not everyone has that colorful diversity in the beauty of art, and then the rawness of the streets.” – Danielle Weber [28:57]

• “Every conversation you have is not a waste of time. Every bit of communication serves a purpose in how you can then identify what you do and don’t want and who you want to work with.” – Danielle Weber [37:58]

• “Patience is a really big one and just not getting too attached to every encounter or the things that we hope happen.” – Danielle Weber [40:16]

• “The beauty of it is there’s no expiration date. And I think a lot of people probably don’t start things because they’re worried about that—it’s too late. I’m just embracing the fact that I have time.” – Danielle Weber [53:52]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Early creative journey & support: [03:10–08:50]
• Art as a lifeline: [08:50–11:22]
• Curiosity, risk, and self-realization: [13:42–15:06]
• Honesty on social media: [18:12–23:42]
• Emotional/creative endurance on murals: [24:46–30:32]
• Studio vs. street tension: [30:32–31:08]
• Perpetual growth & self-doubt: [31:48–34:16]
• Client work & intuition: [35:23–39:12]
• Rejecting overnight success: [40:16–42:00]
• Origins & lessons from The D Collective: [42:41–45:25]
• Energy, boundaries, and self-protection: [45:25–49:43]
• Mentorship & humanity: [49:43–51:00]
• Artistic goals & patience: [51:40–53:52]

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Conclusion

Danielle Weber’s journey is one of courage, candor, and craft. She reveals the messy realities behind the creative process, advocating for slow growth, strong boundaries, and honest dialogue. Her story is an invitation for artists to protect their peace, embrace the long game, and recognize the deep value in community, empathy, and showing up—imperfectly, but consistently.

Memorable Moment:

“I’m just embracing the fact that I have time.” – Danielle Weber [53:52]

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This summary captures the key insights and emotional landscape of the conversation. For artists or listeners seeking authenticity and practical wisdom in creative careers, Danielle Weber’s journey offers both solace and inspiration.

Transcript

[Danielle Weber]

I don't want to burn out in two years time and not ever be able to do this again. So I think the patience that I've had to get to where I am now is what I carry through in the day to day encounters. Yeah, patience is a really big one and just not getting too attached to every encounter or the things that we hope happen. I used to be like, oh, I hope this job comes through. Now I treat the things that I can't control as much a bit more transactionally and it's not taking. It doesn't mean I don't care, but it's just, yeah, whatever's meant to happen will happen, but not get attached to every little conversation and encounter that you have and just trust that whatever's supposed to land will Foreign.

[Radim Malinich]

Welcome to the Daring Creativity Podcast, the show about daring to forever explore creativity that isn't about chasing shiny perfection. It's about showing up with all your doubts and imperfections and making them count. It's about becoming more of who you already are. My name is Radim Malinich. I'm a designer, author and eternally curious human being. I am talking to a broad range of guests who share their stories of small actions that sparked lifetime discoveries, taking one step towards the thing that made them feel most alive. Let me begin this episode with a Are you ready to discover what happens when you dare to create? My guest Today has spent 15 years painting her way into the world. Starting with watercolors at young age, working her way up to large scale hyper realistic murals across the streets of Australia. Danielle Weber is a muralist, creative entrepreneur and founder of the D Collective, a community she built because no one built it for her. In this conversation we go well beyond the beautiful walls. We talk about what it really costs to create in public, physical and emotional endurance, the strangers who will leave you alone while you work, and why Daniel believes slow growth is the only kind worth having. This is a rare and honest look at what it means for dad to create. It's my pleasure to share with you my conversation with Daniel Weber. Hey Danielle, it's great to have you here. How are you doing?

[Danielle Weber]

I'm great. We're great.

[Radim Malinich]

You're here because of the shout out by our mutual friend James Martin. He got me aware of who you are, what you do, and I have seen what you put out there in the world, what you create. And I thought, if that's not the definition of daring creativity, then I don't know what it is. For those who may have not heard of you or Seen James's shout out? Who are you? How would you introduce yourself? What you do?

[Danielle Weber]

We were just going to say big shout out to James and thank you and we love you. And I'm sending big hugs from Australia. I appreciate him and I appreciate any creative that supports one another. Who I am. I have been an artist for 15 years now. I started in the studio more traditionally, and then my work evolved to murals through that process and figuring out that there's not much help out there, there's not much support, and there's a lack of community. I then built and founded a community called the Dear Collective. And now I balance art and creating still, and also just helping other artists and building and supporting creatives on their journey because I didn't have that. That's where I'm at the moment.

[Radim Malinich]

That's an interesting place in your life when you realize that the information that you wanted to find that was not available, you realize that you need to actually start something to change the status quo and realize that you maybe you can be the change in the world that you want to see. So when you said you started 15 years ago in a studio, what sort of work were you doing? And how did it take you outside into who you are now, which is muralist with huge portfolio?

[Danielle Weber]

That's a good question. I started painting portraits 15 years ago, but if we take it, strip it right back. I started painting when I was 8 or 9 years old. And that was quite simple. It was landscapes and watercolors, pretty much anything that I'd gathered inspiration from, which I spent a lot of time outside and in the garden. And then a lot of my work initially was just exploration. I didn't know what I was doing, still don't. And I was commissioned to do big selection of work. So it was from just abstracts to portraits to anime. And I guess this was a really good way to explore what I do, like, what I don't like as much, and just develop my skills more. So I feel like I still haven't found a style, but I very much enjoy the versatility in my work that I do now through murals. And I think I find the joy in working with closely with clients and making people happy through my work. Not so much me really tapping into the style side of it.

[Radim Malinich]

This is really interesting, what you just said, because I would get a feeling that waking up on that sort of eighth birthday and with the paintbrush in hand going, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life, would kind of make for a very linear life. That's contained within certain walls, but you've blown those walls out and said, I'm going to explore everything, because I think it's in the music. When they said, if you're a budding music producer, they tell you, like, make songs in hundred different styles to find out what is the style that you really like. And I think is one of the things that we don't potentially talk about enough for the novices in the industry, that kissing many frogs is a good thing. Like going and trying and failing is actually something that shows you where you need to be. Because in your case, it sounds like that was the resilience, that was the discoveries and explorations of actually giving you an idea of what you. Who you want to be and how you want to do it.

[Danielle Weber]

Definitely. And I think you said that perfectly as well. And sometimes people get so fixated on trying to find that one thing that they end up not doing any of the things. And, yeah, I feel like it's not. Not time wasted, but it's just if you're just going out and creating, you, you'll very quickly figure out, do like this, don't like that. There's going to be some things that you carry through all of your work and there's going to be some things that you leave in the past. So, yeah, I say kiss as many frogs as possible because a really good way to find out and enjoy the process along the way. And if you don't enjoy it, then, you know, that's something you probably won't revisit.

[Radim Malinich]

How was the encouragement at the age of 8 or 9 from your parents? Where did it come from? Where did a love for painting come from? It sounded like the garden was a good place to start, but what you create, obviously, is so refined, which was to show us the years of how much you'd been working and the elegance, the speed, the quality. But when you're very new to it, did you need encouragement or was it then?

[Danielle Weber]

Yeah, so I'm very fortunate. Obviously, technology wasn't as prevalent back then, so I wasn't distracted by screens. But in saying that, my parents were really supportive and obviously they knew that I was different. They knew that I couldn't really focus on your typical school tasks or anything like that. So they tapped into that and Mum would just set me up on the table and just say, here's this, just create this, or whatever. If I wanted watercolors, she just get them for me. But not so much do any structured play. It was like, just play and figure out what you loved. Then when I started asking the questions of I want to learn how to do X, Y, Z. She had the VCR and she'd put. I don't think it was YouTube back in the day, but there was videos of people teaching how to paint and how to use watercolors. And I'd sit there at 8 and watch them and copy. And that's how I started to learn. And I think that support and that encouragement, but not too structured. It was, you can figure out your ways, but we'll give you the tools and the resources to be able to do that. And that's essentially how it started. There was a big period in my teenage years where I lost my way and I didn't create. And I was very rebellious. And then getting back into it when I was in my later teens, you could tell that art needed to play a role in my life. I guess it grounded me and essentially saved me from a path of drugs and alcohol. So I just loaded that strain on you. But it was relevant because if it wasn't for my parents encouraging me, I wouldn't have had that outlet.

[Radim Malinich]

I really appreciate the honesty because before I talk about the time of your life, I need to find out, how many Bob Ross videos did you watch?

[Danielle Weber]

It could have been Bob Ross. And I don't even. I wouldn't have even known. I would have been like, this is the best thing ever. And I didn't even know it was the Bob Ross. And I think a lot of people didn't know how great and how ahead of the times people like Bob Pross were back then. It's insane.

[Radim Malinich]

Absolutely genius. But there's something meditative about work because as you said, if you lost your way, the work brought you back. Because you my on record. You're my third muralist. The previous two were called Stephanie. They're both based in Canada. And my previous theme of this podcast was around my book titled Mindful Creative, because I just really wanted to know what. What goes in the mind of the creative, especially in a space where you pretty much on your own. It's you and the elements. It's you and the artwork and you the time and the endurance and all of that stuff together. So how was the comeback from the teenage years? What was it like to reconnect with painting and actually, in a way, be saved by the work from devices?

[Danielle Weber]

Yeah, this is something that's taken a long time to process and actually understand. And I think when you understand it, you'll notice more people who are maybe not tapping into their creative side, hence losing their way. For me, when I came out of it, it wasn't a conscious thing, nor did I understand the meaning of what my art was doing for me. But I guess it does come down to curiosity. And I think the curiosity and in creatives, if they're not exploring it creatively, comes out in other ways. Yeah, coming out the other side of it, it was, I think mentally I still was so lost and inconsistent in how I showed up as a creative and troubled, you could say, because of my lack of understanding. And then now looking back, you can see how I evolved as a person. But essentially it took time. It wasn't like, I'm coming out of it and I'm saved and I'm good. It was like, I've been on this roller coaster for the last 10 years and now it's probably going to take another 10 to find that clarity and that consistency and just be really comfortable going through those waves without sending yourself on a roller coaster.

[Radim Malinich]

That's interesting. He said I was inconsistent. How I show up, is that a reflection or was that a realization at the time?

[Danielle Weber]

A reflection for sure. There's various factors involved in that, but I think a lot of creatives listening would be able to resonate with the fact that there's so many highs and lows. You're creating good work, shit work, great work, average work. You're losing yourself in your work, you're being rejected. There's fear, there's so many moving parts. So I think I didn't understand the gravity of that and how that affected how I created until the last few years. So it was the 10 year mark that maybe I started to really understand that. And it has been the last five years that I've been really been working at. Okay. How do I focus on my mindset so I can show up more consistently as a creative? Because I think that's ultimately one of the most important things.

[Radim Malinich]

I'm gonna relate to something, to what I heard from my favorite philosopher, Alain de Botton, and he said that he feels that when we get born, we get this picture of ourselves is scattered all around the place and we are slowly putting it together and making sense of who we are. Because through the book about this topic, Daring Creativity, and book titled Daring Forever, I'm trying to understand what is the element of now versus how we have that inkling of. I'm going to go and do this thing because I've got pieces of information, influence and inspiration together. And then I'm going to work out how to do it. Because if, in my opinion, because if you knew how to do all of it and if you knew the full picture of what's going to happen, would you bother? Because it's like when you just mentioned rejection, the confusion, lack of focus, it's just, oh, this is far too much. We need I think the naivety to get into this going, I will find myself in this. And it might take time because ultimately when you said it was a reflection, it's good to know what you could have done better because you're working on yourself rather than people going, it just happened.

[Danielle Weber]

Exactly. That's an interesting point. And I think it ties into what we started with is a lot of people instead of just figuring it out and finding out because of the curiosity and the urge to do those things. But what if I can get to there rather than just doing the things and evolving along the way.

[Radim Malinich]

Yeah, the use of curiosity was interesting because you said if people are not exploring their curiosity creatively, then other things happen. So would you say that your curiosity took a detour, not to be explored creatively and then you have to come back to it?

[Danielle Weber]

Oh yes, definitely. When I'm not challenging myself creatively, I notice that I see other risk taking behavior or just the obnoxiousness in me flares up, which is so interesting. And I think 15, 14, 15, 16, when I wasn't creating and that curiosity was then being explored in other ways. Drinking at a young age, doing drugs, hanging around with the wrong people, getting in cars with random guys at a young age, just all the risk taking behavior that maybe if I was exploring that and getting that fix creatively in other ways, I maybe wasn't or wouldn't have been partaking in that behavior wouldn't change a thing. I think it's also relevant in the journey, but it is very interesting. And I see a lot of brilliant minds and a lot of brilliant creatives around me that are not using or tapping into their creativity and are on paths that are maybe not ultimately for them and they battle with drug use and mental health and there's so many other things that arise. That's a whole nother ball game. But I think it's so evident.

[Radim Malinich]

So curiosity, I will let you in on, on the concept of the book that I'm writing because I feel there's a four steps to us that we've been given this vessel, this vehicle, our bodies hardwired, pre programmed, ready to go, and then we step in as a driver, as the soul, as the mind, and then the Next step is the journey, which is the curiosity, which is interesting because I can relate to what you're talking about. But the next step I identified is either destination or gratitude. So you've got curiosity and gratitude. And I feel like in the place where you are now, like you exploring the curiosity with the gratitude, just realizing, oh my God, I have driven this thing from first to second to third to fifth gear, then accidentally put it into reverse, realizing, don't go there and then going, you know what? I'm good. Because I think what I'm getting from what you're doing was how you talk about how you show up consistently now online and at your work, feel like there's a sense of gratitude, realizing, you know what, this is amazing what I can do. This is what I'm. This is where I see myself and then going, how can I be benefit to other people? Because we've got your stages when we're 15, 14, 15, 16, that's the I stage. That's the like, what can I do for myself? Then you realize, what can I do for us? And then, oh, this is we. What can I do for. For the rest of us? So what you've put together is, is a magic mixture of things that are here not just for yourself, but as you said, for others by being mentor and providing information for others. What I want to talk about is the fact that you very honest about how your business pretty much happens on almost daily basis because you show up online. You, I think one of the busiest people I see on my Instagram right now. And I think honesty and you being able to do it and having the energy and actually having the willingness and the care and the gratitude for what you do. I think it's important. So how did you find the whole social media and all of sort of these tools? Because you recently talked about the fact like, well, let me de influence you. Let me show you that what is not exactly what's happening. So how important is honesty in showing up consistently?

[Danielle Weber]

We'll be back after a quick break.

[Radim Malinich]

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[Danielle Weber]

It's a big one. Firstly, before I go into this, I just want to say I can't wait to read your book because everything that you said just then, I was like, yes, love this, I can't wait. But yeah, honesty in how you show up, the rawness. Very interesting because for a long period of time. How did I find social media? I started on Facebook probably about 15 years ago and then Instagram was maybe two, three years after that. So it was back in the days. It was a long time ago and it's definitely changed. I used to think that people similar to what I've been speaking about, people only cared about the finished result, the finished piece of artwork, the polished me. And I used to show up in a way that I thought I had to or I thought was professional. It wasn't until I encountered some like extreme highs and lows and then started having people stopping me when I was out and having these conversations, which I'm extremely grateful for because I think there's messaging and there's meaning in every single encounter you have in your life on the day to day basis. And I noticed that the narrative of those conversations were, oh, you've got everything figured out and you're sitting up here. And I was like, hang on, there's something really wrong. There's a few pieces missing between like maybe what I'm putting out and what people are perceiving versus what I'm actually going through on a day to day basis. So that's when I had an aha moment and I was like, actually it's not the finished thing product, it's not the, the polished me when I look great 1% of the time. It really is the day to day shit that we enjoy as creatives and what goes on in our head that makes us who we are. It's been a really hard process trying to figure out actually how to communicate that while still spreading positivity because I would never want to be complaining or being like this sucks or this sucks because I think there's still so much beauty in the lows as well. So another whole other art form trying to actually communicate that in a way that's still impactful and not making me sound like I'm not grateful for everything. But yeah, that's why I think it is really important because perception is everything and I don't want, and I'm working through this at the moment with a coach, I don't want that to be a huge gap between me and people. Like, because it's not how it is we all do the same things, we battle the same issues, sometimes on different scale, but it's all relevant and that's really important.

[Radim Malinich]

What did it feel like to actually open up and show what's the real behind the scenes happens because you talk about struggling, being on your own, like it took you a long time to do believe yourself. So did you feel exposed or did you feel liberated when you can actually say how things are liberated?

[Danielle Weber]

I would say I think there's a difference between sharing things when you're going through it at that exact moment and then a difference between sharing things upon reflection. And I'd say a lot of the time I'm sharing upon reflection and it's a bit easier to do that and it is liberating. Sometimes when you do share, when things are in real time, there's a bit more anxiety attached to it because of the feelings that you're feeling. That's a choice. That's the power of choice, like whether or not you want to do that in real time or wait and process those emotions. I think that's great too. But yeah, I'd say definitely liberating for sure.

[Radim Malinich]

How did you deal with. Once you start opening up, you get a lot more traffic, a lot more engagement with your posts and people obviously share their stuff. How did it feel for you? Did it feel heavy? That obviously people open up and obviously the more you put out there, the more people see it, the more attention there is and obviously that takes more energy. So how did you deal with that? Because all of a sudden you're not dealing just with yourself, but with a whole big crowd.

[Danielle Weber]

Because I've been on social media for so many years and there has been a lot of. I mean, I've endured like a lot of bullying online from such a young age. I feel like my nervous system has expanded slowly and it has been like quite a slow process. So it's not like all of this energy has been coming at me all of a sudden. I think that's a great way, a natural way to grow on social media. People who go viral from one day to the next, it's a dangerous place to be. So I'd say it gives me energy. Now I'm not affected by any negativity, if that does arise, if anything, carry a lot of empathy for humans. So I think that's a way that I can protect myself from that energy. We have the choice as humans too. If I'm not feeling great, I'm aware that maybe I won't spend as much Time on social media and I won't read the things. But I think it's all a balancing act. And I think, yeah, sometimes it does get heavy because people share a lot, which I think is a privilege to that people feel comfortable enough. And I always say if you're changing, like one person's life in that, then that's like, greater than maybe feeling a bit depleted after a huge day on the socials. So, yeah, I think it's just a big balancing act when I'm on projects that I don't have capacity for anything else. I'll just protect my energy and not spend as much time there.

[Radim Malinich]

Because I was going to say your project not only like your work not only takes you on socials, but also takes you into real world with Narona amongst real people. And there's obviously two parts of this because I want to know, like, how is your emotional and creative endurance in this? Because I would guess that your pieces take from some days to potentially longer span of time. And having spoken to people like Jim o', Brien, haven't spoken to others, how would you do this? Which part of this? Because sometimes for creatives that I've spoken to, and I know from conversations they were like, okay, this is the easiest part. I've got it all sketched out. It's for me to enjoy it. Whereas some, sometimes people say, look, my body's aching. I am done. And literally I just want this to finish. And then you've got you versus you in your mind. Then you've got, obviously, the past in public. You've got everything all together. How do you digest it? How do you metabolize it? How do you plan for this? How do we go from just pixels and type on the screen to real world and real work?

[Danielle Weber]

Yeah, I think you just perfectly explained all of that because there are so many layers to it. For me, I'd say I'm still working on this and the balance of energy and how I manage the outside world. I'm actually, like, working with Coach at the moment. Like, how do I put these boundaries in place? Because when I am working on the streets, I want to talk to people and I want to give that energy. And then I get really upset with myself at the end of the day because I'm like, I got nothing. Got nothing in the tank. Over the years, I've learned that, like, organization and being as structured and as meticulous about my setups as possible, and focusing on the things that I can control is the highest priority. I used to think, no, I'M not going to go to the gym. I just need to get this mural done. I need to work 12 hour days. Let's just survive and get it done and see how I feel on the other side. And we all know how that would have gone now. Yes, I prioritize the control, control the controllables and then obviously just focus on the things that help me create and sustain a project of three weeks. And that's going to the gym, eating wells probably like high up there as well. Limiting contact with my circles. So that's friends, family, partner knows as well. Open dialogue about me not being as present and then just listening to my mind and my body throughout that process. I was just finished a project last week and I had a quite rough day on the streets. There's just a lot going on and I was, I just gave way too much energy and I just felt completely depleted. So I took a mental health day off, which I would never do that. I would never be like, I'm going to stop mid project. But the first, the following day I was like, I'm not going into work today.

[Radim Malinich]

Could ask what goes into a rough day on the street? Is it just too much passing traffic, too much everything? How would you describe it?

[Danielle Weber]

Sometimes it's not perceived as like a, as a job. So people don't understand that me working on the street isn't a place for you to come chat and hang out all day and bark at me. I need to concentrate, I need to get a job done. I need energy to actually put that energy into the wall and into the art. So I had acquaintances turning up and talking for hours day after day, family, which is hard. And I was working around housing commissions. So I had someone up the road that needed help moving a couch. So I did that. This is me trying to be really diplomatic in explaining this. So this is the polished version. Someone else who's been battling other things, who has wanted to show me videos and talk every day. And I carry a lot of empathy and I was like, this is actually really important. It could change this person's life. So we did that every day. There was also someone else who was maybe a bit disabled, being like, oh, it's really sensual watching you paint and touching my arm and saying, would you do that? Was. That's also a very PG version of what happened. So, yeah, that's just a little snippet of the days that can happen and mostly do happen on the street. So then if you put your headphones in, people will tell you that you're Rude and that you need to give them time and that you should talk to them.

[Radim Malinich]

And I'm grateful for your answer. And I'm happy that I asked, because that is a true mirror and not a true window into what happens on the street, into your world, into your life. That really makes so much sense, because creative lives or creative careers can seem so poetic. You've just drawn this beautiful mural that sounds so fantastic. Only to literally, when they pan with the camera, like, look, this is the organized shot, and this is the shit behind the scenes. And it feels like that's what you're going through. Because I was thinking when you were describing what has been happening, I'm like, you need to take Leaf out of Banksy's book. And he just erects like, a scaffolding or like a screens, and you just hide behind it. And even though you might have had positive impact on someone's life, it sounds like it's draining. Then you've got the work to do.

[Danielle Weber]

And I'm still so conscious. I'm like, I want to be so gracious. My community asked me. They were like, oh, what? What's it actually like? And I told them that the other day. And then I said, but it is such a privilege. It is the utmost privilege to be creating and trusted to create like that, but also to have those conversations and those encounters. Because not everyone has that colorful diversity in the beauty of art. And then the rawness of the streets, the comfortability of how people share. Because you're standing there painting, it's like, you're just like, I'm a creative and I'm open to this and I'm gonna share. So it's just. It's the utmost privilege, but also the most difficult thing, because it is something that you love and you try to protect it with everything, but you also just sometimes can't. And that's the choice that you make. As a mural artist, I'm very honest about that. When I speak to people who are like, I want to be muralized, I'm like, it is brutal. It is not sunshine and rainbows. It is the most rewarding thing. But it will test you in all ways that you would never have even imagined.

[Radim Malinich]

I'm just thinking about those two polarizing worlds, or maybe they're not even polarizing, but you got a studio work that you're on your own, and you struggle with loneliness and being on your own. Then you take it out when you take it to the streets and you still on your own. Plus thousand strangers thinking, I didn't want to be on my own. But what you doing? What's going on here?

[Danielle Weber]

So funny because what you just said is what I battled with for so many years because I'd be on back to back murals and I'm like, I can't wait to get in the studio. And then I'd go in the studio, I'd be like, I'm lonely, but I needed that time. But that was the contrast that I was dealing with. So I'm like, can't wait. And then I'd get there. I'm like, this is horrible. I'm lonely, this is sad. I'd go into a depressive state. And now I'm just like, okay, we need to approach carefully and tread carefully so I'm not riding these insane highs and lows and joining the circus that the streets are.

[Radim Malinich]

It was a beautifully explained. We are half an hour in. I haven't really asked you about the work and the expression of your soul and how you put it all together, but I'm glad that we painted the picture of what happens before you actually paint a picture. How do you get to find. We know the process of landscapes creating, having a break, coming back to it, but you work. It's hyper realistic, it's quite detailed, it's full of fantastic definition. How long does it take from being eight or nine drawing landscapes and actually being able just to do this so well and being confident that you can entertain all the strangers on the street and still produce the best quality work?

[Danielle Weber]

If I'm going to be completely honest, I would say that I still feel like a complete infant in my craft and that as much as I'm very proud of my work, I still look at it and think I'm not there. I'm not where I want to be. I'm just getting started. So I think the obsession that I had with getting better made me more of a polished craftsman rather than an artist. So I know that whatever brief I'm given, I can do very well. But in terms of the creative aspect of being an artist, I feel like I haven't tapped into that. And I think I'm confident in myself and the product that I deliver and the experience that I can give people and the feelings that are attached with it. But I'm probably not. I wouldn't say probably not. I'm not confident in my work, the creativity in my body of work yet. But we threw you off guard.

[Radim Malinich]

I don't want to sit here with a photo therapist had. But if you potentially, in your case, if you felt that the work is right, that everything's where you exactly want it to be. That would have completed a chapter. I think that would be the element. Because you're still exploring the curiosity. Like, the curiosity is still there and still searching for what's next and how can we better and how can we do stuff. I think maybe that's just the true energy of an artist. An eternal mission of actually discovering who they can be and what they can achieve. I believe there are chapters in our lives. Let's say with every decade you've picked up, all of the conversations on the street, all the knowledge you've picked up from everyone else, like, I can find out about yourself. And then realizing, okay, I have done things that I'm going to take into the next decade and I'm going to keep some of these in the past decade because I don't need to redo it, because that's. That I have a different view of your work. I. I think if I was to be able to do what you do, obviously I would be thinking about differently about myself. That doesn't really mean that you're harsh on yourself. It's just. It's that journey. Because some people might be thinking exactly the same as I'm just talking about you doing this. But I know that you are grateful. I know that what you're doing is to still. Can I ask them that 1% extra? Can I just do a little bit better? Can I just do this? Because that's just a constant journey. Because when you say, this is great, I'm done, and maybe that's the end of that chapter and something completely new starts.

[Danielle Weber]

Yeah, yeah. And I think, as you said, like, there's chapters and for me, like, chapters or seasons. But I'd say in this season, I said to my mum the other day, the thought of studio work at the moment isn't exciting me, which is so interesting because usually I'd love to just sit and paint in my studio, but I'm not really being drawn to it at the moment. Maybe this season is more about community and giving back. I've let go of the fact that you need to be doing all the things all the time and more. So realizing that I'm like, okay, this chapter, this season serves a purpose as well. And I think once you let go of that, you keep moving forward rather than getting stuck in this little hamster wheel. So I guess, yeah, it's a really beautiful place to be. But it took me a while because I was like, if I'm not Working on canvases or working on the next collection, then I'm less of an artist or I'm not moving forward on actual pieces, then maybe I'm not doing enough. But I think there's other things that you could be doing to move forward as well.

[Radim Malinich]

You're also, you're a person who actually introduced himself as I'm a full time artist. That already is a statement of intent. Like I'm a full time artist. But I want to know if with the work that you create for the clients that you create, there's lots of portraiture, there's large scale pieces, how much of a balance between client briefs, your creative input, creative expression is there? Because having spoken to some viewers before, it changes from one person to another. Everyone's got a different style. Whereas in yours is that sort of hyper realistic style. There is fluidity, there's different subjects. But how do you sell it? How do you get approached? How do you get from that sort of initial inquiry into the final piece on the wall?

[Danielle Weber]

So I think what you said about mural is saying it's different all the time is very true because it depends on the client, it depends on the, the purpose. And I think at this stage in this chapter, my priority is working with good people. And then the work and the freedom and whatever comes with it is a bonus if there is more creative freedom. Most people I am working with at the moment will say, this is what I'm wanting, or I don't know what I'm wanting. Can we workshop that? So I'd say that there is a happy medium between like me working with the client and having the creative freedom as well. I do some guidance. I know some artists don't, but I like some guidance because it sparks my thoughts and means that I can create the best outcome for them. But in saying that when people are coming to me with a reference or a I want a portrait of X, Y, Z, there's not often a lot of creative freedom in that brief process if it's just one person or a portrait freestanding on a wall. And that's where I will tap into the storytelling of who I'm painting. And I will look at ways on how to level up, like my portraiture and how I communicate emotion, how I storytell online, how I build out the content. So I think if there's perhaps not creative freedom in the brief, I will channel that in other ways. And I think that's why I can. And I enjoy versatile work because I'm always enjoying the creative aspects in different ways. And not just more so in the actual mural itself.

[Radim Malinich]

How long did it take you to work out who are good people?

[Danielle Weber]

Intuition is something I probably didn't pay enough respect to earlier on. And because you don't have that confidence and you haven't put those stripes, you haven't built up those stripes, you maybe doubt your confidence in intuition. It has taken 15 years. I'd say I've now finally gotten to a stage where I can identify the red flags and I can confidently say no to work, even if it means turning down a big job, monetary wise as well. I can confidently protect my peace without being disappointed in not saying no. I don't know who says this, but disappoint others before you disappoint yourself. Yeah. I think if you've been in business for this long and you've had that many communications, and I say this to my community and who I mentor say every conversation you have is not a waste of time. Every bit of communication serves a purpose in how you can then identify what you do and don't want and who you want to work with. So putting the time and the energy into building relationships and having those conversations has allowed me to then figure out exactly what I do and don't want. I'm still surprised, though. Every now and then. There's some people who surprise you. Yeah.

[Radim Malinich]

And I think it's very valuable to actually see what happens behind the scenes. Because again, seeing something from your first point of view, Len, from your view, going like, okay, well, I am X, Y, Z. This is my clients. This is what I do. Oh, my clients surprised me. They're not kind people. Maybe other people's clients are fine. Maybe we always tell ourselves that somewhere someone might be living the life that we're after. Like, okay, maybe their clients are good. Maybe their clients pay on time because it beautifully said, it's seasoned. The seasons change. Because I think from personal experience, I used to do whatever I wanted to do and the pay wasn't good, but the pay was fast. Now I don't really care what I do in a way, but the pay is amazing. But the pay is really slow. You can never put the ducks in a row. And I think it's part of business. You need to look after yourself, you need to look after the others. You look after your energy. You've got your bank balance. How do you do it? As you said in your case, taken 15 years to get to that position and learn about people. Because it comes from place of curiosity, empathy, and also looking after yourself and to Protect yourself.

[Danielle Weber]

I think I spoke about the social media and like people going from here to here really quickly. It's similar in what we do as creatives. If you. I wouldn't want overnight success, I wouldn't want anything to go quickly. I would do this 15 years over and over and over again because it's given me that time to be able to learn and explore and, and I think time equals like sustainability as well because I don't want to burn out in two years time and not ever be able to do this again. So I think the patience that I've had to get to where I am now is what I carry through in the day to day encounters. Yeah, patience is a really big one and just not getting too attached to every encounter or the things that we hope happen. I used to be like, oh, I hope this job comes through. Now I treat the things that I can't control as much a bit more transactionally and it's not taking. It doesn't mean I don't care. But it's just, yeah, that's whatever's meant to happen will happen. Let's not get attached to every little conversation and encounter that you have and just trust that whatever's supposed to land will. But yeah, the seasons are difficult and as you said, like it does change. I've had, I think you need to be real in saying that there's some jobs that might have a bigger impact, a bigger outcome and they might not pay quickly because of the nature of that job. And then there's some job jobs that might mean something different to you but as you said, they're like, they'll pay quickly and it's a more seamless process. So I think if you're a creative, you know that there's going to be inconsistencies in what you do. It's just about how you manage it that matters.

[Radim Malinich]

I really enjoy when you said I would happily do the last 15 years over, over the space of 15 years again because we live in a very impatient times where people are looking for naively without knowing what it takes, what it entails. They're looking for that overnight success. They would hoping that this is what happens. But it's a dangerous place. When you say, and you beautifully explain it and what I want to know now, in your seasons, that one followed another. When you started your decollective, where did that come from? When did you realize that there is value in mentoring, coaching other people and telling them what they might expect in the next 15 years, where did that come from?

[Danielle Weber]

I think having conversations with artists over the years and obviously opening that dialogue with them naturally, younger artists, whether it be they'd just be starting or they'd been doing it for a while, they'd always come to meet and ask me questions. And I love helping. I'd always respond, I'd always help. And it had gotten to the point, this is five years ago, just before COVID that wild time that we had hit. And I'd gotten to the point where I was doing a lot of talks and trying to go to networking events and trying to help artists and oh, like, how do I make a bigger impact? Not like quicker, but like, how do I have everyone in one spot and help more people? Because I can't respond to people one on one anymore. It's not possible, it's not feasible, and I'm not making an impact. And that's where I. I didn't have have anyone to go to when I first started. And so when I first looked into the decollective, it looked very different to what it did now. It was, I need to teach people how to paint. So I'd put out surveys and I spoke to hundreds of thousands of artists. I just spoke to every artist that I could. And I very quickly realized that people don't need to learn how to paint. They don't need that. I don't even know how to teach people how to paint. I don't know how to paint. So don't come to me. Coming out of paint. It was, how do you turn your passion into a business? How do you communicate? How do you focus on the things that actually matter? Murals. How do you do murals? Because they're a whole nother ball game. You don't even know how to paint. You just know how to endure on mural. And I very quickly realized that, yeah, it was the business side of things. So that's how the decollective started. It was something that I didn't have. As I started to build it, I actually realized that community meant more than what I've just mentioned. And that's why it has turned into more of a community and a support network and the safe space. And obviously the learning is there, but there is a huge focus on mindset and endurance. Ever creative. Yeah, that's the decollective.

[Radim Malinich]

You project more energy. You spend more energy on the this time, on other people's stories, obviously helping others. That's a lot of energy being spent all the time. How did you find it with having a community and having almost other people's stories that can feel light and heavy. Let's go for both sides. How did you metabolize it? Because I know it comes from a place of care, but did you ever sort of felt that my need to really. I don't know how you structure your day. And that might be potentially my question, like, how do you stretch your energy over the course of a week when you can look after yourself, look after your work, look after the clients, look after the business, look after three Instagram accounts and the collective and all of that? So it gets quite a bit right.

[Danielle Weber]

It's a lot. It's a lot. I think first and foremost, again, and this is probably a big realization, this conversation that we've had in doing things slowly. It might look like I move at a fast pace, which I do, but I've built the decollective over five years. There was a lot of conversations. There was a lot of expansion, in a sense that the conversations I had with artists, they frustrated the shit out of me because there was a lot of artists being like, I want this and give me this, without graciously approaching being like, hey, Danielle, how are you? Can you help me with xyz, which is how I approach things. But people would be like, tell me how you did this. Tell me how you do that. Can you introduce me to this person? And I was like, this is not how the world works. This is not how you would approach anyone else. So I think there was a lot of frustration that I went through over the last five years, and I've had to unpack and sift through and really be careful with who I let into the bubble. So there's a lot of people who came to me along the way being like, let's do this and let's ramp it up, and you can make lots of money. And I'm like, that's not what we're here for. Sustainability over quick escalations. It is a lot. I'm still managing it. I take two online sessions a week. I do everything myself. I lost my operations manager last week, so I do all my content, all of my murals, all of my admin. I do everything myself. I work a lot, but I also prioritize my mental health, how I eat, and how I train. And they're probably like, the biggest three things. And if something doesn't feel like I want want to do it, I just don't. I'm not. Oh, but I feel bad. It's a no. So I think just boundaries and listening to how I'm feeling and not letting people into the Safety bubble that I feel are not right to be in my world.

[Radim Malinich]

Beautifully said. Because when you think about a book by James Clear, Atomic Habits and he talks about the fact that people fail because of a lack of system, not because of lack of willingness, but lack of systems and the people you are describing, they're the ones that wanted something really quickly and too much of it too sudden. There was no curiosity or gratitude. Again, we going back to those four points, there was no curiosity and gratitude because shortcut never gets you to the right place in the way that you need to get there. So community, what is the sort of main intake at the moment or mental main point of conversation where people when talk about the mindset? I'm sure the dreaded AI has crept up into conversations like how do you keep your people calm? And go, you know what it is the gradual kind of compounding effect to a successful career.

[Danielle Weber]

I think, yeah, I think communicating that it is the long game and being very honest about where I'm at as well. Someone asked me, they're like, oh, if you're struggling or you're going through something or you're battling in business or you're having a day, do you not feel like an imposter mentoring other people or like, how do you feel? Do you feel like you're fit to mentor other people? I said, it doesn't affect me because I'm very honest. If I'm having a day, I'll tell them. And I'm very real and honest about how tough it is and the fact that a lot of the time we're doing things with no thank you, there's no pat on the back, you're just doing it for yourself. So I think, yeah, being honest about that with them and finding the beauty in the journey rather than more so being you need to do this is to get to there. Obviously, like I give them those pushes. And the thing is everyone's very different too. Hence why I can't have a cut and paste approach with everyone that I mentor. So I don't take on too many people because I want to be able to give them the energy that they deserve and be able to mirror and help people. Because everyone has different needs and yes, there's the coursework in there, but everyone's on a different path in a different chapter and I've generally been in all of those chapters. So I need to dig deep and then be like, okay, where was I at that point in my journey? And what did I need at that point in my journey as well?

[Radim Malinich]

It's interesting. How can someone ask Kate, if you don't feel 100%, you know, your best, can you feel like an imposter? I wouldn't have never thought of that. But sometimes it's not what it is, it's how people see it. And they don't always see it because again, it takes a place of empathy and understanding. You mentioned earlier that you still. That you got your own coach, right? You're still working. We learn stuff almost for our clients in a way, like you need to learn what you need to do and then pass it on. Because speaking of not feeling yourself, every counselor, every therapist has got their own therapist to actually go through their own stuff. Whereas how can we live in a sort of society, we're still expect, but expect almost demigods, to just not have a bad day and just be there? Because ultimately what you describe is the humanity. When you tell people like, hey, this is how I am today. This is the truth. And actually being honest because that, that. That's where the value really comes from. Right? It's just all about humanity. You know, it's just like, just be who we are and be honest. Because ultimately this is how we move on as a creative industry, as a society. And I just being honest about how we feel. Because from a place of anxiety, when you feel not okay, you think you're the only person that feels that way. It feels like I am the only one. And then you kind of hate everyone on a train or a bus going, like, why you're okay, why you're fine.

[Danielle Weber]

Yeah, yeah. You're looking at everyone like, oh, my gosh, am I living in, like, this it's weird moment when everything's moving faster and you're like, oh, this is odd.

[Radim Malinich]

Exactly, exactly. And you're like, so I think what you're doing is so valuable because you share enough with the people who need it the most and they come into you at the right time, at the right place. I absolutely admire what you do. I don't hardly ever ask people a question about future, but I'm guessing there'll be some more sort of personal finessing about the style and more personal acceptance about what you're creating. But is there something that you're working towards? Is it something that you see in your immediate future or maybe not so distant future that you want to achieve and create and keep yourself busy with?

[Danielle Weber]

It's funny because, like, I obviously drew my goals at the start of the year, and I'm very. There's a lot going on in my Mind. And one of the subheadings is like, art. And obviously there's business and there's art, and then there's creativity and spiritual. All those things come really easily. And then when it comes to the actual art side of things, it never comes as easy as what you would think. So I want to do so. Hello. And there's some murals that I want to tick off. But in terms of how I envision my work, where that's heading towards, I'm not actually sure. So I think for me, just ensuring that I'm always challenging, like my creativity in some way, shape or form, and also still doing things that I don't necessarily want to do. So I just mentioned before, I'm like, I don't really feel like going in the studio at the moment. At some point in the next few months, I'm going to force myself to go and sit in the studio and paint because I know how that feels on the other side. But, yeah, from a creative standpoint, I think I find more growth in when I'm focusing on becoming a better human and my mindset and moving forward in that respect. I have a lot of financial goals too, because I know that means more impact and I know where I want to take the community. I'm hoping it goes global eventually. Something I'm working towards slowly. I want to do retreats and a lot of more. A lot more collaboration. I think that that's where a lot of impact lies as well. But in terms of my work itself, I think I'm just super patient. And again, I feel like a baby. Someone said to me, I was speaking to a friend who flex art and he said he was speaking to a gallery owner and they said, oh, he's quite young. And they were talking about an artist that was in their early 40s, and that stuck with me and I held onto that and I was like, I'm so young in this world. The beauty of is it there's no expiration date. And I think a lot of people probably don't start things because they're worried about that it's too late. I just. I'm just embracing the fact that I have time.

[Radim Malinich]

I don't think there's a better way to summarize the whole conversation. Thank you so much. Thanks for being here today and thanks for sharing with me everything that happens behind the scenes and how. How you operate, how you think, your goals. And even though you are still at the very beginning of your journey, so to speak, I love how much you've already thought about it and what you've known, what you've created in the last 15 years. Because the people in the decollective are lucky to have you. Your clients are lucky to have you because you bring in something different to the world than just a box of paint and paint brushes. I'm a big fan of what you do and I'm really looking forward to have you tick off all your goals and where you go next.

[Danielle Weber]

So thank you so much. Thank you for providing this space for creatives. And I've done a lot of podcasts and I think these are the conversations that really matter as creatives. And just you'd hope that anyone who listens to this is, I feel seen like I'm doing okay, like I'm moving forward. So I think everything that you asked and this space that you provide for creatives is so beautiful. And I just want to say thank you.

[Radim Malinich]

Thank you very much. Thank you for listening to this episode of Daring Creativity Podcast. I'd love to know your thoughts, questions and suggestions, so please get in touch via the email in the show notes or social channels. This episode was produced and presented by me, Radim Malinej. The audio production was done by Neil Mackay from 7 Million Bikes Podcast. Thank you and I hope to see you on the next episode. If you enjoyed this episode and would like more accessible resources to help you discover your daring creativity, you can pick up one of my books on themes of mindful creativity, creative business, branding, and graphic design. Every physical book purchase comes with a free digital bundle, including an ebook and audiobook to make the content accessible wherever you are and whatever you do. To get 10% of your order, visit novemberuniverse.co.uk and use the code Podcast. Have a look around and start living daringly.