5 Questions with Danita
Danita has been drawing and writing for as long as she can remember. As an only child who moved often, she built imagined worlds out of stories, poems, and sketches — a creative refuge that helped her make sense of her emotions and continues to shape her work today. Her art shifts with her inner landscape, echoing whatever she’s feeling in the moment.
She came to painting later in life, studying under the late Wilson Bickford, whose encouragement helped her trust her own creative instincts. Her paintings were featured in the Lewis County Arts in the Park series for the past three years, and this publication marks her first appearance in print. Danita lives in Glenfield with her dogs, Enzo and Magnolia Bloom.
1. What’s a completely unnecessary skill you’re proud of?
Whenever certain ’80s songs come on, I can’t help blurting out the year they were released along with completely unnecessary details about what I was doing at that exact moment in my life. Take Michael Jackson’s Thriller, for example. The video premiered on MTV in 1983, when I was in the 5th grade. A majority of my class, boys and girls, spent the night at Sarah’s house because she was one of the few among us who had cable. We made snacks, stayed up until midnight to watch the premier, and spent the rest of the weekend choreographing our own dance routine. A totally useless skill, but honestly, one of my favorite memories.
2. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever overheard in public?
If it’s crazy, weird, or unusual, it will absolutely get my attention, as I’m strange and unusual myself. The moment that comes to mind isn’t technically ‘overheard in public,’ but it fits the spirit of the question. I was training with a group from work for a 5K, and I didn’t know anyone, we all just ran behind the trainer in a loose pack. I heard a few of them talking about going skydiving, something that had been sitting on my bucket list forever. I immediately slowed down and inserted myself into their conversation with all the important questions: why, when, where, how much, and had they done it before. Three weeks later, I found myself jumping out of a perfectly good plane with them. So yes, I eavesdrop — and occasionally it escalates.
3. What’s an “oops, that actually worked” moment in your creative process?
Last winter I was working on a painting of a pine branch covered in snow, and nothing was coming out the way I wanted. After fighting with it for two days, I grabbed a paintbrush that still had a bit of yellow on it and scribbled all over the canvas in pure frustration. Then I tossed the whole thing in the trash. The next morning, I pulled it back out so I could paint over it and reuse the canvas and did a double take. The yellow had dried transparent, creating this soft glow that looked exactly like sunlight filtering through the needles. It was the accidental touch the painting had been missing.
4. What thing in your home sparks the most joy—or chaos?
That’s easy, my dog Enzo is both! He’s a massive ball of furry chaos who also happens to bring me the greatest joy. Bringing him home three years ago remains one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. When he looks at me, something in my chest loosens and I can breathe a little easier. His love is simple, certain, and completely undeserved — one of the best parts of my everyday life.
5. What’s a tiny detail you notice that most people miss?
Honestly, it’s usually the opposite. I’m the person asking, ‘Wait, when did that happen?’ Unless I’m deliberately people‑watching, I’m too busy wandering around inside my own head to catch much of anything. I don’t miss the forest for the trees; I miss the trees entirely!