Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Renee.
Danielle, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised by a single mother. I began acting when I was in middle school and I absolutely fell in love with it. From the moment I was in my first musical I knew this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. So I graduated early from high school and moved to California on my own at the age of 17 to transition to the Film and TV industry. I got my headshots, jumped into acting classes and began my journey. When I started I had no mentor and no clue what I was doing. Some days I still feel like I have no clue, but all I can do is continue to follow my heart. In 2014-2015 I created an entire modeling portfolio working with a variety of photographers, makeup artists, stylists, and more.
In 2016, I redirected my focus back to acting and booked a commercial along with a few short films to build my resume. In 2017-2018 God blessed me with incredible opportunities to work alongside some of my favorite artists in music videos. Since then I’ve been nourishing all of my crafts individually. In my spare time, I am a bartender, I write my own music and I take dance classes to stay ready for whatever God has planned next.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been anywhere near a smooth ride for me. I had a traumatic childhood and in 2015, I developed a severe anxiety disorder. For my entire life, I had been known as friendly, outgoing, and very extroverted. But when anxiety took over I became a completely different person, someone I didn’t even recognize. All of the self-love and confidence I had for myself was lost and I had no idea how or why. I just knew that I couldn’t live like this. It took me a while to even understand what was going on inside me before identifying it as anxiety.
It’s not easy chasing big dreams when you have crippling anxiety telling you every day that you’ll never achieve your full potential. It’s been rough but my mom raised me as a fighter. So I wake up every day and I choose to keep moving forward. Last month on July 14th, 2019 my mom unexpectedly passed away. She was only 54 and she was my world. It’s only been a month since she passed and every day since has been close to miserable. But I know I need to fight for myself and my dreams now more than ever. Because of her, I will never give up.
Please tell us more about your work.
My passion for art began with acting but slowly expanded when I was introduced to modeling. I always had a love for writing, music, and dancing so it all goes together. I love contributing to art in any way possible and getting to collaborate with incredible artists. I am extremely proud of all of the projects I have been apart of and I am so excited to create more.
What I am proud of the most is that any gig I’ve ever booked I got on my own and I creative directed every photoshoot that is in my modeling portfolio. I think my personality sets me apart from a lot of people. I’m kind, professional, considerate, laid back, and always ready to have a great time! I don’t like to rely on others, therefore I always make sure I bring something of my own to the table.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory was playing sports with my mom as my coach and growing up with my brother and sister. We have so many memories it’s impossible to choose one. But being the youngest of three kids had given me the opportunity to learn what to do and what not to do from my siblings. We always have each others back and I wouldn’t be who I am today without their constant love and support.
Contact Info:
- Website: TheDanielleRenee.wix.com/Artistry
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Instagram.com/Danielle.Renee
- Facebook: Facebook.com/DanielleReneeFarrahi
- Twitter: Twitter.com/Baby__Creole
Image Credit:
Photographers: Herman Cox, Craig Bennett, Eduardo Ceballos
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