Check Out Daniel Dueñas’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Dueñas.

Hi Daniel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory. 
Picking a starting point feels so odd; I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love to be creative or a time when I didn’t enjoy cartoons. But I can say amidst all the life changes, career choices, and travel adventures, those two things have remained constant. Like many of us, 2020 forced me to find both entertainment and community in new places. I suppose it took a pandemic for me to find the courage to share my art online. From there, I met some of the most wonderful people I know, and through their words of kindness and encouragement, I found a way to share my voice about a medium of art I cherish deeply: Anime. And here we are! 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nearly every individual who has attempted to pursue a creative career has walked the same path of questions and concerns. “Will I be able to pay rent this month?” “When are these people going to realize I don’t belong here?” “When is the last time I created something for myself, and not because I needed the money?” 

And there’s plenty more. 

There is no “guidebook” for being a Content Creator. You can’t go to school, learn lessons, make connections, and apply for a consistent paycheck. 

You simply DO it. You make something that you love, you offer your content to the algorithm gods and hope for the best. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Currently, I am working as an Anime Content Creator to carve a safe and wholesome space for anime fans. I love discussing anime: sharing my thoughts about new shows, offering insight into the way they impact our culture, and engaging with different perspectives observing the same media. 

I think my proudest moment as an Anime Content Creator, thus far, is “Wholesome Gay Sh*t.” 

One day while talking about a favorite anime of mine, “Sasaki and Miyano,” I said, “I love wholesome gay shit,” and it stuck. It’s evolved into a three-word summary of my brand, and I’m very much okay with that. 

The anime fandom can be a bit “rough around the edges,” but my hope is to offer a kinder, more hospitable corner of the internet for fans to engage and share their love for these amazing shows. 

I believe what sets me apart is the way I choose to respond to negativity on my feed. More often than not: I don’t engage–I don’t want to give that behavior my attention. But, should something need to be said, I do my best to not seem hostile or aggressive. I try to teach and inform whomever, that this space is a safe place for people to come and be happy, refreshed, and welcome. 

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Everyone comes from a different road and thereby needs a different direction. But we all need community. Find your people and have fun 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrdanielduenas/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnimeALaCarte
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mrdanielduenas