Meet Devynn Visionary | Creative Community Healer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Devynn Visionary and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Devynn, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
As an entrepreneur my work life balance changes on a weekly basis. Some days I find myself working from 9am, while other days till 11pm or 1am, depending on my needs that week. I work a part time job 5 days a week as an after school teacher and have to also find time to ensure my creative endeavors are progressing. The balance comes in when I decide a day I want to wake up midday, or if I want to spend an afternoon at a park, or if I want to get a tattoo on a work Zoom call. I choose when and how I want to work and when and how I take personal/self care time. I listen to my body when it’s time to rest, and I encourage myself to work intentionally and strategically when it’s time to focus.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art has changed and expanded over the years, I began my creative career in high school with an excitement to make video content. In college, it switched to more photography, and by the time COVID hit, I was doing graphic design. Once moving to New York, I picked up more painting, poetry, and fashion. And now I blend my passion for creating moments with my love for bringing people together and creating movements. Not having a degree and sharing my work is scary because I don’t know the rules/ protocols for proper contemporary art. I create from a place of love and the more I embrace my truth in my work, the more I get over my own mental blocks that prevent me from sharing my work. Creating is the easy part, sharing is the difficult part that I feel like creates a lot of struggle for artists. Overcoming it came with being persistent in my creating and day by day sharing a piece of my expression with someone new. I’m definitely not where I want to be but I do know I’m on the right path. My art isn’t a brand or something that I need everyone to see, it’s simply my means of creating something that shares my experiences and feelings.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens is the first place on the list, it’s so serene and feels like you’re out of the city, but still in the city. After spending time in nature, I like to eat nutritiously so I’d go to ZED Eats and Drinks because they have great vegan options and smoothies (or a glass of wine if I’m up for it.) I spend a lot of time at Collective Focus Resource Hub and would definitely show everyone, at least just stop by and see the community fridges. If I’m in Manhattan, I’ll hit up Murphy for a curry chicken patty and walk through Tompkins Park. And if I could end my day in the Bronx at Suyo Gastrofusion and go home, that’d be perfect.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Praise to the creator, the universe, God, for opening me up to following my path and my parents for encouraging me to believe in myself and getting me this far. I got my homies in Atlanta, NO B.A.N. World, Alex and the whole family sharing love. Collective Focus Resource Hub in Brooklyn giving me what I need when I need it to get through these streets. Shoutout to my cat, Garnet, for all the love on the lonely nights. And shoutout to my chosen family I’m growing with in New York from Syreniti, to Rich, Yoly, Jay, Josh, Liam, Jaxon, Will, Genesis, Sarah, Tiana, and everyone else that know how to deal with me. All love to those I love.

Website: www.devisionary.art

Instagram: @devisionary.art

Image Credits
@beynyc @mkbc_art