Today we’d like to introduce you to Danny Canton II.
Danny, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was raised in Shrewsbury MA, a quiet town outside of Worcester. The town was great, the people were great, the education was great, but I felt like I didn’t belong. From an early age, I was in touch with my inner creative. I was always creating and imagining. When I wasn’t building with legos, I was molding wax, making sculptures out of tin foil, building structures out of metal wire, and overall creating with any material I could get my hands on. Unfortunately, the people I was surrounded by didn’t get it. The older people became, the less they understood my desire to be creatively free and it got to a certain point where I felt as though I was being forced into a box and being cut off from creativity. Grades, money, standardized test, and linear career paths were all things that I was told came first, but those “priorities” did not drive me. I knew there was more to life than just finding something I was ok at that would give me enough money to live a comfortable life, occasionally take a vacation and only live out my passions as a hobby. I wanted to live my life as a creator, as one who could convert every idea and passion into projects that enriched my life and the lives of others. I longed to be surrounded by other creators who weren’t afraid to acknowledge their potential and live their dreams. In 2011 I set out on a mission to find like-minded individuals who shared this dream and who were ready to change the world. In 2015, I met such an individual, my co-founder Jonathan Polep-Saffer. Together, we started working hard to make this dream a reality.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
Over the last 3 years, Jonathan and I have built an agency and creative society alongside John Maudlin, Tiffany Federer, Troy Wade, Matt Longo, and Matt Grant. Together we create platforms that empower creators. The platforms currently take the form of curated events that showcase the work of featured creators and provide a means for the creators in attendance to network, access resources and collaboratively create content. The message behind these platforms is one that shows people from all walks of life that everything is possible when you never compromise on your vision and are willing to collaborate with like-minds. People are meant to take away inspiration and positive energy. We want people to know that no matter how big your dreams or ideas may be, there are people here to give you the energy and support needed to succeed. As creators, we all know what it feels like to be misunderstood or put in a box, we are creating environments where those feelings don’t exist.
What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
The best advice I can give is to focus on YOUR journey, work hard every day, never stop learning, surround yourself with other people who amplify your energy, and no matter what, never give up on your dream or on yourself.
I definitely wish I knew the power of creating a vision and taking action earlier in life.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
People can check out the projects that my team and I bring together at the events we curate as well as on our Instagram (@mind.boston) and on our website (www.mind.boston). People can support our work by sharing our mission with as many like-minds as possible and by introducing us to other individuals, organizations, and resources that want to help empower creators.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mind.boston
- Phone: (508)667-2194
- Email: danny@mind.boston
- Instagram: mind.boston
Image Credit:
Photography: Troy Wade
Styling: Tiffany Federer
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