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

Hi Davi, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
Perhaps the most important decision I’ve ever made was to actually start posting. Previous to getting involved with social media blogging and content creation — I had actually been making content for years. The issue was, I gave up on a lot of my projects before finishing. Some, before even starting past brainstorms.

Some of it was probably pretty good, too, or at least had some value to it. But for years, every time I began work on my project…the ghosts of self-doubt began whispering in my ears. I wasn’t good enough. This idea was stupid. No one would watch it anyways.

Eventually, I just stopped caring. Even if nobody in the world other than me and my friends who supported even my silliest ideas saw it…I’d be creating! So I took some risks and began posting. Now, I’ve amassed a “following” of sorts where I get to have fun and be me. I don’t regret it, but I wish I started sooner.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
If there’s one thing about me, it’s that I don’t really care about branding. If you had to pinpoint what I do online, I’d say I write and act like a clown. Fortunately, I’m able to do these things while working my “real” job — but it didn’t happen out of nowhere.

The internet was introduced to me through Thomas Sanders, the much more put together and well-known content creator who I worked for from ages 18-21. Him and his at-the-time creative director Joan, quite literally swooped me up right as I had to drop out of college. I was terrified about what was to come next — I just knew I had to make my art work. Call it fate or good luck, but I met them and bonded with them over creating, and bam! I was offered a job.

Now, I fly solo. But when I was with the team, I learned to be confident about my work — writing or otherwise. It took stepping away from my creative job and creating in general to realize it, but I have a potential that I am working to perfect…all in the eyes of the public.

I write. I do ASMR. I make funny videos online. I also still fight the anxiety in my brain that tells me none of it is good.

The truth is, none of what I make is perfect. I start and drop projects when I bite off more than I can chew or just need a break from (my fashion magazine, as an example.) But I also put out projects I’m very proud of — like my Halloween Zine, my poetry book, my favorite TikTok series Vampire Walmart…the list goes on.

Honestly, my social media presence is a mess. I’m doing a lot all the time, but simultaneously feel like I could be doing more. I don’t have the biggest following, but it feels real, which is what I want. The last thing I want is a bunch of strangers scrutinizing me. Creating means nothing if I’m not doing it for me, screw marketing! If you can handle my chaos, then you’re in the right place.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To be completely honest? I don’t want to say where in Arizona I live (so none of you silly little internet stalkers don’t knock on my windows) but it’s a small town. I haven’t explored much outside of the town either.

It’s mostly fast food — so I’ll try my best to put together a schedule. We grab coffee in the morning, and take a walk in the desert sun. That gets way too hot too quickly, and we run back inside. We do this every single day my friend is here.

Between that, we make magic happen within the house. Literally, I have an altar room, and any friend of mine would go wild for it. We make the most of it and craft all week. It’s simple. It’s mundane. It’s perfect!

Oh, and I’d also make my cheesy potato casserole. That’s a real killer with the crowd.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to thank two of my fellow internet creators, Quil Darling and AJ. They were not only my co-workers at my first creative job on YouTube (the job that sparked my following and taught me many of the skills I use today) but they were very close friends of mine.

I was a naive teenager when I met these individuals, and in some ways I still am a naive 20 something— but they always treated me with respect when we worked together. We shared ideas, and more importantly, plenty of laughs!

AJ and Quil have seen me at some of my darkest times. But they didn’t leave me stranded or shame me for being in pain. They’ve both pushed me to respect my own ideas just as I would any of my peers’, and I am proud to say they inspired me to keep going even when I felt out of my comfort zone. Much love to them.

If you want to share the love, follow them on Instagram @quildarling and @dr.prof.alexanderjames !

Website: https://thisisa.home.blog/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hello_davii

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hello_davi

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCb9AfYGKqdF2ccwkWcsN0xQ

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.