“If you follow your heart, it shows in your art!” Danielle Licata likes nothing more than making people smile, and her raw crystal wrap jewelry will have you vibin’ for days. Originally based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Danielle recently picked up and moved her life and business back to her home state. She is settling in at Virginia Beach but you can take one look at her work to know her real home is the road. Using raw crystals as well as recycled and natural materials, she creates gorgeous one-of-a-kind wraps to promote spiritual consciousness and awareness.
Carrying her supplies in her car and wrapping them while at festivals and events, Danielle does most of her creation on the road. “All my art is a creation off the vibe of me, my environment and my client at that moment in time. Everyone inspires me. Every person I meet whether we have the best conversation or end up disagreeing on something teaches me something. Every new lesson I learn inspires me to create,” Rarely working on anything polished or machine made, Danielle uses found materials – stones, bones, shells & sea glass – to create a unique blend of color, calm, earth and harmony. ‘Soul, Flow & Earth.’
Divine Contact began so Danielle could promote her passion for alternative medicine through the use of crystals and energy healing. “I hit a rough patch and wanted to wear my stones closer to my heart so I taught myself how to make a necklace using wire and my favorite stones. The last thing I ever thought I would be was a jewelry designer. I studied biology!!” Her creativity had diminished as a result of school, but as she started to create jewelry, she found a creative spark being reborn inside of her. Her business quickly shifted into an art and jewelry business. While living in Philadelphia, she became best friends with Taryn Backus of Kind Adornment Jewelry. Taryn, whose business has spread to the Carolina states, has been a constant mentor to Danielle, offering many tips and compliments as she grew her business.
A common theme among travelling artists, Danielle gains most of her inspiration from the presence of music. She says that Lauryn Hill’s music has been her biggest inspiration and a constant reminder to follow her own heart and not live in society’s expectations. She also has a deep love for Damien Marley, reggae, reggaeton and old school hip hop like Nas and Mobb Deep. “Lately I have been flowing with my art while blasting hard drum n bass…Who doesn’t love drum n bass??”
So what can we expect from Danielle Licata and Divine Contact Jewelry? Well, just a full blown alternative healing tent at your local festivals and event sites of course! “Over the course of the last year, I became so consumed in the art aspect of my business. I found myself losing the elements in my stand which promote self healing. I am currently trying to link up with a glass blowing artist to combine my wraps and their glass.” Along with jewelry, stones, and oils, Daneille plans to have a certified massage therapist working out of her tent. “Together we can address your physical and mental needs and assist with helping you work through them. I see a lot of people turning to temporary solutions for health problems and mental issues. I would love to teach how you can permanently fix things in your life by turning to more natural approaches and by changing your perception.”
Besides her love of jewelry and alternative healing, Danielle is also a flow artist (hula hooper) and a devout vegetarian with a passion for animal welfare issues. “If I had one wish it would be that no animals would ever be used for food, clothes, entertainment or anything else.” Her compassion and empathy for others is always able to attract honest, open-minded and selfless people, and while she isn’t sure where she might be doing ten years from now, she hopes she will always be surrounded by love and harmony. ‘Great spirits always encounter violent opposition from mediocre minds’, but Danielle offers up her advice to up and coming artists: “DO YOU…follow your own heart song and don’t let other people’s hate bring you or your creativity down.”
article written by Kasey Jones
You can find Danielle Licata on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/divinecontactjewelry or online at http://www.divinecontactjewelry.com
