About Donna & her "lil" project
I’M A REGISTERED NURSE & ARTIST IN NYC.
My work is centered around human experiences, female bonds, and the creative process of others. I have been featured and published in Jezebel, Peddler Journal, Glamour, Elle, Interview Magazine & Huffington Post. I am best known for my stylized portraits of comedians and The Donas Project.
Oh yeah, I cook too.. like a lot… and a few years ago thanks to the advice of my therapist I really got into making doughs (pizza, pasta, focaccias & galettes), because she thought it would be a way for me to ground & tap into my intuition. well… She was right. I even ended up moonlighting in one of the oldest pizza shops in New York.
→ WHILE THIS BEGAN WITH MY PHOTOGRAPHY AND THEIR STORIES, IT HAS SINCE BECOME ABOUT A COLLECTIVE OF PEOPLE “JUST GETTING THROUGH IT ALL”.
My images have been featured on television, online, and in campaigns for some of your favorite brands. I’ve worked on productions as a behind the scenes and set photographer for Tru TV, was a culinary producer for Complex & First We Feast, been fortunate enough to be involved with New York Fashion Week, the NYC Comedy Scene, documented Hurricane Sandy for the Museum of The City of NY, and shot street photography for Milk Studios. I thought I’d seen it all, but I found something else in a couple of meals here in New York, especially from the people who shared them with me.
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I started The Donas in 2018, documenting womxn in the food space and their small businesses in NYC. What started out as a photography project became an integral part of my healing journey. All while allowing me to do my favorite things in the process: creating, cooking, and connecting with others. It took me from Palm Springs to Portland, to Puerto Rico and after a long time of feeling disconnected, it helped me find my way back to myself.
↘︎ THE DONAS PROJECT HAS HOSTED POP-UP BRUNCHES & WOMEN’S PANELS, STARTED A PODCAST AND CREATED CLOTHING & SELF-CARE PRODUCTS.
Due to the pandemic and my hospital work schedule, it pivoted online to monthly moon circles, hangouts, and personal care workshops. During the lockdown, we took it to the streets of NYC for our “socially distanced” dance parties and secret comedy shows (they were hosted in an alley). Thanks to a holiday quarantine, we hosted a Thanksgiving Variety Show on Zoom, did online pizza classes, wrote a COVID Christmas Play, and somehow got our comedy friends to perform it on Twitch.
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The Donas is my studio space both online & in real life. It’s where I share my personal practice routines, creative works, and life in NYC. This project gives me a space to share the works of all the people I get to meet along the way. It’s a shop and merchandise studio creating intentional pieces that elevate your day and support your personal journey. It’s events that create a space where you can connect with like-minded people on a mission to grow, get out, have fun, and live their best lives.
←THROUGH THE DONAS PROJECT, I HAVE PRODUCED AND COLLABORATED ON PRODUCTIONS WITH COMEDIANS, DRAG PERFORMERS, ILLUSTRATORS, DJS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, PIZZA MAKERS, CLINICIANS, CHEFS, AND BAKERS.
FROM PANELS TO POP-UPS, THIS ‘LIL PROJECT HAS PUSHED AND PIVOTED THROUGH ONE OF THE TOUGHEST TIMES IN MANY OF OUR LIVES. ESPECIALLY MINE.
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CHOOSE YOUR PATH
→READ
Creative writing, journals, interviews shares, and stories. From people, I’ve crossed paths with, to things I love, and stuff I’ve tried. What’s worked, what hasn’t, and what I’m still figuring out. Take what’s for you, leave what’s not, and join in on the conversation in the comments if you wish.
↓SHOP & SUPPORT
a collection of my current and past works from loungewear, streetwear, candles, journals, & self-care items made to help support you in expressing your unique best self and making your days a little bit better. Isn’t it time you made your vision board come to life?
LISTEN←
“THIS PODCAST IS LIKE LISTENING TO YOUR FRIEND’S CONVERSATION, SITTING AROUND THE DINNER TABLE...LONG AFTER THE MEAL’S BEEN OVER.”
The Donas : Advice & Stories is your weekly dose of personal shares and interviews from me and people like you just “getting through”. From small business owners, and writers, to stand-up comedians, those working on themselves, and those holding space for others... A ‘lil inspiration, part education, some advice but mostly the feels of being on the phone with your best friend. oh yeah…it even has it’s own HOTLINE!
↘︎WATCH
From selfies to self-care my video sessions cover everything from manifesting, love languages, and personal Vlogs, to how to make yourself a meal you’ll be proud of.
COOK : COMFORT & NOURISH↓
The cornerstone of the project began in the food world, covering womxn owned food spaces and their personal journeys. I believe cooking for yourself is one of the easiest and most routine forms of self-care and an easy place to start “creating”. Whether it’s the meditative process of chopping and stirring, using your intuition to create a recipe, or making one even better, I feel preparing meals for ourselves can nourish and comfort us throughout our lives.
↖︎COMMUNITY : THE DONAS SOCIAL CLUB
Through the Donas Project, I host monthly moon circles, yearly vision board parties, workshops, and popup events. The community that started in NYC with Sunday Brunch now extends to Peru, Italy, and New Zealand.
SHARE ❥
Know someone doing something amazing? Think they should be featured on the podcast or on The Dona’s social media? Let me know here
And finally, I believe in showing the behind-the-scenes of the perfectly curated feed and that I can pay it forward by sharing what I’ve learned along the way. So I share by documenting my life and the behind-the-scenes on my personal social media, my weekly podcast & Vlogs, and here in my journal.
