Daily Inspiration: Meet Dana Satterwhite

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Satterwhite

Hi Dana, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Let me start by saying, we create our own luck and everything is an opportunity.

Professionally, I’m currently an SVP, Creative Director at BarkleyOKRP. Advertising is what I do. Communicating is what I love. I often tell people, I have two basic needs. Feed my soul and feed my family. Creativity allows me to do both.

Many moons ago, I was a Psychology major at the State University of New York at Binghamton. In my junior year, I reconnected with my creative side, taking a drawing class and a design class. I had been gently dissuaded from art at an early age, so finding my way back to it was a minor miracle and meant more to me than some may know.

At the time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew what I didn’t want to do. I was going through the motions of applying for jobs by way of job fairs and nothing felt like me. It all felt so incredibly corporate and, on some level, disingenuous.

Then one day, while home from school on a break, I met my first (creative) mentor—Joseph DePinho—at the gym by chance, and that fortuitous encounter and ensuing relationship pretty much led to every bit of success I’ve ever had.

On a whim, I offered to work in his one-man graphic design studio in exchange for answering the phone, picking up lunch, scheduling meetings, sweeping floors, proofreading layouts, doing pretty much whatever was needed to add value.

That relationship turned into a two-year apprenticeship during which I learned so many things. With his support and guidance, I was also able cobble together a portfolio that got me admitted to the School of Visual Arts.

There, I took an immersion curriculum that spanned the gamut. Graphic Design. Visual Literacy. Typography. Drawing. Painting. Photography. Art History. Advertising. I was in my glory. And it was this first advertising class that ultimately led me to a career in that industry.

Prior to all of that, art school was never on my radar. Didn’t even know it was a thing. Gave it zero consideration. But it turned out to be my safe haven. Absolute game-changer.

By way of an internship, I landed a spot at then Arnold Advertising. It was the largest advertising agency in New England but, again, at the time, that meant nothing to me.

I was fortunate enough to meet Mario Proia, head of the studio. He pulled me in and gave me a shot. Luck is where timing meets opportunity. I wasn’t keeping count but, in hindsight, this was another serendipitous instance.

It was at this point that I learned about copywriters, art directors, their team dynamic, and the need to choose/specialize in one discipline or the other.

Ever since that time, I’ve been expressing myself creatively in one form or another. I love to write. Words are my favorite thing. But I enjoy photography, drawing, and graphic design as well.

All of it speaks to me.

Sorry to meander a bit. That’s a fairly compressed (yet somewhat circuitous) version of how I got from point A to point B.


We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The advertising world is full of rejection. Daily, you’re facing clients, strategists, brand leaders, partners telling you your ideas aren’t good enough. Beyond that, it’s a tough industry to break into.

While in school at SVA, I peddled my wares (which in retrospect, were not especially good) door-to-door, trying to land an internship. I must’ve heard “no” a thousand times but again, I was persistent and, as I mentioned previously, a couple of folks were eventually willing to take a chance on me, and that allowed me to forge my path.

And once I did finally land in Boston at that first shop, I reached a bit of a crossroads in having to decide between art direction and copywriting. Not knowing either of the disciplines, I had (and still have) an affinity for both. Eventually writing took the lead and it’s been that way ever since.

In hindsight, I feel like my journey was fairly easy, but in the beginning, I had no idea where or how to start. As much as I can, I want to be an advocate for any and all who desire to choose art or anything art-related as a profession. I want to be a voice and an inspiration for those who are often dissuaded from this direction for fear that they’ll end up starving artists. I’m here to encourage kids to lean into that weirdness and individual expression. Breaking into advertising or any creative field can be daunting, particularly for people of color and especially now with the advent of artificial intelligence. Still, it can be both liberating and fulfilling, so it gets my strong endorsement. If you’re curious, motivated, persistent, and committed to excellence, there will always be a home for you.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a Creative Director with a specialization in writing, I manage a small team of copywriters and art directors. We collectively create and oversee the consumer-facing messaging that reaches any number of audiences for a handful of clients across various categories, including casual dining, finance, healthcare, and entertainment. I spent a number of years working on automotive and insurance brands. I pride myself on being able to adapt my voice to that of the product, service, or brand that we are working on. Being able to do this consistently and effectively is one thing that I’d say may set me apart.

My personal work might best be described as eclectic. I dabble. Never been officially diagnosed, but likely suffer a bit of A.D.D. I’ve generally got my hands in a few things.

Recently, I’ve been invited to participate in a couple of curated shows—both, incidentally, in Las Vegas, where we once lived. The pieces I created for each exhibition were mixed media. Simple typography on wood and typography plus photography on metal. The latter was inspired and influenced by writer and activist James Baldwin.

I love photography and often bring my camera (a trusty Nikon D750) with me when I travel.

I’ve written a few children’s books with my partner Joseph Watson. They’re self-published, which brings with it its own set of challenges, but we love the ability to connect with the child audience and positively affect young minds.

The thing I may most be proud of is not an actual piece of work but a creative space I ran in Las Vegas for about two years called TastySpace.

I had no background in arts management or curation. I didn’t have a business plan. I had no board or investors. I simply had an idea of an environment that might help foster community, so I went all in and, for the better part of that time, it worked and exceeded my expectations.

It was a bit of a social experiment, requiring me to learn quickly and very much in a trial-by-fire manner.

Another friend and I have created an annual tradition of gathering on or around MLK Day in the name of peace. It’s called the Great American Peacemeal.

Big picture, I think my best work may be my ability to use my voice, connections, and perspective to promote critical thinking, advocate for peace, kindness, and creativity, and do my part to unify.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I loved traveling to the Caribbean with my family as a child. There was one trip to the Cayman Islands where we visited a sea turtle farm that will stick with me forever.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brotherhoodofawesome.com/dana
• Instagram: @quiverd
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/danasatterwhite
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/danalsatterwhite
• Other: gogogreta.com / greatamericanpeacemeal.com / tastyspacelv.com