Today we’d like to introduce you to Danyel Poindexter.
Hi Danyel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My original plan was to become an author post graduating back in the mid 2000s, as I majored in English and Creative Writing. But while in college, I started to get back into art and after my freshman year, signed up to minor in art. After going through publication classes and intertwining my art with my creative writing work, author was obviously the next step when graduating. But while working on my novel, I would grab the first digital marketing jobs that were available to me. That experience in the world, pulled me away from my original goal and work and the further I moved from it, the less passion I had to keep working under this type of career choice. It also made me start to realize that I didn’t want my world to revolve around my writing but rather enjoyed it as a side hobby. My real passion lied with art.
And thus, while working and saving up money, I created a plan of starting my own side hustle that would turn into my small business today. I pitched this idea to my family as I knew my money wasn’t going to last how long I needed it to in order to fund my process. I wasn’t getting paid enough by the multiple digital marketing jobs I was working, in fact, I learned later on I was getting extremely underpaid. Like $9/hr type of underpaid. Along with the constant hounding of my jobs asking me where I saw myself in their business in the next 5 years, I knew this wasn’t the life for me.
My family liked my plan and from there I started practicing more, starting off by creating oil and watercolor paintings and selling those works via Facebook marketplace. It was a lot of hustle and bustle. Eventually, painting became too expensive so my sister graciously shared her tiny wacom tablet and photoshop, and from there I started creating my first pieces of digital work. I would go on to post these works on social media (mainly facebook as that had way more traction back then) and friends and strangers would begin to message, asking me if they were for sell. I would say yes (with no actual plan on where I was going to print them). As my prints would start to get noticed, I would start selling pieces and going to printing places to get them printed and shipped off!
As a gift of my success, my sister would gift me my own tablet and I would keep going in my digital art. After being comfortable with some sales, I created my first mail club (way before they were super popular). But because printing was limited, I could only offer digital downloads and it worked! I started off with 2 friends and that would grow into ten strangers and then twenty. Of course people would come and go, but the more I was able to fund myself, the more I was able to offer. Mail club creation would be my main thing until I could afford my own printer. My first business name was and was always going to be The Sarcastic Artist. It was a brown and neutral pallete of art. But as my art grew, so did my style. I became in love with bright colors and with the help of my sister, Create-O Potatoe was born with my original character Productive Potatoe having changed with me and Sarcastic Bear (carrying the old business name) alongside them.
Establishing my brand name took a long time. Mail club to mail club, creating prints that would eventually be stickers as I could afford manufacturing and eventually be able to afford making stickers in-house via my own machines. When money was stable and work was good, I saved up, teamed up with a lawyer and commenced to get Create-O Potatoe officially trademarked. It took a year but as of mid to last year, my business is officially trademarked. A very rigorous process that I would never change. All I had to start was a plan, some small savings and paint.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It was never a smooth road. Being an artist/creative in any way shape or form is bumpy. Even in 2026, the art of being creative isn’t fully seen as a notable career choice. Mail clubs are never a secure source of income as people come and go, you are responsible for supplies, finances, keeping up with paperwork, marketing, filming and of course, the actual product production, and you will second guess your talent and work a lot. The work can really pull you out. It’s basically working everyday until you’re able to survive, but you’re doing what you love.
I also do a lot of this work while suffering from OCD ( a disorder greatly stereotyped). OCD is not only stopping myself from doing the same things daily, but it’s constantly checking how many breaths I take, how many sips of water I drink, the constant feeling needing to wash my hands and face, all while still vlogging for my Youtube channel, packaging orders, and creating new products. It’s extremely challenging and it can exhaust the body. Things we take for granted, like breathing, my OCD forces me to pay attention to and count. My disorder isn’t something I talk about often because of how exhausting it is and that no matter how much it can be explained, there stereotype behind it stays.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Simply stated, I’m known as Dannie the creative, professionally, I’m known as Create-O Potatoe. I run a small online stationery brand with cute original characters that play off of my personality. There’s Productive Potatoe, Sarcastic Bear, Shynie the Introverted Star, The Mysterious Magic Marsh Mello, Demarcus the Snail (he’s a traveller), and The Tired Poof (a small magical forest creature created from the imagination of Creatives’ around the world. It wakes up at night and visits nightowl Creatives’ to sprinkle inspiration over their heads). My characters are honestly my most proud work. I put a lot of thought and love into them. Productive Potatoe and Sarcastic Bear match me best. I’m constantly productive and unless you’re close to me, you’ll never know how sarcastic I was haha. Sarcastic Bear is the coffee drinker and the one that doesn’t like to be bothered while working whereas Productive Potatoe is constantly on the move, loves being around their friends and is always coming up with ideas.
But besides my cute little world, I do other creative things to help maintain my shop. I created the Potatoe Mail Club that is a monthly snail mail club full of sticker sheets, memo sheets, coloring cards, more stickers, and satin prints. I also freelance web design for others, wholesale, and create logos and designs for others. As much as I love my shop, not only is it financially beneficial to have other forms of creative income, but it’s also fun to keep my mind busy.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My friends and close family really came through when I needed them the most. My aunt and mom supported with living expenses and food when business was low, my mom even signed up as one of my mail club members. My friends both internet and in-person, always bought from my shop or joined my mail club to help get the word out. Huge shoutout to my internet friend Jasmine for always having been the first whenever I did something. First to sign up to my mail club, first on my launches, first on my youtube channel. But, of course, a huge shoutout to my sister. My older sister helped create my logo I have now. She’s a professional graphic designer and at the time, logo work was something far away from my skill. She’s also always taken me to markets, helps me get business inventory and always reminds me when I need to take a break, something I’m very poor at.
Pricing:
- Mail Club | $6.50 – $.15.50
- Stickers | $2 – $6.00
- Merch Design | $300+
- Logos | $500
- Illustration Work & Design | $100+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.createopotatoe.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/createopotatoe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/createopotatoe
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWrfkJieGQ55UeeQQQUQFwA
