When Danielle Guerrero lost her sister three years ago, she wasn’t sure what to do next. A creative outlet seemed like a good first step, and because she had just bought her first house with her husband, she decided to focus on making it cozy and comfortable. But she struggled to reconcile her vision with her budget, so she did the only thing she could think of: Learn to use power tools and start building things herself.
“When I first started, I didn’t have a lot of control in my life. [Now] when I have an idea and I’m able to take it from paper to real life, it [gives] me that control,” she tells Vox Creative in the above video made in partnership with contract-free wireless service provider Straight Talk Wireless. She’s most proud of her first big project: the fireplace. “I thought if I can build that, there’s nothing I can’t build.”
Today, Guerrero documents projects on social media and inspires followers to bring their own visions to life. In fact, her mother is one of them. “After seeing how much DIYing helped me with my journey and grief, I think it inspired my mom to find something to give her a creative outlet.” The Southern California-based content creator starts off every morning with a video chat with her mother where they show off progress on their projects. “Outside of DIY, which is pretty much my whole life now that it’s my job, my family really brings me joy,” says Guerrero. “[It’s] why it’s so great that I’m able to have chats with my mom.”
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