Dakota James Honaker

What first drew you to art when you were 12, and what kept you practicing even when it was challenging?

My sibling has always been an amazing artist, I watched them draw since I was tiny. I always wanted to be like them but I always gave up after trying and failing. When I was 12 though, I started struggling with my mental health. I wanted an outlet and decided I was FINALLY going to practice. I wasn’t going to just try, I was going to practice. I was terrible at first but I enjoyed it, especially the coloring. It was one of the few healthy outlets I had at the time so I stuck with it! It also gave me and my sibling something to bond over. That was very important to me looking back.

Dakota James Honaker | Cradled Flowers | 2025

How did your early struggles with drawing influence your style and determination as an artist?

My early style taught me what NOT to do. I tried too hard to be clean and pristine with my work. It really frustrated me when I couldn’t do realism or smooth line art like I wanted to. I learned to, figuratively and literally, loosen up. I realized if I didn’t embrace my hand tremor and just the way my brain worked then I wouldn’t improve. I was determined to figure out how to draw in a way I enjoyed physically and emotionally. So around 15 I gave up on clean and started going messy. I just let my hand and brain do what they could. This was also around the time my brother started pursuing graphic design. Seeing him go into an art field and succeed was inspiring! Art was once again a way to connect with my siblings.

Dakota James Honaker | Wrath | 2025

Can you share more about the mentor who inspired you to change your major from science to art?

At 15 I joined a technical theatre crew as a way to socialize after COVID. This was my first REAL creative environment I thrived in. Designing and building sets, running shows, and helping with creative decisions was new but so exciting. I was so pumped every Tuesday and Thursday to go and just make things. Once I began college at 16, starting in physics, I realized how much I truly didn’t enjoy science . Compared to tech theatre it was just draining and exhausting. I spoke about it on and off, especially to one of my two teachers, Matthew. Matthew was our director but he was also an artist! It was nice to have someone in my life who also found art so worth while. Seeing his art encouraged me to continue practicing at home. My other tech teacher, Mr. Allen, as we all called him, kept pushing me to try more and do more. He told me often he could see me going far in theatre or a creative space. It was encouraging especially since I rarely got encouragement to pursue the arts. The summer of 2023 I realized, man I’m miserable like this. Allen and Matthew came to a show I was working and both gave me that final shove to switch majors. They both told me they were so proud of me and that’s what I needed. I can’t thank them enough for giving me the confidence to pursue my creativity.

Dakota James Honaker | My Love Will Fall With Grace | 2024

Could you describe the feeling you get when working with ceramics compared to drawing or painting?

They certainly do give me different feelings and outlets! Ceramics is where I get my big emotions out. The clay takes all my anger, sadness, guilt, etc. and becomes solid. It makes the feeling real and it took form of art. Drawing and painting is what I do when I want peace. It’s simpler for me, a skill I’m more familiar with. My more calm emotions flow into drawings, my more loving emotions too. I love to draw mindlessly, it’s a nice break from the frenzy of ceramics. Essentially 2d art is calm and 3d is hectic.

Dakota James Honaker | Envy | 2025

How do you decide which medium—ceramics, drawing, or another—to use for a particular concept?

This is going to sound weird but when I get an idea I try to picture myself holding the idea. If I can’t turn it or grasp it, it’ll be a drawing, if I can though, it’ll be a sculpture. Some ideas feel solid and heavy whereas others are airy and wispy.

Dakota James Honaker | Ideation Of A Ten Y O Me | 2024

You wrote that creating art “has saved your life.” Can you talk more about that transformative role of art?

The act of creation is how I get my emotions out. My life has been hard and continues to be difficult and boy is it hard to express that with words! The only way I can get all the chaos out is through art. There were and still are a lot of days I don’t think it’s worth pressing on. The effort of living feels so heavy sometimes and there’s so little to do about that. When I feel like that, I make something. It doesn’t matter what but I make it. The action of making something with my own hands is so soothing. I get to physically see the manifestation of whatever feelings I’m having! I know that even on my worst days, on days I can’t get out of bed, I can still make something. Because as long as my hands make it, it’s art, and it made the day worth it.