Daniela Martinez | Actress

Sep 4

Written By Monyeka

daniela martinez
Actress, Founder of La Mariposa Community Thrift Store, Spiritual Practitioner and your bestie | based in Chicago
pronouns: She/they
Find her work: @imagining_Daniela and @lamariposa.chi

For her session, Daniela brought her dad’s camera and a script. two objects that represent her roots and her journey as an actress.

Daniela’s parents immigrated from El Salvador and Colombia as children, later meeting in Chicago before moving to Orlando, where she was born. For her session, she brought her dad’s camera. a reminder of her late abuelo, who always had one around his neck. Her dad carried on that tradition, even slipping disposable cameras into Dani’s backpack for school. Those family photos remain some of her most cherished memories.

She describes her parents as “extremely creative people,” recalling their handmade sets, decorations, and projects throughout her childhood. That foundation shaped her love of storytelling, performance, and eventually her career in theater.

“I grew up watching my parents do comedy sketches at church, building elaborate backdrops and decorations for every fall festival and birthday party. I got A’s on school projects not because I was a good student, but because my mom has such an incredible attention to detail. I’m extremely grateful for all the sleepless Sunday nights my parents spent with me on last-minute projects.”

Her parents have always been her biggest supporters. from cheering on her BFA in acting to encouraging her through the unpredictable “paycheck-to-paycheck artist” lifestyle. Their belief in her has been a constant through every new chapter.

“I was born a Leo. As soon as I could walk and talk, I was walking down the aisle at church to grab the microphone and sing. I didn’t really discover my love for theatre until middle school. I remember sitting in the audience for a school production of ‘Surfing Santa’ and thinking, what am I doing in the audience? I should be up there!”

Now, Dani’s creativity extends beyond the stage into community work. She’s in the process of launching La Mariposa Community Thrift Store, a space for mutual aid, resources, and care for migrant and immigrant families. Inspired by her own family’s journey to the U.S., Dani is committed to being what her family needed when they first arrived.

“In the process of launching La Mariposa, I found the most meaningful part to be trusting myself and the call to help others. Despite institutional barriers and people telling me I don’t know what I’m getting into, I trust that the same way my grandparents came to this country with nothing and built beautiful, abundant lives, I can build a space for community care.”

Whether on stage or in business, daniela carries her heritage with pride. As an actor, she loves roles that let her bring her cultural specificity to the forefront, but she approaches every performance with her identity as a first-gen creative in mind.

“Being first-gen is an honor and a privilege,” she says. “It may not be the life my parents pictured for me, but knowing they’re proud makes every creative and business pursuit worth it.”

Dani’s words to her younger self and to any young artists reading this:

“Growing up we are often fed through media that we consume that we should graduate at this age, be married at that age, have kids at a certain time and booming career throughout it all. let that go. find things that feed you creatively that have nothing to do with your creative career & Finances. Having other passions will help destabilize the chokehold capitalism wants to have on your creative indevours. lastly don't be afraid to be seen trying, just past yourself cringing threshold is the freedom to create you've been looking for.”