About Me

Hi! My name is Danielle and I’m excited to welcome you to SmileBySparkle. Thank you for stopping by. I am excited to share with you a glimpse into my life and passion for travel, art, and education. I am a Canadian world traveler, mixed media artist, and educator. I have been fortunate enough to have explored over 30 countries, and I continue to carry a piece of each country visited with me everywhere I go. Each of these experiences are a sparkle in my day-to-day life and continue to shape who I am today.

I recall one moment from my travels that had a particularly lasting impact on my life. Every year (pre-pandemic) my family and I would spend a month in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Clearwater Beach is my favourite place in the world, because of all of the wonderful memories I have shared with my family over the past 25 years. While watching one of many sunsets a few years ago, I began to pay close attention to how the sunlight shimmered on the beautiful ocean in front of me. I thought about the shimmer and sparkle projected by the sun on the ocean’s screen and the land around me. This moment made me wonder what makes me so uncontrollably happy that I sparkle.

My zodiac sign is a Leo, and as my beliefs in astrology hold, I am ruled by the sun. I love the sun. I cannot get enough of absorbing the sun’s energy. That night on my balcony, I had an ‘aha moment’ as I watched the sun make the ocean sparkle as it dissolved into the horizon. For me, this became a SmileBySparkle moment. It was a moment of clarity, in which I was inspired by my surroundings. A SmileBySparkle moment is a shiver of inspiration from the world, and the many cultures living within it. It is a moment looking further to the moons, the stars, and the suns that float above, which all have something in common: a sparkle.

And, just like that… It hit me. Every country, city, village, forest, ocean and person has its very own sparkle for me to discover on my journey through life. My pursuit to sparkle, is a search for belonging. To me, a sparkle is a feeling of energy from living in the moment and understanding my surroundings; viewing art, history, beauty, culture and life through the lens of my surroundings at a point in time. The feeling of a sparkle, gives one a new appreciation for life’s beauty. Recognizing the sparkle of life, is a true SmileBySparkle moment.

Travel is a sense of adventure, and is a discovery of culture, art, and the unknown. A sparkle can be found anywhere, as long as one is smiling and open for adventure. I gained an understanding of the importance to live your life to its fullest, and to strive for joy each day. Live your life fueld by curiosity for history, art, and the beauty that the world has to offer. Live your life driven by a common vision that empowers, connects, and inspires improvement across different boundaries. This is what SmileBySparkle means to me.

Thank you for joining me on this adventure! I could not be more grateful for your support and companionship on my journey through this beautiful life. I hope to inspire you to SmileBySparkle on your own adventure.