Drag-Tivism

I call myself an “Artivist.” For those unfamiliar with the term, I’m an Art Activist, a Fashion Activist, too, which I suppose is also an Art.

As a born Libran, a Liberal, as well as someone with a strongly inherited and this embedded moral code, I align with Human Rights Advocacy. In my journey of authentic expression, I have participated in a lot of human rights work through my relatively short life, though was unaware of my artistic drive until my mid thirties.

I began my creative journey with pure experimentation, playing with various materials and mediums until arriving in authentic alignment with a long-time passion of mine- FASHION, specifically Sustainable Fashion. My previous and continually digested knowledge of the vast and atrocious human rights violations contributing to the fast-fashion industry, I knew that otherwise known as Slow Fashion would further connect my work with activism.

Over time, my artivistic career continues to evolve, and most recently, now working for Austin Fashion Week, I decided to pitch our very first Drag Show component for our Spring 2025 event. I have always considered myself an ally to the LGBTQ community, and someone once aptly connected my work with drag. After a while of processing, I realized that this felt very genuine and true to my aesthetic, but also to my life experiences.

You see, I have Complex PTSD stemming from severe and prolonged childhood abuse. As such, I have deeply struggled with my identity. I realized that my allegiance to supporting and advocating for the LGTBQ community stemmed from my immense understanding of how difficult it is to struggle with identity.

Our drag show, and I say ours because I owe a lot of the preparation and production to so many people, was a huge success. At the end of the runway walks, each of us held up signs advocating for freedom, justice and universal love. The sign I so proudly held read:

DRAG IS NOT A CRIME.

I can’t wait to see where my artivism takes me next, and I have to say that I have never been so fulfilled merging my creative expression with human rights activism.

Ode to a Jacket

It's like that thing people talk about, like SYNERGY or MAGIC, perhaps. It's that moment your hand brushes up against the softest, deepest blue fabric you've ever engaged with and then it's like you've found the rarest hand painted Indian wall hanging. It's like KISMET or TWIN FLAME vibes, perhaps. It's like when two things that don't seem to go together for any reason whatsoever, like a fork and a baseball cap, yet somehow the like UNLIKELY or IMPOSSIBLE, perhaps, occurs where they're like a PERFECT FIT, perhaps.

I'm so sick of hearing people PREACH like, "Think outside the box." Have you EVER intentionally placed yourself inside of a cardboard box and then tried to picture what's outside of it? Don't you already KNOW 'cause you saw your surroundings before getting in the box? Like, DUH.

It's more like, sit in the box and close your eyes. NOW you can TRUST THAT YOUR IMAGINATION WILL FABRICATE THE DREAMLAND THROUGH WHICH YOU WILL TRAVEL, ABOUT WHICH YOU WILL OBSERVE AND LEARN, AND FROM WHICH YOU WILL LEAP AND LEAD, perhaps.

There is ALWAYS a way, and that WAY will lead you to shit like THIS, perhaps.