We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lady Blanca. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lady below.

Alright, Lady thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

The art of drag is something that has intrigued me and kept my creative juices flowing for years now. I didn’t start doing my own drag until 3 years ago in 2019, when I decided to start my drag career in my college dorm. These 3 years have been a learning experience for me.

Nothing is ever perfect, but practice definitely makes progress. That progress was much needed, in order for me to feel comfortable with my art. When I started in 2019, one of my only sources to learn how to do makeup and drag was RuPaul’s Drag Race, YouTube videos, and a couple of close friends. I had been watching Drag Race since around 2014 when Bianca Del Rio was yelling “Not Today, Satan” and Tumblr was at its peak. However, within 2014-2019, I had expanded my drag knowledge outside of Drag Race and learned about icons such as Tandi Iman Dupree, Divine, Hot Chocolate, amongst others – as well as watched movies such as Hedwig and the Angry Inch, docs like Paris is Burning, etc. Little by little, I would start increasing my drag expertise. When, I started drag, I still did not know 80% of what drag would entail and how much development I would need in the upcoming years.

Every year since 2019, I have changed my makeup skills drastically to the point that I don’t recognize the face that I used to paint on in that year to the one I paint on now. It is always surreal to think that it’s the same person, but somehow makeup skills do change a person’s face a lot. Whenever I had the chance to practice my makeup skills, I would sit down in my tranquil space and begin to paint and sculpt my face. Changing and shifting in the direction I wanted to see my face was a way to heighten my skills. As for my performance style, I would take any chance I was given to be in full drag and take on the world with my black tigh high leather boots and my red lipstick infront of an audience. Even if it was in front of a crowd of 6 people, I would take that opportunity to learn what worked for me and what just needed to be discarded in my head.

I feel that asking more performers in the industry (drag queens/kings/performers/artists/etc.) would’ve definitely made me more comfortable faster and earlier in my career. However, I was someone who was more shy and reserved without the confidence to ask others for help. In the drag industry, confidence and socialization is key. If you don’t become social enough and confident in what you believe and want, you might fade in the background. Not having those skills will stop you from asking for help and stop the growth of your art. It’s like a Domino Effect of becoming a known drag performer in your drag scene/world.

Now that I’ve learned how to communicate my needs and gained many friends and mentors in this drag community, I feel that my drag art is at a level that I never knew before. I am still growing and cannot wait to see the next chapter of my career take flight.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started my drag career in April of 2019, as a fun cute little hobby as a drag enjoyer myself. There was a talent show at my college dorm and I signed up as a joke because one of my RA’s had suggested that I did. Ever since, I have done so much in drag that I am proud of and recently one of them was becoming the second alternate for Miss California Universo Latino USA as well as winning the title of “MX GAY PRIDE SAN DIEGO 2022,” I’m also the new administrative assisstant for Sister’s of St. James Productions, who produces many recurring drag shows every year, each with a purpose.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Drag is very political. My goal with my career is to reach out to as many queer people, allies, even homophobes – that need to learn what being queer is – as possible. I first started wanting to become a political queen that would do political numbers, but figured that maybe I would go down the route of just being a pretty, fun and dancing diva because at the moment that is what the people seemed to enjoy quite a lot. However, now that I’m three years into this career and feel more assured of my art, I want to turn some political numbers that will talk about assault, immigration, lgbtqia+ rights, reproductive rights, etc. With these performances, I do wish to bring light into these topics as they are often ignored or simply people don’t learn online and I hope I can teach them a little something.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Support local drag! Go to drag shows and tip the performers whenever possible! Go to an all-ages show, if any around, if you are underage. Follow, like, comment, save, share, etc. the posts of performers on social media as that might bring them many opportunities to be seen and listened to. Drag is super expensive, a single wig can cost somewhere from $80-600.

Contact Info:

• Website: linktr.ee/laladyblanca
• Instagram: instagram.com/laladyblanca
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaLadyBlanca
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4e-mrtBYmBfUtkYC7Vy9Pg/featured

Image Credits
Amber St. James Brenda Drew