We were lucky to catch up with Beth Amphetamie recently and have shared our conversation below.

Beth, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I started my creative career by necessity- and I think many of the most successful artists will tell you a similar story. Something I hear asked, all the time, is “When should I take the leap of faith?” “When should I go for it and make [insert creative field] my full time gig?”
My answer is one that no one will like- I have no idea, because I did not take that leap. I most likely would never have done so without dire circumstance.
I debuted in drag circa August of 2023- not all that long ago! And at the time, the scene in Baltimore was both smaller and less accepting. I’ve spoken at length to Voyage about this before- the performers I had to look up to as an AFAB hyperfemme queen were few and far between. Beyond that, I was inexperienced and unknown- bookings were slim.
At the time, I was working a full time job that I can only describe as horrible. I worked 10 hour days in a warehouse for a company that regretfully, did not treat its employees with any care. I received a second degree burn within weeks of working there, long-term lung damage, and even damaged my car due to workplace neglect.
Long story short, after one-too-many HR complaints (for negligence and inappropriate conduct), I was fired- and then nearly denied unemployment. I had spent the months leading up to my termination applying to 3, 5, 10 jobs a day- during my lunch break, after I got home from work- to no avail. Once I was unemployed, I had more time- and not even a shred of more luck. The jobs didn’t exist, and those that did, didn’t want me.
I met with advisors, I reworked my resume, I wrote custom cover letters- nothing worked. In desperation, I turned online. I began to sustain myself entirely through online fanart commissions via twitter dot com (screw the new website name, I WILL NOT be using it).
Eventually, I was able to set up a part time gig, but it wouldn’t start for a few months, and even then, it would not be enough to live off of. So I scraped by on One Piece fanart money until my meager part time salary started, and then I used both together to survive.
At the same time, I started to get more bookings in drag. Few and far between at first, but I finally had a regular producing gig, monthly, at the Greyhound Tavern. That was where I started. I gritted my teeth and I worked. Bit by bit, bookings became more regular. Bit by bit, I fostered relationships with other venues, performers, and producers in the city.
Now, just over a year out from my firing, I no longer do drawn commissions, and support myself through drag with my part time work as a “survival job”. I never “took the leap”. I had no choice. I busted my ass to get here.

Beth, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Beth Amphetamine, and I am a transmascline dyke and a hyperfemme drag queen and producer working in Baltimore and the greater DC and PA area. As a trans and lesbian identifying drag performer, my events prioritize trans community members and performers of color, with an emphasis on community, body positivity, and queer liberation. I bill myself as Baltimore’s premier red-tattooed Filipina diva, and pride myself in expanding the alternative drag scene here in Baltimore. In my 1.5 years as a performer and producer, I have introduced 4 recurring shows, two of which happen monthly and two of which travel between different venues in Baltimore and DC. One of these is an open stage aimed at fostering community and growth opportunities for new performers. Additionally, I am a resident producer at the Greyhound Tavern and for The Queers Upstairs, and am represented by Absolutely Dragulous as a new cast member for the 2025 year. I recently started working with the Yokai Collection, and regularly collaborate with local Baltimore drag and burlesque icons such as KRDC Shows, Lad Haus, and B’More Dyke Drag. My core message is that drag is for everyone, there is no right way to be trans, and fatness is NEVER a moral failing.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I hate them. I do not support them. They are horrible for the environment and stupid in concept.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the fulfillment. Working a full-time job that was for someone else made me the most miserable I have ever been in my life. I thought I would never find happiness. Working for myself as an artist has proven otherwise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://beth-amphetamine.carrd.co/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/beth.a.bmore

Image Credits

Braxton Sparks, Adrien Eddie, @madtitude (ig), Jess @ Bidlack Photography