We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Blaine Ochoa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Blaine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
Ever since I could remember I’ve wanted to be a singer-songwriter. I grew up singing in church and started learning how to play the guitar when I was 12, my guitar was a Christmas gift from my parents. I pursued music slowly throughout high school and college and did a variety of performances. After college I was a guest singer on a country artist’s Christmas album, and later had the honor of performing O Holy Night on The Morning Show at KBMT 12 News. In 2019 I won Miss Houston USA and had the title for 2 years. After my reign ended, and covid, I focused on other things in life, such as my beauty and cosmetics business, Blaine Beauty. In the fall of 2023 I had the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at a couple Rice University volleyball games. Fast forward to present day and I’m happy and excited to be pursuing music wholeheartedly. I’ve been actively building myself and writing my own songs, with the goal of releasing my music very soon. Singing, making music and being in the recording studio feels right.
Sometimes I think about what life would be like if I fully pursued it sooner. However I think God’s timing is perfect, and without the past few years of personal growth and going through some heartbreaking experiences, yet also beautiful and incredible ones, I wouldn’t be who I am today and my music wouldn’t have the same depth and genuine emotion within it. I also think my background in pageantry, entertainment, and the beauty industry has given me a lot of opportunities and knowledge, and have been like stepping stones or puzzle pieces coming together for the next chapter of my life. I believe now where I’m at, is the perfect time. I’ve always loved the saying, “it will come when your heart is ready to carry it” and I believe that to be true from my past and present experiences. Whether that is becoming more confident, building your skillset, meeting the right connections, life experiences, and timing; I think all of it goes hand and hand and comes to fruition when it should.
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?
Music is healing and liberating, it is a beautiful universal force that connects to human emotion in ways that other things cannot. I want my music to inspire and uplift others, to make people laugh, dance, cry, and give people hope. You never know what someone is going through in life when they are listening to your song and how that song will affect them.
The songs I have written are inspired from personal experiences, however I think human beings are very similar and the emotions we experience are similar. I hope my music connects with people in different ways that are unique to them. Ultimately, I want to be able to help others with my music and be an example of love.
I’m proud and grateful to be able to have the opportunity to share my music with others, and I hope that people enjoy and love the music that is created.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I have a few lessons… That is doesn’t have to be perfect. Me or my music. Coming from a background where I was constantly being judged, and letting other people’s opinions of me hold weight; I think letting that side of me go or letting that wall down has been a challenge, but in a great way.
And to be yourself and be true to who you are. I don’t think you can live your life to the fullest and feel satisfied or truly happy without self awareness and accepting who you are as a person.
I can be a bit reserved so finding the courage to push myself out of my comfort zone with music, and also not to take things so seriously, having a more lighthearted approach to music and life, has been a good lesson to learn.
Finally, giving myself permission to mess up, fail, be okay with it, and learn to take my lessons standing up.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I think this is the time, maybe not necessarily a pivot, more of a push. Sometimes in life there are moments when you just know you should do something, or an incident that happens that makes you realize or reminds you that life is very short and it is a gift to be lived to your very fullest potential and purpose, and it’s your responsibility to do just that. Not only for you, but for others as well. When you realize what you really want in life, and what makes you happy, go after it wholeheartedly and be all in.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://blainebeauty.com
- Instagram: @blainejanell
- Facebook: @BlaineOchoa
- Youtube: @blainejanell
Image Credits
Dr. Phi Nguyen & Livi Mai, Grant Foto