We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Evry Pleasure a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Evry, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

Life is full of ‘what ifs’ and that is a pretty valid sentiment to have. However, I believe my creative career started in the right moment. While it may sound like a cliché, I started doing drag when I needed it the most. Back in 2019 I was going through a very rough moment in life where I was questioning everything in my life. I had too much pressure from work, college, and life in general and drag was a way to find a creative side of me that has been hidden for way too long. That creative side of me that awakened when I got in drag for the first time have completely shifted my life and gave me a new perspective that has helped me in all other aspects of my life. Drag allows me to express my dancing, makeup, designing and comedy talents all together in one outlet. Maybe If I have started sooner or later things would have been different or even better but I am very pleased with starting drag when I started. It’s never too early or too late to start your creative career; just do it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My drag career started back in 2019 in Puerto Rico, where I was born and raised. In March 2019, my best friend, Maravillosa Placer, who is also my drag mother, was talking about me trying drag at least once. Before that moment, we would every single weekend to a drag show on the Island but never thought it was possible for me to do it. After several conversations, I finally agreed on doing a “makeup test” that ended up with me in being in full drag and doing a photo shoot. In that moment I realized that a whole new side of me was awakening and decided to open an Instagram account with the name “Evry Pleasure” and posted my picture. The picture got its fair amount of attention and within the first few days and got booked for my first show thanks to Lumina Riviera. I performer for the first time in Caguas, Puerto Rico and have not stopped ever since. I started performing regularly in the island and hosted shows there until the pandemic started and forced me to move to Washington, DC after securing a scholarship at The George Washington University.

I thought my short drag career was over after moving but, through my boyfriend George, I met Desiree Dik and she booked me for my first drag show in the area. Since that moment, I have been blessed to be booked regularly in multiple shows around the DMV area showcasing my passion for this artform. In 2022, I won the Miss Slay Them Pageant organized by Red Bear Brewing Co and started my monthly show “Con Acento” at JRs Bar; an all latinx performers drag show that highlights the diversity, beauty, culture, and talents of the latinx community.

Throughout my creative career, I have realized how important it is for people to see diversity everywhere they go and how important is for some to see a plus-sized latinx performer like me thriving. Everywhere I go I showcase who I am, my culture, my identity, and the importance of being different. Just because I have a different cultural background, English as my second language or a different body size does not mean I am not capable of thriving within the drag world and that is what I always want to showcase through my drag. You can do anything that you put your mind to.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

In typical jobs the goal is to always develop yourself with new knowledge, skills, constant training or continuing education but in a creative-based job the goal and the struggle is to stay relevant. I work during the day as an accountant where I am constantly seeking knowledge to keep myself updated in the professional world and during the night I am constantly finding ways to stay relevant as a performer. Staying relevant in the creative world is very difficult. In your typical job you know what trainings to take, what skills you need, and what courses are being offered so you remain an asset to the company but all that is unknown in the drag/entertainment world. What people enjoy constantly change; people are entertained by different things every time and that provides a major struggle to creative. What should I do now? Is my act fading away? What’s new out there that I can mix with my creative skills? All those questions are constantly in your mind and you will never know the answer until you try. There is no training session for you; you need to go out there, show your new act and hope people like it. I am constantly looking for ways to stay relevant and to stay at the top of people’s mind. There are always new artists in the scene that will seem fresh and people will be attracted to that. The constant struggle is how to I keep my act fresh so people keep coming back to me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

As a drag queen, the most rewarding aspect of the profession is to explore creativity through the art of drag showcasing parts of myself that may not be readily visible in a normal environment. Drag has a unique transformative power that allows me to express who I am with no shame, unearth hidden depths of my soul, and share a unique perspective of fashion, makeup, and concepts to the world. The fulfillment in this art comes from embracing my authenticity, captivate audiences, and leaving an impact in those who enjoy my drag by challenging societal and gender norms.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.evrypleasure.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/evrypleasure
• Facebook: facebook.com/evry.placer
• Twitter: twitter.com/evrypleasure