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

Via , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I first learned to model by going to creative community meetups on Orlando. I found a company called Pexels that hosts community photoshoots across America. People from different creative departments like photographers and models meet up and work together. These meetups are open to the public and free to attend. I had been waiting for an opportunity to practice modeling, and I knew a friend who would be down to try it with me. My best friend Grayson and I took a road trip to Orlando with zero professional experience under our belt and some confidence. We loved the experience so much that we continued to go to these meetups, network with fellow creatives, and grow our skillset. I’m so thankful for Grayson who was willing to try something new and scary with me and so honored to have grown as a creative alongside him.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I like to call myself a Drag Artist. For photoshoots, whether working with a photographer or forcing a friend to take photos of me, I create my own character by doing my own makeup and styling. Drag, to me, is the art of performance. And that’s what I do when I’m behind a camera. I become something else every time, and it allows me to explore and express myself creatively. I never model as myself, but as the persona I have created, Velvet Vanity. This persona has given me the confidence and freedom to do things I could never do as Via. The drag community is very important to me; it has shown me that self-expression is art.

I got my start in Orlando, Florida when I was 18. I went to my first drag show (something I had been waiting months for), and it opened my eyes. I started to go to nightclubs in drag and experiment with my makeup and fashion. The feeling of being surrounded by a community of people who understood and appreciated me and my art was like no other. I gained so much confidence by going to these clubs and developing my persona each night. I could have never known that one day I would one day be modeling as Velvet Vanity, the character that used to only be seen on Friday nights,

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

Sometimes being an artist can feel so isolating, especially in the time of AI. People have decided it is easier to type in a prompt and generate a piece of art instead of creating for themselves. It seems like we see more AI art than ever now, on movie posters, clothes, advertisements, and even being sold at art markets. Creative communities are being threatened by AI. Companies and brands find it easier now to generate an Ad rather than hire an artist to design one for them. As a society, we must not forget the importance of art in our world. Art has connected us and given us a way to express ourselves. The passion and love that goes into creating is something that AI could never replicate.
Artists thrive in creative environments and communities. Some of my best work has been created with a team, working together to execute a vision with multiple points of view. As artists, we must continue to work together and grow alongside each other. The communities and relationships we build are the foundation of our work. They inspire us to keep creating and never stop learning.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The story I want to tell with my art is that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to create. There is only the way you want to do it. I have tried to mold my drag persona to fit the other drag artists around me. I tried to dress like them and style myself like them, but it never worked. I always felt like I was doing drag “wrong” because I didn’t look like them. But truly, the only thing I was doing wrong was that I wasn’t being by authentic self. When I started to dress how I wanted to and creating looks inspired by my personal interests, it clicked for me. I realized I was the only one who set up those expectations for myself. Drag is an art, and every artist is different. You thrive when you are creating something that is true to you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @thevelvetdrag

Image Credits

(photographers instagrams)

@gibbyslens
@supremesoulfilms
@coreaphotograohy