Raquel Allegra making something out of nothing.

Raquel Allegra



Here is yet another woman who has inspired me. I am starting to see a pattern. I met Raquel a few years ago in Los Angeles. She was just starting out as a designer. What I found most amazing about Raquel was her ability to take something as ordinary as an old t-shirt, and turn it into an incredible piece of designer clothing. Raquel was one of the first designers on the market to manipulate and tear apart cotton material by hand to create a lacy net like fabric. She started out buying second hand garb from the inmates at prison facilities in the Los Angeles area, and recycling them into clothing that could be worn on a runway. Each piece had a story. As she has gained popularity, she has grown as a designer and started working with leathers and other materials. If you cant afford her clothing, let her ability to recycle inspire you to take your old things and turn them into something new. 

Manipulated cotton by Raquel.

Manipulated cotton, and leather work by Raquel Allegra

These leather leggings are one of Raquel's newer designs.

Mercedes Helnwein and her inspiring talent.

I cannot have a blog without mentioning my friend Mercedes Helnwein. Her artwork is incredible. Mercedes is the daughter of the legendary Gottfried Helnwein. No doubt talent runs in the family. When I met Mercedes she told me that she had been drawing seriously for only a few years. That was about 5 years ago. Her early work was already amazing and in a short time it has become quite epic. One of the things I admire most about Mercedes is her workspace. She has a large one bedroom loft and the walls are all white. She has collected a few pieces of vintage furniture keeping a sparse minimalist vibe. Her drawings are up all over the walls. From the moment you enter Mercedes' studio you feel as though you are privileged to witness a private look at one of the greats. I encourage everyone to look into the work of the entire Helnwein family. They are all a true piece of history in the making. I have learned from Mercedes that it is important to live in a space that I feel free enough to create in. I know that my surroundings effect my inspiration. One old phrase comes to mind. "Messy bed, messy head".

Mercedes Helnwein

A piece from her "Temptation to be good" series.

I was privileged to be a model for one of Mercedes drawings a few years back.

This is a painting from Mercedes', "Asleep in the wind" series.

Second hand first!

So. As some of you may know, I am a big advocate of thrift store shopping. Anything from goodwill, to the higher end thrift stores. I love reusing things that had a previous life. I also think that it is easier to be creative with your money by shopping second hand. 

I love Goodwill to no end, but I will say that some people need more help finding treasures. Goodwill can be overwhelming. I have listed 3 stores in 3 cities that I really like. I found them on the road while I was traveling with Nico Vega. I urge you to look into these thrift spots because they all have a unique voice about them. There are also people working that can help you find something that uniquely represents you. 

Feathers in Austin TX. This is probably the nicest, and most tasteful thrift store that I have ever been to.  I would go as far as saying its my favorite store in the world. It has choice pieces. It is almost the same price as a regular retail store, but  much higher quality, and one of a kind. Do not miss this one.

The Gypsy Den in Las Vegas. This is a really special little place. The owner (seen above) hand makes a lot of the jewelry. She is incredibly sweet, and very helpful. It is the most unique clothing store I have ever been to. You will see what I mean when you go.

Squaresville in Los Angeles. I love this store. I find 50% of the dresses that I wear on stage at Squaresville. Its reasonably priced, and has a lot of taste.

Make second hand your first choice.

Tasya Van Ree

Today I would like to introduce a friend of mine named Tasya Van Ree. I met her through a group of really amazing women. She is an incredible artist in all facets, and has a strong voice in the community in supporting equal rights. Tasya shot a beautiful short film of me in my apartment last year and that is when I fell in love with her artwork and photography. As a painter she has inspired my work and encouraged my untrained self to be more ambitious. Keep an eye out for this woman.

Tasya Van Ree at her opening for Distorted Delicacies 

Two paintings from her "Birth Marks of the Feminine" series

Photo by Tasya Van Ree

Photo by Tasya Van Ree

Anya Ayong-Chee creating something out of nothing.

Anya Ayoung-Chee

Anya Ayoung-Chee is a top designer on last seasons project runway. Anya has inspired me to no end. She has only been sewing for 4 months, and has proven that her imagination is stronger than her technique. I love everything that she creates. It doesn't matter what her skill level is, her determination and artistic eye get her by ten-fold.

Anya loves patterns that hint at a vintage/eclectic vibe. She is not afraid to be loud and has no problem making a statement. I also love that her clothing showcases women in a very strong, goddess-like nature. When I put on a long flowy dress for a show, I automatically feel like I am summoning the spirits of woman-hood. Anya does the same for me. If I could have her a as a personal stylist for stage, I would feel like, visually, my entertaining spirit was being captured. Keep an eye out for what she does next. I strongly encourage those of you who love self expression through clothing to research her creations.

A beautiful dress created by Anya

My paintings. Another case of something out of nothing.

This is a large painting about 4' x 5'. It was done with acrylic and house paint.

This is done with construction paper, house paint, and sharpies.

This is done with oil paint, very old construction paper, and sharpies.

This is done with sharpies, and house paint.

Like every artist across the globe, I am my own worst critic. I am such a critic of my own work, that it becomes hard for me to show it to anybody. As a small child I used to crumple pages of drawings up and throw them in the trash. I could barely stand to look at the imperfections. I am untrained, and very amateur. That being said... Life is too short! I want to encourage people to put themselves out there, so I have to do the same.  The pictures above are random drawings and paintings I have done. They vary in size. I am always creating on a dime. I use sharpies and house paint most of the time, but occasionally acrylic as well. Another case of making something out of nothing. 

If you don't display your work, it becomes hard to gauge your growth as an artist. It also becomes easy to hide everything all the time. Eventually you might even stop creating. I am constantly in competition with myself as a singer because of the work I have released. I get better because I am constantly raising my own bar. This is why sharing your work is important. 

There are also those of us who never even started creating art. The critic inside of our head was so strong that we never even tried. We just said, "I'm not an artist." That is tragic. Everyone has an artist inside of them. Find the outlet that is right for you. Who cares about how good or bad you think you are if you enjoy doing it. The freedom to create is a gift we were handed from the moment we came into this world. Don't waste the gift. Share it with the rest of us. 

More examples of vision boards.

This is one of my earlier vision boards. 90% of what is on this vision board has happened in my life since I made it.
The other 10% is happening right now. 

This is one of my more recent vision boards. I made this vision board about the next few years.

Don't be afraid of making many vision boards. I make one ever time I need inspiration. This is a starting point for anything in your life. Love, happiness, family, work, money, art, spirituality, travel. Cut it, paste it, paint it, write it. Start as soon as possible. The goal here is to get yourself into an inspired headspace. With anything new in life comes the question,"Where do I begin?" 

Begin with a Vision Board.

What is a vision board?

The first step is to get a large piece of cardboard, or construction paper and a glue stick.

Cut out pictures that make you feel good. Imagine the life that would make you most happy.

 Start gluing. Don't be afraid to dream big. The bigger you dream, the happier you will feel when you look at your vision board. 

When I create a vision board, I try not to let any negative voices in my head control the process. I simply cut out images that make me happy and glue them to a board. I am an incredibly visual person, and this is a very important part of my life. Most of what I have now is something I put on a vision board at one point. When I look back at past vision boards, I am always surprised at how much of what I see is the life I am living.

Vision boards are not only about wealth, and romance. They are about health, fulfillment, peace of mind, and life goals.  Its important to know what kind of a person you want to be, and create that in front of you. If it's self acceptance you want, then imagine and create that. In order to recognize the life you want to create, you should have an idea of what it looks like. That is the purpose of a vision board. You will be amazed at how happy you feel when you look at your vision board. Have fun!

What is beautiful to me?

Love Light Life

If you constantly surround yourself with love light and life the darkness of depression will not find you. A human being is like all life forms; It needs sunlight, food, and water. As a spiritual being, it needs companionship and the power to create. As a body, it needs exercise and freedom. Age is a consideration, as far as I am concerned. Not a law.