Daily Inspiration: Meet Blake Hunsaker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Blake Hunsaker.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
This question is such a daunting one to face because truly, I feel like my story is only at its beginning. I just got past the table of contents, in all actuality, and I am now finally starting to understand the life embedded within Camille. Originally, Camille Leone was just a name scribbled on my dorm room whiteboard. At that point, I thought drag was mesmerizing, but never saw myself doing it.

Not many people see themselves becoming a drag queen. I had been lightly experimenting with my femininity and makeup throughout freshmen year, but you wouldn’t catch me dead with a glue stick near my eyebrows then. Now, you won’t catch me with eyebrows at all. I digress; it felt so euphoric to express myself not as the person I wanted to look like, but as the person I felt like. In some aspects, it was a subtle way of combatting my deep-rooted traumas, depression, and paranoia. It put me at ease, and I knew I had to explore how far this peace could take me.

In April of 2022, my university hosted a drag show with local talent and student performers. My friends and I had planned to go since Autumn of 2021, so we got dolled up in our most extravagant outfits, took our hot girl photos, and got the front row seats. There was no way any of us would miss a second of the chaos. I recall an air of excitement, anticipation, and joy even, as we all sat and waited. There was so much queer love and energy surrounding me, and when the show began and I watched, everything clicked. Stars aligned, and time slowed. I felt called to the stage. There was much glamour to be engulfed in, and many smiles to be created. Deep down, an inner truth was whispered,” I am meant to be up there, giving everyone the same exhilaration that I’m experiencing now.”

Directly after I resonated with the thought, the host of the show, Shannelle Kartrashian, pulled me up onstage for an audience lipsync smackdown. I felt no nerves, no fears, only the fire to provide a fierce show for the audience. After lip-syncing to Oops!… I Did It Again by Britney Spears and Dancing Queen by Abba, I was crowned the winner and sent to enjoy the rest of the show. I left the stage greeted by my friends screaming with excitement, and with the most authentic smile to ever grace my face.

Shortly after, Shannelle offered to put me in drag and teach me some of her wisdom to propel me to success (P.S. @jayde.justice on Instagram, support an amazing queen while you support me!) If the stage wasn’t enough of a sign for me to start drag, the mug that Shannelle put me in solidified in my mind that this was my passion. I felt beautiful, present, and loved. It is those feelings that push me to elevate my drag to this day.

Now, it is August of 2023, a year later. I’ve tenaciously kept learning, growing, and experimenting with Camille. We’ve taken our makeup, charisma, outfits, and heart so far, with so much still left to learn. We are one and the same, but we are also completely different. It is through her that I can learn about myself, and through myself, I’m able to learn about her.

RuPaul didn’t lie when she said that drag reveals who you are! Within such a short time, I’ve accomplished more than I genuinely believed I had the capacity for; I’m both excited to see where our journey goes and eager for new opportunities. If any promoters are interested in Camille, please reach out. I’d love to grace your stage and uplift my communities.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Financial burdens aside, (Drag is expensive!!) I’ve struggled and persevered through the challenges that life has thrown at me. Mental illness is a bitter evil that worms its way into my mind, and most folks who struggle with different conditions understand that at times it’s great, and at times it’s horrible. Since December of 2021, I have been staving off and at points, succumbing to a vitriolic, negative state of being.

I call it my “not-self” because it’s how I act when I’m not feeling like myself. From the Autumn of 2022 to the beginning of 2023, my ‘not-self became the person I existed as. Constant anxiety, incredibly demeaning self-talk, and shame controlled my outlook on life and myself.

It was draining my energy for existence, and I’ve been working every single day to be kinder to myself. As my mental health grows better, so does my drag and life altogether, so my needs are always my top priority.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a drag queen who started relatively recently (January 2023) and is working towards becoming a seamstress as well. My drag persona’s name is Camille Leone, like the colorful lizard friends we all know and love. I take after chameleons with my love of color and ability to adapt to whatever is needed, Humor? Camille has a plethora of. Charisma? The pantry is stocked, babe. Talent? Undeniable. Beauty? Seriously? Look at her.

I perform burlesque, am a makeup artist, and am a dancer at heart. I create looks from second-hand stores, cheap deals, and artistic talent, eventually making its way into my social media/closet. In this respect, I am highly interested in fashion and pushing the boundaries/emotions of garments. I love theatre, singing, and comedy. Even though I am talented, I never want to be confined to a specific set of strengths, because truthfully I’ll take on just about anything and excel at it, so long as I don’t break a nail.

Camille specializes in her aura… She enters a room with charisma and exits with regality. She is a Venus Fly Trap, giving off a sweet scent, luring her prey in until it’s too late. A true maneater. After she leaves a room, she is always remembered, and that in and of itself sets her apart from everyone else.

Camille is a passion project that was planted in my soul, like a seed, and has only sprouted just now. Just like a flower must be watered, I am in the process of growing Camille to be the fully realized version of herself. I am proud of my dedicated effort to myself and my drag, and I cannot wait to show y’all my uniqueness.

What matters most to you?
Authenticity. A consistent, grand theme in my time so far has been my ability to connect with my true self. People in my life have denied themselves opportunities to be authentic, and to show respect for their thoughts by speaking them, and inadvertently I was taught to do the same. In the same vein, I have had people shame me for who I was, which pushed me further into my mind.

Eventually, we all are met with the renaissance that we can be the only people who decide our worth, and enforce it. We can decide when something hurts us, or when something makes us feel good. We can decide who we are, who we want to be, and who we will be. These are all branches of the same path that leads to authenticity.

Contact Info:

• Email: The.Camille.Leone.00@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.camille.leone/