Meet Amaya Draconis of Colorado Springs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amaya Draconis.

Hi Amaya, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hello my name is Amaya Draconis, I am 25 years old. I was born in Colorado Springs. At 18 I graduated with my associates from Pikes Peak State College (formerly Pikes Peak Community College) after that I took up visual artistry & professional body art. I have been a professional piercer for 3 years & I’ve since expanded my craft into tattooing, painting & visual arts, as well as modeling & fashion! Today I’m focusing on continuing to grow my creativity in all of these aspects & creating work that inspires others!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has certainly not been a smooth ride, but I believe that is part of the alchemy into forming some of my greatest aspects. Firstly, I had a rough home life growing up which impacted my personality, how I function, & left me stuck in trauma for a long time. Today I still experience symptoms of C-PTSD & work through it carefully but it still impacts my body & performance. I struggle to maintain energy & work at the same level other people can because of the long term strain on my nervous system. Some of the things I experienced & the emotions that came from that however started to channel through my work, I found that sometimes the extreme painful emotions I felt gave me unparalleled motivation or birthed some of my most powerful work. The catalyst of these events also allowed me to wake up from some of the programming fed to me & the dysfunction that came with it, which allowed me to grow from it & live authentically in a life that I chose rather than what I’m pressured to do. Additionally, a professional body artist career is NOT easy, it is different from many types of work. You essentially own your small business which does have benefits, I wouldn’t trade working for myself. However many of the cushions other people experience in their work (workplace protection, unemployment, etc) aren’t very present in this industry. I believe it is hard in this world to make it “easily” as a creative in general unless you have boundless time & money to do so. This is not something I have had the privilege to access because I’ve been supporting myself financially since I turned 18, I work very hard for everything I obtain & everything I’ve invested into my business. I have found this to be one of the biggest hurdles of attempting to focus all my energy on my creativity & figure out a way to put food on the table with it! However, like pressure on carbon, the challenges in this industry will sculpt you into a diamond if you don’t allow it to break you, & through time, trial & tears you can be a very fine body artist!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I believe I have my hand in quite a few creative ventures which sets me apart from others because of how much I can do & pull from my knowledge base. The other thing that sets me apart is I believe I have interests in portraying subject matters other people may not be interested in or aware of. For visual artistry, I’ve dabbled in probably every medium you can think of. From painting, to drawing, digital art, stained glass, sculpting & so much more. One of my specialties is painting especially blacklight reactive painting, I’m particularly drawn to it because I can take a painting & make it visually interesting in multiple forms, often times the two types of lighting will create a stark contrast between what you see. Additionally, if you use chromadepth glasses with blacklight reactive artwork, it offers such a special pop/ 3D affect that is still apparent with regular colors, however the neon makes it particularly vibrant & visually jaw dropping. This type of process also creates an extra creative challenge. Presenting me with the goal to render not just one, but two stunning images in a single piece. Another favorite medium for me to work with is animal bones. Yes, real bones that came from living creatures. I can often paint them & also do a variety of sculptural work with all different kinds. It brings me a particular type of joy to breathe new life & honor into an animal that once shared this planet with me. As far as my professional body art career, I’m still growing in that area of my work however II’m hoping to present stunning illustrative tattoos in my art style soon, & I am so happy to offer my clients fast, precise & inexpensive piercings. My modeling work is also particularly interesting because I love alternative fashion & lifestyles which reflects in my work. You’ll find very detailed makeup artistry I do myself in all my images, beautiful examples of alternative fashion & boudoir, as well as thought out scenes & backdrops to further add character to my work. These elements make my modeling extremely visually interesting for the viewer. Every piece of work I do is thought out & executed with precision & creativity!

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I would define success as your freedom & possibility to choose what you want to do. & maybe having few regrets after doing so. I wish for fiscal means of success like most people would probably define, like financial stability, a nice home, a reliable car, things that most people long for of course, stability. However I have seen people trade everything for their wallets, or have all of these things I listed & still be empty. I just don’t see the value in trading all your choices & freedom for the illusion of possible financial stability. Not to say a balance between having freedom, being a creative & earning a living doesn’t exist which is what I seek. Building a business is hard, but at least it’s guaranteed I get to do what I love every day & I get to grow. I believe this definition of success leaves room for all kinds of people to experience it if they choose to believe they are successful.

Pricing:

• Piercings start at $20+
• Apprentice Tattoos start at $40+
• Modeling rates- hourly or package. Willing to trade TFP in some cases
• Commissioned artwork- $100+
• Art & modeling prints, $7+

Contact Info:

• Website: https://adraconisdesigns.squarespace.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adraconisdesigns?igsh=MXZueHB6cG5lbzVpYQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AktaSEEJT/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/belladraconis?igsh=d2Jpc2kwdHhwc3hz&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
-Jefferson M // Pink Palace Boudoir
-Jefferson M // Pink Palace Boudoir
-Meghan Lauren Photography