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Meet Trailblazer Anisha Brinson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anisha Brinson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Anisha. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’m a 19-year-old from Denver who has moved a lot! When I say a lot, I mean A LOT. I’m an artist at heart. I feel like I express myself best and most through drawing and my style.

I have been all over the map when it comes to Colorado and I’ve also been here most of my life. Honestly growing up with how much I have moved it definitely morphed me into more of an introverted person at times. Growing up, I had my mind set on being a cartoonist. Disney’s animated movies had always been such a treasure to me. I appreciate them so much. They have gotten me through so many dark times and eventually always forced a smile on my face.

At one point, I had to undergo an intense surgery on my back due to scoliosis. I had five pairs of my vertebrae broken and fused together and two titanium rods screwed into my back so that it would stay in a straight place. I had to drop out of sports and a lot of my activity was limited that summer. My drawings, Disney movies, and art really comforted me at this time. Did you know Disney wrote it in his will for his movies to be recreated or reinvented every ten years after his death? I’m a kid at heart and I’m eager to learn and expand I believe that curiosity and reinventing things makes your work and you immortal in a way. I’ve changed from wanting to be just a cartoonist. I want to do everything and as many things as I can in this world. I want to model, tattoo, draw and express through every form until I die. I have drawn out tattoos for people to go and get done. To me, this is huge because that is living breathing pieces of artwork on a human walking around.

If I model, I hope to eventually create a print clothing collection with my art and graphics printed on shirts. I eventually want to be able to model my own clothes. Another big fear I’d like to conquer is to model nude for body painting. I want to learn to be a canvas for someone else’s work. No matter what you do you will leave a mark on the world and that’s what I wish for. Help me express myself and help my work last and live forever.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Life is a journey. Let’s just start with that. A ROUGH one! One big struggle that I’ve learned to deal with along the way was my back surgery. The surgery itself and recovering felt like a process and the rumors about me at the time really had gotten to me because I couldn’t go out and do much. I also struggled with finding a place where I could express myself most and most comfortable with my parents because they are divorced. I also even felt like it was a hard task to graduate high school at times because of how much I moved. My advice for other women is to do what makes you happy no matter what. Life’s too short to be anything but happy and I think when it came to me, I really struggled with a lot of pain I held inside because I wanted to see other people happy rather than me. I think women, in general, are really guilty of this and we don’t even know how to admit to it at times, because it doesn’t even seem like a problem. I’ve sacrificed my happiness so much and I do get a sense of satisfaction when I see others happy because of what I’ve done for them. But sometimes, women don’t realize we destroy ourselves for others and it’s really important to realize who and what is REALLY WORTH sacrificing any part of ourselves for.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m a freelance artist and model. I’ve done drawings for people to get tattooed or just any drawings, paintings, and projects. I’ve modeled for a lot of freelance photographers from Denver and for some from out of state. I think something that’s special from me that you don’t get from others is that I want everybody satisfied. I don’t think anybody is too picky and I will perfect a drawing or pose until everything’s perfect.

Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
A really big influence that’s been in my life for a while is the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. My seventh-grade advanced English teacher thought that it would have been a good book for me at the time and I fell in love. I’ve read it multiple times and I think it’s an amazing book for any artist or girl that has been sexually abused or even just abused. Some apps that I use the most is Instagram as a platform for expression. I also use Venmo a lot for fast easy payment methods.

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Image Credit:
Terrance Parker, Haley Bruce

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