Confidence!! That shy little bugger that wants to cover itself and instead it will rear its opposite ugly head of nerves, self-doubt and all things negative.
Drag performers embody all that is good in this world and are just simply untouchable in their confidence, love and passion. Their lust for life is like no other.
We took to asking some of Australia’s drag icons some of life’s most tricky moments where confidence is just simply needed to make things better.
The performers came through and for that, we say thank you.
Today’s performers sharing their words of wisdom:
Dic Pik
Dic pik is simply amazing. Known for their iconic dancing with moves that are simply to die for. Catch them dancing at any gay club in Sydney. They are also super talented and artistic. The author was lucky to have met and made a friend in Dic Pik in highschool!
Maxi
A queen for the community Maxi is full of love and spirit. You would have seen her everywhere and you would have loved it. From rubbing elbows with madonna, being an Aussie treasure closing the Sydney Olympic games and opening the Gay games. Spreading kindness, words of wisdom towards anti-violence Maxi spreads talent and passion anywhere she goes!
The Nova Hudson
One of Newcastle’s finest, Nova is a bright ball of energy with a killer mug to match. Known for her unbelievably amazing lipsyncs and performances she is definitely a queen to watch and learn from!
Self-confidence:
Maxi: “Being confident” is sometimes easier said than done, I think we all have things that push us back or knock us down. You can be the most confident person in the world and then just one thing… BOOM… I think the most important thing is how you get back up from it. Never forget how strong we really are and we all have highs and lows. It’s actually very normal. Embrace yourself your lows just as much as your highs. If I’m having a particularly ‘less’ confident day, I think of my Grandmother and my mother, two of the strongest women I know. I draw on their strength and I’m really unstoppable.”
Nova: “Self-confidence is something I’ve fought for a long time to gain within myself. I’ve always been overweight, never had a symmetrical face, and till recently was never anyone’s first thought. It wasn’t until I started doing drag that I started to gain that self-confidence. Drag really helped me see that I can be beautiful despite what societies standards of beauty is. Drag is very empowering and if I never did it I think I would really have struggled to be the confident person I am today.”
Dik Pik: “Self-confidence I’ve always struggled with growing up, I used to avoid wearing/dressing differently because I felt insecure about how I looked. It wasn’t until I started hanging out with people who shared similar interests and styles as me did I really start to come out of my shell. Self-confidence isn’t achieved overnight, it’s something you’ve got to train your brain.”
Being your authentic self:
Maxi: “Take your time and listen to yourself, you know when you’re ready. When that time comes, you decide what’s best of you. Whether that is jumping straight in, as my grandmother would say “tits first” or baby steps. This is your journey, not anyone else. You get to decide how to take it.”
Nova: “My advice to anyone who is nervous about being your true self is do it. As a gay man coming out and being able to express myself as apart of the LGBTQIA+ community was an incredible feeling. There’s a reason the phrase is “coming out of the closet” because it truly does feel like you’re hiding a big part of who you are and I think everyone has a closet that’s a safe place for them, I don’t think everybody’s closet has a rainbow flag on it but no doubt everyone has something they want to hide. For example, I quite recently came out as gender fluid and now I am a completely authentic version of myself and while I still have my own problems, I am finally free.”
Dik Pic: “All I can say is give it your best, who cares what others think and if they don’t like who you are then they don’t deserve your time.”
Dating:
Maxi: “Omg I have no idea… FIRST DATES…..AAAHHHHH…. Look, be your own friend first. First dates made me a nervous sweaty mess all the time, then I thought, ‘look at the worst, I may meet a fabulous new friend, that in itself is a bonus”. From that point I actually had fun. I have been with. My partner for 8 years and we are best friends (that are absolutely silly buggers all the time).”
Nova: “Just go in there with an open mind, be yourself and have fun.”
Dik Pik: “My go-to is always a drink but that’s not the case for everyone. My suggestion would be to put on an outfit that makes you feel really confident.”
Being bold with a new look:
Maxi: ”Have fun, play around at home, if you have a “gurlfriend” then that’s even better. I met my drag sister Katherine Gorge 1995, we used to meet at either one of our homes with a couple of boxes of wine or “Bacardi Breezers” and played with makeup, wigs, heels and dress ups. We would be pissed as nits and looking an absolute mess, but it was some of my favourite memories. Eventually, we got the confidence to go out, and had a hoot.”
Nova: “When I want to try something new with my makeup, I’ll sit down sometime before I want to try this lookout, maybe with a couple of friends and have a beauty day. We’ll sit, have a laugh and do a look. I do this because I get to trial my look, ask my closest friends for their opinion and if I make a mistake I can always fix it up because there’s no pressure for it to look perfect straight away.”
Dik Pik: “If you want to try out a new style head to a clothing store, pick out some new clothes and try them on in the change room, you don’t need to buy anything, just experiment.
If you’re inexperienced with makeup or hair, ask a friend who could help or visit a salon/barbershop who could show you new styles.”
Final thoughts:
Maxi: “These answers are just from my experience and please understand my journey could be similar or totally different to yours. The smile that comes from inside you, is the most important thing, this comes; may take a while but it truly will come. Spread glitter and sparkles everywhere you can.”
Nova: “When it comes to getting out of your comfort zone all you really need to do is throw yourself in the deep end and just go for it. Whether it’s talking to that guy you like, coming out or even just dyeing your hair blue, just be brave, because the more times you do something brave the more confident you will become.”
Dik Pik: “Just live in the moment and enjoy it xx.”
Well there you have it! You have now officially been blessed by some unbelievable icons. Go forth and put their pearls of wisdom into practice. What are you waiting for!
