Drag Artistry Helps Young Man Overcome Anxiety

A young man found that pursuing his aspiration of becoming a drag queen, which involved declining an offer from Cambridge University, assisted him in overcoming his anxiety. CJ’s fascination with drag originated at age 14 after watching the reality competition program Ru Paul’s Drag Race on television. However, the teenager initially concealed this interest. At 18, while preparing to commence an English Literature degree, the onset of the coronavirus lockdown across the country provided him, as he stated, a chance to assess his true life aspirations. Furthermore, the Telford teenager’s height of 6ft 9in (2.11m) drew considerable attention, which he indicated contributed to his difficulties with self-confidence. He explained that adopting a drag queen persona offered him “a mask and another identity.” He characterized his initial encounter with Ru Paul’s talent competition for drag artists as “mind blowing,” expressing admiration for “the creativity, the performance, the drama of it all.” He attributed his initial secrecy regarding his interest to having been raised by his religious Caribbean grandmother. Following the lockdown, he opted not to attend university, secured employment at a Premier Inn, established a house-share with three factory workers, and commenced his new lifestyle. He continues his employment at the hotel and reported that his colleagues offer him support. While drag can unveil aspects of an artist’s personality, he noted that for him, it also served as an escape. He stated, “In my everyday life I attract quite a bit of attention.” He added, “Everywhere I went I could feel the eyes on me.” Assuming the stage name Cielle Joelle allowed him to embody a larger-than-life persona and become “the life of the party.” His inaugural performance was attended by only 30 individuals, and he felt nervous beforehand, but he recounted: “As soon as the music started playing it was just adrenaline there’s not a feeling like it.” Now 21 years old, he possesses costumes valued at approximately £30,000, some of which he designed himself, and primarily performs in Birmingham and other cities, despite residing in Telford. He commented, “There’s nowhere round here really for me to do drag.” He expressed, “I’m really proud of what I’ve managed to build for myself. I’m certainly less introverted than I used to be, but my family would probably describe me as a polite young man.” He mentioned that his profession had created some familial discord, and he remained uneasy discussing it with his relatives. He concluded, “Its for me, and whether I want them to see that side of me, a side that is alien to them, I’m not sure.” Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.