A Queen Skating in the NYC Streets

 

1. Name

Arrianna Santiago, but you could call me Arri!

2. Favourite song to skate to?

“Experience” by Victoria Monét, hands down!

3. How do you define beauty?

Beauty is a way of being. It’s the glow of someone who’s done the work to heal, or the big goofy smile after telling a really good joke. Beauty can be in the quirks of an individual that make them radiate even more so, and also the kind words a person speaks. 

4. Biggest struggle for women and binary ppl?

Truthfully, acceptance. No matter how kind or giving you are, these kinds of intersections can lead one to feel isolated and/or alone. A lot of my close friends are non-binary. Although that isn’t my personal intersection, I understand how confused a good portion of society is when they see a femme or masc-presenting person with pronouns that don’t confine to the binary. Acceptance as either “he” or “she” makes it hard to find one’s place, but never truly impossible.

As a woman, there are similar intersections. I’m also a woman of color that graduated with honors, but is pursuing animation. Most people look at me and accept the negative perception of who I “am”… right up until they speak to me. They may see someone who only cares about aesthetics and superficial things, but I could care less about “imperfect skin” or the “perfect” feed or how many people like me. Life deserves to be glamorized because there’s so much sad in it, and being a woman in tuned with herself allows me to use my voice for impact and change.

5. Why do you skate?

I skate to ground myself. It’s a form of therapy that’s easy for me to get lost in. My energy and body feel liberated after a session, and the Brujas could tell you how long I could skate for!

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6. What do you want people to be aware of?

Each other. So many people go through life thinking in an enclosed, ego-driven way. They care most about themselves, and less about how their actions and words could effect others. If we were just a lot more open and understanding, I think there would be less tension and stress in everyone’s lives while providing more room for light.

#latinartist