We had the good fortune of connecting with Sierra (Miksi) Sanchez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sierra (Miksi), why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
To really explain discuss why I chose to pursue an artistic career I have to begin with where my inspiration came from. I grew up as a child of the internet, the internet was a place for me to escape and dive into the life’s of my favorite creators. The online creators I watched (mostly on YouTube) really felt like friends to me at some points, they were even my connection to making real friends in middle school. I grew up idolizing these creators wishing that one day I could be just like them, vlogging my life and sharing my talents, humor and charm.

It has always my absolute dream to be able to be a YouTuber/ creative personality on the internet but I just never had the faith that it was possible. For some reason I never thought I was “talented enough” or “creative enough” to really have what it takes to be a creator myself. It took me over 10 years to finally take the leap and begin to tap into my creative side to actually start making content. During quarantine of 2020 I had a lot of free time on my hands and this is when I started getting really inspired to make content on TikTok. I was consuming so much content on that platform that I knew was things I could do or it would inspire me to participate in a trend in my own way. The more videos I started making, the more ideas for new videos I would come up with. It was like I was finding this reservoir of all my untapped creative energy for the first time.

Taking the leap and posting my first ever YouTube video felt like destiny for me. Going from the kid who wanted youtubers to feel like she had friends keeping her company to now being someone’s company through my own videos. I chose to focus career on my creativity because once I finally put my creativity in motion it’s only ever propelled me forward.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My development in art begins with my makeup artistry. I may take me 4-8 hours on a look but I’m able to completely transform myself with makeup. Everything from drag queens, to cosplay, to horror and gore, to optical illusions, to 2d art, and my own alternative style. I’ve really been able to progress and perfect my art with the more and more i practice and develop new looks that challenge my abilities every day. Somethings I’m really proud of is my challenge to do 14 days of Halloween last year in 2021 where I did a different Halloween look for 14 days in a row, reaching 200 subscribers, and my makeup mythology series on YouTube where I tell the mythology stories behind all the different zodiac signs and do my makeup inspired by that astrology sign at the same time. Something I’m really looking forward to this year is my challenge to outdo myself and do 31 days of Halloween this upcoming October.

It took me so many night alone in my room after school practicing makeup with my first ever eyeshadow palette to even get remotely good at a simple eyeshadow look. I remember the first couple time I tried doing eyeshadow it looked horrible but I never told myself “I can’t” because I knew no matter what I would figure it out. I watched a ton of YouTube tutorials constantly even if I wasn’t even doing makeup and gained an abundance of knowledge and techniques that naturally came out the next time I sat at my vanity. There were so many times I remember starting a look and having to completely scrap it because it didn’t turn out but I always learned something. It took me countless hours to get good at what I do, but I never gave up.

The most valuable lesson I learned is that there’s no excuse not to know how to do something you’re interested in because the internet is free (sorta) and you can learn almost anything you need to know on YouTube. I also learned that any mess up can be turned into something creative and unique. I’ll start a makeup look sometimes and completely mess up what I was going for but then I transform it into something new and even better.

What I want you to take away from my story is that the impossible is always possible once you overcome doubts in your way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We’ve gotta hit the Denton town square, experience some of my favorite places since middle school like the antique mall where you’re sure to find lots of fun and funky things with lots of history, and Beth Marie’s a classic ice cream shop that’s been around for forever. If the group is 21+ then we’re definitely going to free play a awesome arcade and bar, and d20 a board game tavern with really cool art inside. There’s also lots of local markets around Denton that never disappoint with local artists and fresh grown produce at the farmers market. And if there time we’ve gotta hit a show at rubber gloves which hosts local bands and even drag shows.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without all the people in my life that I thank the universe for every single day. I want to thank my mother, Kim, for being my biggest supporter since day 1. The amount of love, encouragement, and support my mother has showed me in every single one of my endeavors is incredible. She is my biggest cheerleader and i know I wouldn’t be the person I am today without her loving grace, care and kindness. To thank my father, Miguel, for teaching me what I know and giving me access to all the tools for my success. He raised me to understand that anything is achievable with enough disciplined effort and determination. My father was my first example that you can turn your passion into a career regardless of the circumstances. Some quick mentions I would like to thank my small groups leader in church, Amanda Acker, and my Color Guard instructor, Anna Torres, without these woman i truly would not be the woman I am today with as much self discipline, empowerment, and life lessons that these ladies have helped me through or helped me learn. Finally I want to give a big shoutout to my partner, Nathaniel, my gift from god and my biggest inspiration. He’s always there for me with insightful advice for my business, and an appreciation and understanding for my art when I thought no one was. He’s even the first person to test wear all the jewelry for my business (enchantedmiksi) and he likes it so much I have to convince him to give it back for my stock. He pushes me every single day to be my best self and I’m incredibly grateful for his love and support.

Website: Dot.cards/miksisierra

Instagram: https://instagram.com/miksisierra?igshid=NTU4MjY0Y2Y=

Twitter: Twitter.com/miksisierra

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCQdlAtr5DlLkaVZ8TvBpZVw

Other: Depop.com/miksisierra

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