Art & Life with Brielle Arvizu

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brielle Arvizu.

Brielle, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My mom used to tell me “this life is not a dress rehearsal,” and it was not until recently that I finally understood what she meant. Growing up, I was surrounded by the creative arts industry. My mother put me through every and any activity such as music, modeling, drama, gymnastics, dancing, you name it. She never forced me to continue anything, but the one she encouraged me to never quit was dancing. She passed away when I was just short of eight years old. I went through a fair amount of events since that point which lead me to experience quite a bit of depression around high school until halfway through college. It wasn’t until one day my friend asked if I wanted to be a part of a runway show. I agreed to do it even though I did not have much experience. I have performed in several shows through dance, so I thought it would be fun. I did not realize how life-changing it would be though. I remember walking down the runway, and for the first time in a while, I felt so empowered and confident. From that point on I started connecting with different photographers collaborating on shoots. I did not want to model for popularity, but to grow more confidence and love for myself. Down that road, I also got back into photography which I happened to experiment with in high school. I decided I wanted to give others the same feeling I felt when I was in front of a camera.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a model, dancer, and photographer. My vision is to create art that inspires people to live in a more positive light. One of my visions is to create videos and pictures which tells a story and shares a message related to self-love, empowerment and movement. I want people to be able to feel more comfortable with themselves and also inspire others to go outside of the box when it comes to their own creativity. I am currently undergoing a few projects which include blog posts, videos, and photos showcasing these types of messages.

In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
The biggest challenge facing artists is to truly get recognized for their work. There are a lot of people in the community who are not aware of local artists. In addition, many artists get put down by others because they don’t see it as a way to make a living for themselves. I think it’s really important to support local companies and artists because not only does it give them recognition, but it creates a sense of community. It gives artists the drive to keep creating and to keep inspiring.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My photography can be seen on Instagram through @shotsbygrae.

My modeling/blog posts can be seen on @briellegrae

I am also working on creating videos through YouTube which will soon be posted through my personal Instagram page.

Contact Info:

• Email: BRIELLEGRAE@GMAIL.COM
• Instagram: briellegrae
• Twitter: briellegrae
• Other: instagram.com/shotsbygrae

Image Credit:
Makenna Lewis, Brittnee Bachstein, Janel Paige, Brielle Arvizu
Photographer Will Coles

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.