THE WARRIOR IN YOU - LETTER TO THE LA ARTIST

As most people in today's society, I got up and opened Facebook to see what's up this Monday morning and my friend's empowering post caught my attention. Besides mentioning the usual struggles of artists that movie to LA, like the annoyance of dealing with flaky people and missing her family and friends that are 2,500 miles away, I spotted something that got me to meditate on it. I quote: 

"So maybe I'm not thin, and yes, I wake up every morning in pain, I have to take way too many medications to keep my joints and organs functioning properly and sometimes they only make things worse - but it makes me strong. I am a warrior, and I am only going to get stronger. I'm done hiding, I'm not going to sit on the sidelines anymore. Too much has been taken from me. Nothing is going to break me again."

After thinking about it, I had the impulse to answer her in a private message. Editing my own words, I thought: "My people need to read this too".

Here is my letter to all the artists in LA:

I am skinny, I got booty but that doesn't make me more beautiful than you or my life easier than yours. All my life I have admired simplicity and surrounded myself with people that just have that loving energy. I post my pictures and everybody comments how beautiful they are, but the same people don't know that I struggle just the same and all I am doing is showing the world that I am still here because people have always wanted to know me to judge me. We moved a lot when I was a kid and being the only black one in white people's town I was always in people's eyes and they were never nice. I was spit on, hit, beaten, teased, had all kind of nicknames... so I became a loner who's only way to survive was surrounding myself with the arts and getting inspired by the big names. In life we do things following the wishes of our hearts. I am 10,000 miles away from home and have not seen my family since 2007 because a plane ticket is more than a few 100 dollars...

What makes us/you beautiful is being persistent, inspiring people with pushing forward. When you are in the world of casting and may have a marketable face, this is what you will hear: "You should straighten your hair", "Your breast are too small, ever thought of getting implants?", "Too short", "Too skinny", "Too big", "Too exotic, can't market you", "You have to be my bitch to be famous", "You need to...." "You have to..." 

Aaaaaaah! Let me just be me and see where it takes me ok?!

Everyone that has ever told me: "Call me when you need anything", never picked up the phone.
I have even made it to survive without a home in LA and everything I've got is a result of people's kindness and my hard work.... Every time I wanted to give up, God has shown me the way. So just know, when you feel down, there is someone in this town feeling just like you. Chanel that feeling to reach each other artistically, because that is what we do.

Remember: There is always a big reason why we move to LA. After 3 years of traveling, I fell in love, packed my bags and guess what: Got into a domestic violence case and lost everything; my money, my pride and my friends. I used to call my dad crying telling him that I may just want to give up and come home, so he ended up taking a plane and came to visit. One day in the middle of Hollywood, sitting on a bench, he looked around and said: "This is where you belong. I see it now. You can't come home. You would be miserable...." That was the most important thing for me to hear... For some reason, my dad is the only one to understand me. 

Remember you can always give up and go home, but everyone that has done it realized there was a reason why they left.... Keep on shining!

RAW Artists AWAKENING presenting Venus Leone in Concert — at Los Globos, LA