The Artist Cheerleader I Used to Be

Opening

Before I learned how to be honest,

I learned how to be supportive.

They called me “Lady Flava.”

I was the one who showed up.

I listened. I shared. I put people on.

Then

Lady Flava was birthed at my Coffee House in North Seattle—

where my passion for indie art was developed between 2003 and 2008.

That space wasn’t just about coffee… it was about creativity, community, and giving artists a place to be seen and heard.

I wasn’t the artist.

I was the one behind the artists.

I ran a radio show. I spotlighted music.

I paid attention to people who were building something from nothing.

If I believed in you, I said it.

If I liked your work, I shared it.

I didn’t wait for permission. I didn’t need a big platform.

I just used my voice.

And I loved it.

I loved discovering talent.

I loved connecting people.

I loved being part of something creative and alive.

What I Didn’t See Yet

What I didn’t realize at the time…

was how easy it is to blur the line between support and over-giving.

I wasn’t just sharing music.

I was investing time, energy, and attention—sometimes without boundaries.

I wanted to uplift people.

But I didn’t always stop to ask:

Is this aligned with me?

Is this being respected?

The Shift

Over time, my ear changed.

I started hearing things differently.

Not just what sounded good…

but what felt real. What felt developed. What felt honest.

And at the same time, my life changed.

Vegas showed me the industry from the inside.

COVID showed me how fragile it all could be.

And something in me got quieter… and clearer.

I realized I didn’t want to be the person who says everything is good.

I didn’t want to be an artist pleaser anymore.

Now

I still love art.

I still recognize talent.

But I don’t show up the same way.

I don’t feel the need to respond to everything.

I don’t open every message.

I don’t force opinions where I don’t have the energy to be honest.

When I listen now, I listen differently.

If I speak on something, it’s because I mean it.

If I share something, it’s because it moved me.

And if it doesn’t?

I let it pass.

What Stayed / What Changed

What stayed:

my ear for talent

my respect for people

building something

my love for real artistry

What changed:

my boundaries

my honesty

my need to be involved

Closing

Lady Flava didn’t disappear.

She just grew up.

I’m still her…

just not the version that gives everything away.

LadyFlava Then & Now