RuPaul's Drag Race star Yvie Oddly doesn't mince her words when it comes to the toll drag takes on her body.
"I mean, to be frank, it's pretty bad for me," she says, followed by her goofy trademark chuckle - one of the many quirks which first endeared the drag performer to thousands of fans around the world.
She adds: "I won't be able to do drag forever."
Currently visiting Australia off the back of a year of touring, Oddly tells SBS Pride that while she never set out to make a statement about chronic illness/pain on Drag Race, she's now glad that she did open up about it on the popular show.
After years of "trying to keep it quashed down and being silent" she said she's now discovered an online community of those with similar chronic conditions. "I've found so many people sharing their stories," she says. "I feel like I am able to open up and share a bit of hope for others.
But it wasn't always that way.
"I didn’t want to talk to anyone about my health issues," Oddly told shortly after being crowned the winner of Drag Race Season 11. "I didn’t want them to even come up because that was how I had been handling them in my day-to-day life."
Speaking over the phone, Oddly reiterates what she said on the show - that her drag career, at least as a physical performer, has an expiry date. The toll it takes on her body is simply too great. However, when it comes time to slow down, the multi-disciplined artist is adamant that her creativity will find new mediums.
"Drag has changed my life," she tells SBS Pride. "Drag has brought me to the point where i can flourish. But I was an artist before i started drag and, if I ever stop, I'll still be an artist."
The Denver local, who also dabbles in fashion design and singing, continues: "I’m not quite down with the idea of doing drag forever, but whatever I do next, as long as I'm able to be open, I'll be happy. I'm still in love with other forms of artistry."
Having spent much of the past year performing around the globe, most recently alongside fellow Drag Race alumni as part of the WERQ THE WORLD tour, Oddly is determined to maintain gratitude and a deep connection to her artistry - despite the exhaustion that comes hand-in-hand with a demanding tour schedule.
Oddly has been traveling as part of the Werq The World tour. Source: Supplied
"I love finding ways to put the artistry I love in drag," she says. "I’ve had to learn how to incorporate it while touring, learn how to feed my soul in little ways."
She adds: "I never thought I would get to be a working artist instead of a starving artist, so I'm incredibly grateful."
On the subject of traveling with other popular drag performers, including Plastique Tiara and Monét X Change, Oddly chuckles once more.
"It does feel a bit like a Summer camp, being able to travel with all these big personalities," she says. "But I’ve always liked Summer Camp and getting to know different people."
"It’s a great chance to see why RuPaul chose all these beautiful talented people, what he saw in them, why he decided to give them a platform."
