Mask for Mask: The Power of Persona… or the Lack Thereof

We are always wearing masks. Sometimes literal — makeup, costumes, stage names, usernames. Sometimes invisible — sarcasm, confidence, aloofness, ambition. But we all have them. We all use them. And for good reason. Masks, personas, alter-egos — they allow us to shapeshift. To survive. To stand a little taller when we feel small. To say the thing we might otherwise swallow. To be bold when boldness feels dangerous. In many ways, this is ancient magic. Ritualistic. Human.

The Stage Name is a Spell

There’s a reason musicians, writers, and drag performers carefully choose their names like weapons or talismans. A stage name doesn’t just hide the “real” person — it creates a new one. It allows distance. Freedom. Power. Drag queens know this better than anyone. A drag persona isn’t just a mask — it’s armor, it’s exaggeration, it’s truth wrapped in glitter and camp. Queens often say that their drag self allows them to express parts of themselves that feel dangerous or impossible to show in everyday life. It’s not about becoming someone else. It’s about becoming more yourself. Even musicians do this. Lady Gaga isn’t separate from Stefani Germanotta — she’s an expansion of her. Childish Gambino isn’t hiding Donald Glover — he’s illuminating him. Stage names become permission slips. Permission to be big. Loud. Weird. Honest. 

Online, The Mask Slips On Faster

Social media, for better or worse, has normalized the persona. A username, a profile pic, a carefully curated bio — these are all tiny masks. Sometimes empowering. Sometimes destructive. We see it in anonymous activism — voices speaking truth to power without fear of retaliation. We see it in creative freedom — artists experimenting without risking real-world judgment. And… we see it in cruelty. Anonymity can protect the vulnerable — but it can also embolden the cowardly. The faceless troll. The online bully. The comment-section assassin who would never dare say those words out loud. The mask frees them from consequence, and so their worst instincts spill out unchecked. That’s the double-edge of the persona: it reveals what’s already inside us — for better or worse.

The Persona Isn’t The Power — You Are

So what do we do with this knowledge? If we only feel powerful in the mask — only funny when tweeting anonymously, only sexy in drag, only confident under a stage name — what does that say about how we see ourselves unmasked? It says we’ve learned to compartmentalize our bravery. To ration out our worth. To believe that confidence is a costume, not a birthright. But here’s the secret: the mask was never magic. You were always the magic. The persona didn’t invent your boldness — it just gave you permission to access it. The stage name didn’t create talent — it let it shine without apology. The anonymous post didn’t invent your truth — it simply lowered your fear. Imagine if you didn’t need the mask to do that anymore. Imagine standing on your own two feet, without the glitter, the username, the alias — and still feeling whole. Still feeling worthy. Still feeling enough. Like RuPaul said best, “When you become the image of your own imagination, it’s the most powerful thing you could ever do.”

Wear the Mask — But Don’t Forget Who’s Underneath

This isn’t an argument against personas. Far from it. Wear them. Create them. Celebrate them. There is ancient, beautiful power in the names we choose, the faces we paint, the voices we adopt. But know this: The mask should be a tool, not a cage. It should set you free, not trap you. The goal isn’t to never wear a mask. The goal is to know — deeply, unshakably — that you were powerful before you ever put one on. And that you’ll be powerful still, long after you take it off.

Written by Jai LePrince

Photography by Mark Bluemle @barks.mindd

Production and Direction by Sophia Querrazzi @sophiamq_14

Talent: Jaden Rittweger @jjadeddjjadenn

Talent: Marc Semana @marcmiaou

Talent: Sophia Querrazzi 

Feeling Trapped

The person in the cage is me. At my core, I know I’m an artist, I know I was born to express and perform. But the anxiety and fear in my head often trap me, silencing my voice and stifling my creativity.

I didn’t grow up in a theater or art family, but all my life, I’ve been creating. From designing paper dresses for my My Little Ponys, crafting complex storylines for my Barbies, or turning my emotions into song lyrics, I was the quintessential tortured artist. My family appreciated my creativity but treated it as a hobby, not a way of life. I was told I was “too loud,” “too bossy,” and “not a genius at one thing,” leaving me with the feeling that I’d never truly amount to something.

Then, on a whim, I auditioned and got into a Performing Arts High School. Suddenly, I was in a world where being loud, taking up space, and showing off my skills was not just encouraged, but celebrated. I had spent so much time repressing myself to fit in, it felt like I had forgotten how to just be me. 

The judgment never disappeared—it just morphed, and I had to learn how to handle it all over again.

In front of my voice teacher, one of the few people who truly encouraged me, I felt unstoppable. I spent hours perfecting my audition pieces. But the moment I stepped into the audition room, surrounded by peers and directors who seemed to see only flaws, my confidence evaporated. My voice was swallowed by anxiety and self-doubt, and all that was left was the sound of someone trapped—someone terrified to be herself.

Eventually, I reached a breaking point. I didn’t want to be that scared, uncertain person anymore. 

My passion for success outweighed my fear. 

Still, there’s always a quiet voice of doubt I have to actively say no to every time I step on that stage. In my head, I repeat a mantra: “You deserve to try.” 

Growth isn’t linear, and escaping that cage isn’t easy, but I truly believe it’s possible. You deserve to be yourself at your fullest, brightest, and boldest, no holds barred.

Written by Natasha Teiman 

Photography by Mark Bluemle @barks.mindd

Directed by Sophia Querrazzi @sophiamq_14

Talent: Marc Semana @marcmiaou

MARZWRLD: A Multidisciplinary Artist

MARZWRLD is a multidisciplinary artist known for blending visual art and fashion into a beautifully chaotic creative universe. Based in New York City, MARZ has spent the past few years building a body of work that spans photography, modeling, fashion design, event curation, and now—drag. With a background in photography and self-expression through styling, MARZ has modeled for notable brands like Snipes USA and Sprayground, just to name a few. Through their brand PLANETMARZ, they repurpose thrifted clothing into one-of-a-kind wearable art, often incorporating their own original photography and mixed media techniques.

As an event curator, MARZ most recently launched ‘Promiscuous’ , a space for community, artistry, and liberation. Now stepping into the world of drag, MARZ is embracing their full creative identity. Rooted in vulnerability, authenticity, and fearless self-expression.

I had the privilege of chatting with them and trust me, their world is one you’ll want to take a look into.

Diamond Durant: So, first and foremost, what does fashion mean to you personally and creatively? 

MARZWRLD: Fashion. I guess I didn't grow up in the fashion world and knowing anything about fashion until I just ran and we dived into it. It's just like with everything that I do, it's part of freedom of expression. It's just like another part of me being able to be me authentically. It's [fashion] just expression and self-expression and authenticity.

Durant: You work with mixed media in your designs. Can you walk us through your process and what drew you to mixed media, and how has it shaped your voice as a designer? 

MARZWRLD: I like mixed media because you never know what's going to happen. You work with different materials and react differently to different things.I feel I'm more connected with my art when I  just kind of black out in a way, and just let my body just do its thing and just be in a whole flow state. I don't really have a process of making things. I just see these different materials and these different objects and I'm just like, “what if I put that and this together”, “what if I add water to this?” “What if I glue this, let it dry and then chip away at it?”I just have these what if questions and so that allows me to explore a lot more. And what was the second question? 

Durant: How has it [mixed media] shaped your voice as a designer? 

MARZWRLD: Yeah, I've definitely tried to learn Photoshop and, you know, online, like editing software. Like I love doing videos. I love, you know, editing photos. I also think that it's rooting my inner child and connecting with that because, you know, growing up, we did a lot of arts and crafts. And so I just loved touching things and making things with my hands. I would say just by experimenting, and now being at the place I am and seeing my work throughout time. I definitely see the connections to everything. It's just helped me get my story across better by doing mixed media, adding these extra elements.

Durant: So you're a model, a designer and a newly formed drag artist. How does your self-expression shift or stay consistent across those identities, or do they feed into one another? 

MARZWRLD: I think they feed into one another, but they're also their separate entities. I definitely think, if you do more than one thing, it helps with the other thing. I haven't done photography in a minute and I've been kind of creatively blocked there, but drag recently has opened that up for me again. I love doing weird shoots and creating these drag looks. Just having that creative energy flow back into that part of me, while also finding this new creative outlet. Drag has allowed me to express myself in such a different way. Modeling in a way is kind of like acting. You're becoming this kind of persona. You're just posing and you're there and then not. But like with drag, you're in, you're in it. Like you are this person for however long your performance is, at least for me. I love dancing. I love letting my body move, so just letting the music flow through me. I think that's like what my art is, essentially just being in a constant flow state and seeing what comes from that. But yeah, it's all connected and it all has helped me with my other creative endeavors and definitely get it better at each one. 

Durant: How did you first get into drag? Was there a specific moment or was it something that you always been interested in but never had the time to do so?

MARZWRLD: Yes. So I've been wanting to do drag for a minute, and I mean, Ive been doing drag makeup for photoshoots, I grew up a theater kid and and I've done plays and I've done like talent shows and I go to the club and I dance at the club, so you know,  I've always had that, and I've always wanted to do drag and put that together, but I've just always had this fear of doing it. The fear of performing, doing drag, and going out in drag, but I'm such a perfectionist that it hinders me sometimes. I’m in my head and it makes me not do things and push it off because I'm like “oh, I really can't do my own makeup that well. So, you know, I'm just not going to do it as a whole” instead of just going and diving in. Knowing it's the first time, you're not going to be good the first time you do something that you've never done before. I just moved into my new apartment. Now I live with two drag queens. So just seeing them do their thing and just having this itch to do it as well. They helped me get into drag. They provided me with makeup or tips and this and that. So they provide me with encouragement. One of my roommates said there was this drag show that happens every month and it's open sets and I should sign up. And so I did. I had my first performance and it was so fun. And now I'm on my third performance and I just remember my first performance and being nervous and now I'm looking back at my latest performance and I just can't remember having any nerves right before the performance. So it's really helping with my confidence and each time I do it, it gets easier and better.

Durant: And um what would you say your biggest accomplishment is so far, whether a moment, a collaboration or a personal breakthrough? 

MARZWRLD: So I've been in New York for under a year and I've done a lot in that time, I feel like, and so I'm really proud of myself for coming here and really pursuing what I said I was going to pursue and, you know, just putting action behind my own words.  Even through the ups and downs. It's fucking hard on top of it being expensive. New York has a way of really chewing you up and spitting you out, girl. and then my [day] job laying me off two times and, you know, dealing with all that, I think I'm really proud of myself for persevering and like continuing to get my shit done and doing what I said I came to New York to do. So I'm really proud of that and a more specific moment, I'm really proud of my organizing, especially my Halloween party. But actually, I'm really more proud of my queer prom, PROMiscuous’  that just happened. 

Durant: In a world that's constantly trying to box people in, how do you stay rooted in your truth while continuing  to evolve? 

MARZWRLD: I get a lot of my inspiration from just like, like life experiences. A lot of my work can do with living life, so just always just allowing myself to breathe and touch grass and know that like there are no limits to anything and that anything is possible. And if I want it, I got it, I can think it. 

Durant: Rejection is a part of the creative industry or creative space as a whole. How have you learned to handle step backs and keep motivated? Would you say your previous answer lines up with how you’d respond to this question. 

MARZWRLD: Honestly, yeah, I mean, with modeling and being creative you always hear ‘no’ but it really is redirection. I look back and I'm just like everything worked out how it was supposed to. It's hard in the moment, but you come to terms with it, but then you see the bigger picture later on and it's like, “wow, you know, that no was actually a yes for me, honey!” 

Durant: And where do you see MARZ as a person and as a brand in the next five to ten years? And is there anything we can see coming soon in the near future from MARZ? 

MARZWRLD: Eventually I would love to see my clothes get bigger. We can expect bigger and better, higher quality, but still sustainable one of one's, but also branching making clothes that everyone can buy. I want to get into a lot of things. I mean, like MARZWRLD as a brand I do so much. And it's just really exciting, but expect workshops, even more performances. Just expect to be like damn this bitch does it all. And that's what's about to come, honey. Especially with doing drag, I feel like I just dipped my toe into what I'm capable of and what is coming from me. And I just feel like in this next year, or two, or however long,  it's about to be a deep dive into this creative world that I've created. I'm just so excited to see where it goes because I really don't know, but I just know it's going to be good and this is me now speaking into existence with you. 

Durant: Exactly. And that shit is going to happen, okay! 

MARZWRLD: It's happening right now!

Written and interviewed by Diamond Durant @diamondurant

Photography by Mark Bluemle @barks.mindd 

Talent: Marz @​​marzwrldbitch