TRLBLZRS 20
On the cusp of creative motion with a splash of hypnotherapy, Sierra Katina Puett carves her own spot among our select group of trailblazers.
Leaving her mark within the LGBTQ+ community, Sierra acted in the short film “Were You Gay in High School?”
She showed us the crazy confusing but magically wonderful life of discovering that you are totally crushing on your same gender. When I asked about her role within the community, Sierra was confident about continuing to be a role model for those who are struggling with their sexuality. She understands first hand the shit people go through when they are first coming to understand who they are and how to express themselves.
“As a queer cis female, half-Japanese, I want to have representation that is accurate and personal,” she said.
Sierra is a powerfully queer badass woman who encourages love and acceptance, using the roles within her career to make sure no one is alone in their self-discovery journey.
“Failure has been very important in my life and career. I don’t think failure has ever been a fear of mine and every time I’ve failed it's given me the fuel to continue,” she said.
Failure has been the root of Sierra’s growth, not viewing the things she’s messed up on as definitive failures but lessons that showed her where she needs to work harder or improve upon herself.
Inspired by her dad, she also earned her license in hypnotherapy, guiding whoever needs help to release their stresses, anxieties, or whatever is toxic to your aura. You cannot tell me that this is anything else but the sickest side job ever.
“I actually wrote, directed, produced, and starred in my own short film over the pandemic, and that is queer as well. I also am in the upcoming Netflix movie ‘The Prom’,” Sierra said about her biggest achievements.
Sierra was talking about her experience with the upcoming movie where she was walking around set and accidentally ran into somebody. To her surprise, it was casually just Meryl Streep. All Sierra thought to herself was, “Woah.”
Sierra is one of those creatives that transcends different crafts. She has been pushing herself within the dance industry. In February she produced, directed, choreographed, and even danced in her own show. And anyone curious about where her passion for dance also led her? The Cirque du Soleil, with half of it being a water show. She needed her scuba diving certification because her entrances and exits were underwater. Yes, my jaw dropped too, it is okay if you need a second to process the insanity of that. She even had her own solo. So basically Sierra’s range of talents allows her to be a queer advocacy icon, change people’s lives by healing the damage held in their subconscious, put together an entire dance show from the inside and out, and then turn herself into a real life acrobat mermaid.
“Being young today means having no boundaries. Young people right now have created a space that is so boundless and so limitless and so expansive. It is such a wonderful space to be in because we are so free to explore things and cultures and ways of life that a lot of past generations did not have the opportunities to do so,” Sierra said.
Sierra Katina Puett is the definition of what it means to be young. She is an inspiration to all people, queer or straight, and everyone should live like Sierra (not to mention that she has the sickest fashion sense out there). With no fear of the potential the future holds for her, she will soar through the sky with her talents and beautiful charm. We will undoubtedly be seeing more of Sierra, the cool queer half Japanese acrobatic dancer with the power of healing and the potential to be as big as her friend Meryl Streep.
This story appears on the December 20 issue of Mud, "Lisztomania." You can purchase a digital and print copy here.