Freshman Cynthia Flores participates in slam poetry and creates art. She is inspired by those around her.

AW: What is your biggest inspiration for your art and poetry?

CF: My biggest inspiration? People, mostly, like people I see passing by me. I don’t really take stuff from nature, or scenery, or all the stereotypical things. I like to look at people and make stories out of them and make poetry out of them.

AW: Why do you do the slam poetry contests?

CF: I think it’s a way to express myself because I’ve never really had a way to do that before, because, as much as people believe it is, art isn’t a way to express yourself, especially if you’re not putting it out there. And I don’t really get the chance to put my artwork out there, unless it’s like a local thing. So I think with the poetry slam it’s easier to get the word out there about my poetry and share it with other people.

AW: Why do you like the fine arts so much?

CF: Maybe it was just the way I grew up. I grew up around an uncle, who was an artist, and my mom who all the time used to draw these little cow things, they were pretty cute, and I think I kind of just took inspiration from that. I think that’s what makes me like the fine arts so much. Except for music.

AW: Do you do any other activities besides the fine arts?

CF: No, I’m not a sports-oriented person. I did boxing for a while, but otherwise I’m a fine arts oriented person.

AW: You’re quite the minority. What’s that like?

CF: Well, it sucks, because people here are like “Oh, I love Donald Trump” – just as an example – and it really hurts me because I’m Mexican and I’m gay, and I’m nowhere near you. I’m not the stereotypical beautiful Latina girl with so many friends. No, I’m a person, and people don’t see it that way here, that I’m an actual person with actual feelings, and that I’m here in the U.S. for a reason, and I’m not just here to rape your wife and your husband. I’m not here to do that. I want to live my life. And it scares me because I’m not sure what people would do to me if I wasn’t conducting myself.

AW: What was it like to come out?

CF: It was the scariest thing in existence. I don’t think there’s been anything scarier than coming out. And it wasn’t that bad, not to a group of 200 people, like that wasn’t that bad. The worst was coming out to my mom because I didn’t know how she’d react, you know? Like I don’t know how she would support me. She doesn’t really have any family members who are gay or lesbian or transgender, or all that junk, all that stuff. She never really had that so I had no idea how she’d react to it.

AW: Are people surprised when you tell them you’re gay?

CF: I would like to say yes, but people are usually like, “Oh, you gave me that vibe,” which isn’t a really good thing to say, but whatever, I guess. People really aren’t surprised when I tell them.