Can we get an amen up in here? Because RuPaul's Drag Race alum Raven is dropping major career gems.
There's no denying the drag performer has learned from the best in the business, having worked with the legendary RuPaul for over a decade. In that time, she's competed in several Drag Race shows, won an Emmy in 2020 for her makeup artistry skills, and is now heading into season two as the host of her own show, Painted With Raven.
And throughout those years of achievements, Raven (née David Petruschin) has remained committed to her guru's words of wisdom.
"'Do not read anything about yourself online,'" Raven recalled the drag legend telling her when they were filming season one of RuPaul's Drag U in 2010. "It was in the early stages of social media and I saw something that was written about me. He could see that it had hurt me."
And so, Raven shared in her exclusive interview with E! News, "He pulled me aside and told me, 'Don't read that stuff...As long as you're good with you and the people around you, that's all that matters."
It's a mantra Raven has now passed down to show business newcomers.
"I did that with all of the contestants on seasons one and two, and that's also what I tell the contestants on RuPaul's Drag Race," she said. "I've always held onto that because I don't think I would've been able to do the things I've done had I been caught up in what people were saying about me."
And as much as she would love to focus on the positive messages sent her way, Raven knows it's unrealistic. That's why she doesn't engage in it at all. Instead, advising, "Go about your business, be successful, seize every moment and enjoy what you're doing now because it could be gone tomorrow."
It's something Raven not only preaches but that she puts into practice. After all, she noted that Painted With Raven is more than just a show for her.
"I love doing makeup, I love doing anything in front and behind the camera," she said. "And to be given a second chance at it is an even bigger deal because that means people liked it the first time."
And while the reality TV series is about makeup, Raven emphasized that it's anything but superficial.
"It's one of those things that makes you feel a little bit better about yourself," she expressed, adding that makeup is transformative, "It helps you decorate yourself and give yourself to the world in the way that you want them to see you."
But Raven knows that putting her best face forward doesn't necessarily mean it's all about the glam. While makeup serves as a powerful tool, it's the inner beauty that truly sets the foundation.
"You can put on all the makeup in the world, stack as many lashes as you want, paint a smile on, but you can see underneath all of that the way someone is really feeling," Raven noted. "You have to be right within always or it's going to show on the outside."
That's why she stresses the importance of having me-time, as it gives her a chance to recharge and rejuvenate.
"There are those times where you go, 'Let me give myself just a moment,'" she said. "I'm a workhorse, so when I get the opportunity to do all these things, I want to do them. But I've had to check myself."
As she put it, "You're allowed to do that."
Season two of Painted with Raven premieres Nov. 17 on Wow Presents Plus.