Hey beautiful people. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and/or Hanukkah. Now get ready for all of the New Year/New Me bullshit. I will not be participating in the New Year’s resolution scam this year just to be disappointed by my lack of commitment to whatever lie I told myself.
Do I want to do and be better in the new year? Yes, of course I do. But between my short attention span and my fuck it attitude, I know better. Why lie to myself?
There are some things I hope I am better at in 2026. For instance, I want to do better with finishing things I start. My follow-through sucks. From laundry to half-finished projects, to texting back — some days I suck.
I started a Lego R2-D2, like, two years ago. Now it sits, unfinished, mocking me. Fuck you R2-D2 — reminding me every day that I am not a wizard and that I don’t have any magic powers at all. Otherwise, I woulda waved my wand or used the Force to finish it.
I am going to force myself to be more of a “boss” and stop worrying about being liked or upsetting other people when I need something done. I talk a big game like I am a badass, but I am actually kind of a pushover at times.
Instead of New Year/New Me, my mantra is gonna be “Fuck your feelings!” My default setting is gonna be “Bitch,” because, in the words of Tina Fey, “Bitches get shit done!”
I’m paraphrasing, but you get the point.
Now I wanna talk to all of my fellow drag queens and performers: We need to stop taking crowd size personally. I know I do. This time of year, usually from November to March-ish, the clubs see a drop in attendance. Sure, the holidays bring out a lot of people, but most nights are slower, not to mention the over-saturation of drag. There are shows literally everywhere.
Every weekend there are brunches everywhere and drag shows somewhere every night of the week.
God, I miss the days when we weren’t so loved and accepted, and only a select few brave homosexuals did drag. Now you can’t throw a baby without hitting a person in drag.
My point is, there is an ebb and flow to crowd size and club attendance. I know for many of us entertainers, attendance, or lack of, can fuck with our feelings and make us think that what we are doing doesn’t matter. But it does.
You never really know the impact you have on others. Making people laugh and sharing your art always matters. You know those shitty nights where you don’t make a bunch of money, or you feel like nobody is watching or even cares? Those are the nights that can have the biggest impact on someone.
When someone says that they love you, that they are a huge fan or that they came out just to see you, LISTEN to that and actually hear it. Take the compliment. Take it to heart and remember those interactions when you are having a crappy night or a not-so-great show.
I hear so many times how someone was having a horrible day or they were going through something awful, but my show, my jokes, my energy — whatever it was — changed their mood and brightened their day.
I had a young man recently tell me that a few years ago he had been feeling suicidal, but forced himself to go out to be with people. He watched our show, and I made him laugh. He said I helped pull him out of a “funk” he didn’t think he could escape. He thanked me and told of how much he loves his life now.
He’s now happily married, and they are in the process of adopting a child. He said he wouldn’t have any of that if he had not come to the show that night.
I am really fucking proud of that. I am proud of him and anyone who has “been there” but comes out the other side stronger.
As someone who thought about suicide a lot in my youth, I know what one person or one moment can do to change your life. So many go through that “funk” and don’t survive.
So, this is a reminder that what we do is important — a reminder to myself; a reminder to my drag sisters and fellow creatives.
Keep doing what you do. Show up and show out. You never know when you can be for someone else the person you needed at some point in your life.
Remember to always love more, bitch less and be fabulous! XOXO, Cassie Nova
Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR BITCHES!!!! n