Bailey J Mills' Guide to Manifesting the Success You Deserve

“The girls that get it, get it” was a phrase circulating the internet last year, mainly used by influencers noting the differences between ways of slicking your hair back that others (men) may not understand, but this sentence, in my opinion, best sums up the work of Bailey J Mills. You either get it, or you don’t, and speaking to me over Zoom, Bailey isn’t particularly bothered about those who don’t - she’s found her niche and she’s bloody ran with it. 

The internet is notoriously fickle for those using it to find fame and Bailey has not only found it, but kept a firm grip on her audience. There are no ex-fans of Bailey J Mills. After sitting down with me and setting the world to rights for thirty minutes, Bailey laid out her top tips for manifesting the life and success you undoubtedly deserve.

Put Some Effort In

Have fun. I know that's like a typical thing, but I would say have fun and don't give up. I know that sounds so cliche, but it’s true. You have to be patient. You have to be really, really patient. I think a lot of people think, especially with starting drag, that they’re going to be successful immediately. But in any other career, you're not going to go to your first day and immediately get a supervisor or manager role. You have got to make it happen yourself, you can't just wait around for it. 

Like for me, I think when I sit and wait around for things, it makes me more impatient because I think I can do it, why aren’t I doing it? Get up off your arse and just make it happen! 

___STEADY_PAYWALL___

Don’t Overthink It

But also don't put your fingers in too many holes either… Not a cheeky way now, I can see where your head was going! Don't put your fingers in too many holes, because it gets oversaturated quickly - people can get very bored with it. Does that make sense? Because you're releasing way too much. 

Do as much as possible but also hold back on new projects and new things, stick to your niche. I started TikTok and my friend - he's a Capricorn - was like, we're going to do a podcast, we're going to do music, we're going to do a music video, we're going to do this and I thought, it sounds great but we need to wait and be patient. If you do too much, I think it puts people off.

Be Yourself

What I like about what I do is I'm not pretending to be an influencer. I'm not pretending to be gorgeous. I don't really edit my photos. If I do shoots and they over edit it,  I would get a bit stressed because I like it to be raw. I want to show people if I've gained some weight, I want to show people this is unfiltered. This is just my life. And being real with it has given me a lot of great opportunities - with gigs and shows and doing ads and stuff - people want to engage with those that are being honest with them.

“I think my stuff works because it’s real, it's very ‘life imitates art.’ We all know the scummy mummy shouting at kids in ALDI. We all know the girl at school who's obsessed with horses, but she always smelled like apple cider vinegar. I know that's really random, but it’s real!” 

Be Talented

I think if you've got it, you've got it. And if you don't, you don't. And it sounds really silly but when I grew up my mum put us in amateur dramatics. I loved musical theatre and the shows taught me a lot about performance, then I did level three performing arts BTEC and you could see people who were there who were talented and people who were just there because it was a course or because it’s a path to getting a little attention. It makes a difference. 

It’s the same with drag, there's people who get into it because of Drag Race and just want to go on that and they just want to be famous. And then there's people who are actually doing it because they love it and have a talent for it. 

Passion really shows when it comes to talent. Very Holly Jarvis, very learning the arts and crafts of performing. You can learn to be a drag queen, you might be able to look beautiful and wear a wig well, but can you manifest the art of performance? I suppose it’s not just having the talent, but having the right reasons for getting into what you’re getting into.

Stick to What You Know

I think my stuff works because it’s real, it's very ‘life imitates art.’ We all know the scummy mummy shouting at kids in ALDI. We all know the girl at school who's obsessed with horses, but she always smelled like apple cider vinegar. I know that's really random, but it’s real! 

Growing up, I was really bullied. There was a place in school called the geek corner. We called it the shitty nitty corner. Me and my friend Molly, we weren't in a clique, we just kind of walked around school and would talk to whoever, so we’d go over to it and chat to anyone. You would get some strange ones and they’re definitely an inspiration for me. Where they would always lie about being pregnant, but no one would shag them. They would have like plimsolls dolly shoes, and the sole would be hanging off, and they would use duct tape, but it'd be so noticeable - it would be flipping at the back. That’s such a recognisable character from everyone’s school experience, so it’s fun to embody her. 

I like to make it relatable. I think that's the main thing I like to do - playing people who you’re like, oh, I saw that woman in the shop earlier, or I saw her growing up on my council estate. If you've lived that life or experienced that life, you get it. That’s who I am trying to appeal to! You need to stick to what you know and stick to entertaining the people who are on the same wavelength as you. The people who don't see the humour in all this, they just haven't lived!

Words: Gina Tonic | Photos: Joe Hindley | Divine dress: Oran Jaurelio | Orange hat: Hat and Spicy