What is your Full Name?
Andriana Luz Santiago

Any Nicknames?
dRi.

When’s your birthday?
January 16

Hometown?
Trenton, NJ

What’s your favorite color?
Purple!

If you could be an animal what animal would you be and why?
A bird. I would love to feel the wind under my wings, and the freedom of gliding through the air. But moneys look like sooooo much fun too!!! Swinging on tress is like a short version of flying. Right? Haha Plus I can already make a killer oo ooh ahh ahh money sound!

What is your guilty pleasure?
Chocolate & Purple Skittles!!!!!!!

Where’s your favorite place to be?
THE BEACH!!!!!!

Ever play any sports?
Basketball, Softball, Cheerleading.

What’s your favorite TV show? Will & Grace!

If you could switch places with anyone dead or alive who would you want to switch places with?
Oprah ROCKS!!! She’s my idol.

Aside from creating music, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I LOVE to

Design
clothes and make Andriana TV Videos!!! And spend time with loved ones. Designing: Whether I’m designing Pants, Shirts, Skirts, Dresses or Jewelry it’s all fun. I LOVE to sew them in cool ways and I LOVE to paint on them with different colors, using a mixed media of Gems, Diamonds, Glitter, Fabric, threads, etc. The Clothes are my Canvas. Most of the time I really never know what it’s going to come out like, even if I have a vision, it still somehow turns out a little more different than I expect. Most of the time I just go with the flow inside ma SOUL! I’ll just black out and spend hours picking and sewing and ripping and stitching and gluing; trying it on, taking it off, & altering it again. It could either happen swiftly in one 12hr motion, or in flashes of inspiration spread out over a number of days; even weeks! haha (see “Designing to me is… 10 steps & Thoughts”) Sometimes I’ll be uninspired for an hour so I’ll read or sing, or go visit a relative or dance, write, play guitar, edit, or watch TV, go on the Internet, talk with a friend, flip through a magazine, go to the gym, then come back and finish.

Video:
I LOVE to document things with the Andriana Cam, which I then import onto my computer, edit, export, then V-Wa-La! Andriana TV EPISODE! Haha but in all actuality it’s more like Import the video, watch the video, cut it up, watch it again, move it around some more, watch it again, repeat that like 200 more times lol, then edit some more, watch it again, then give it that one LAST LAST Watch to look out for mistakes.…. Then there’s the Alleluia moment. The EXPORT!!! ::angels sing and I jump around the room and gleee:: I know I’m finished with an episode when I get that feeling inside my soulllll. I call it, “The closest I’ll come to perfection”. I taught myself how to edit video, and it’s a lot of hard work, sometimes very frustrating, but also very rewarding when I see the final product. It’s just so rad to make mini tv shows, and share them with the world by putting them up on my website. . I get a kik out of it and it makes me happy. My next step is at home music productions. I’ll include this music in up & coming Andriana TV episodes as the score. Just another added goal, to the pile! Haha.

Photography!!!!
It's my most recent hobby. i LOVE LOVE LOVE to take portraits of people and landscapes, especially sunsets. I LOVE IT!!!!

Loved Ones:
When I’m in my zone, I can stay in for hours, days, even weeks at a time. I realize, though, how precious time is, and how quickly it can just slip away. Once it’s gone, you can never get it back. It’s one of life’s most mysterious treasures. You’ll never know until you act on it, until you’re there where you could be if you didn’t waste your time, or the amazing personalities you’d experience with just a schedule change. I especially experienced this when my grandfather was ill off and on for about a year (R.I.P Nov.’05). Contentment and fulfillment, happiness and Love…. That’s how I feel when I ‘m spending time with my parents, grandmother, nana, cousins, etc. I realized that strangers become more of a part of my life than those who have given us so much love, or even grandparents. I could volunteer at a nursing home, or I could just go spend the day with my nana at her apt, or spend a few hours with my Grandmother in the hospital, or cook for my parents. I guess it’s the little things to show love and gratitude. This is very special to me. Everyone always needs someone to talk to. And family is so important. Love is so important.

What is something weird that you do, that some people might not know?
I subconsciously leave about an inch of water in my water bottle mostly every time!!!! VERY WEIRD. I know. It just happens. Trust me. I was sitting here at my desk the other day and had 3 empty water bottles, since I drink like 8 a day, all lined up… THEN I REALIZE there’s about an inch of water in all of them. Then I go to the ones in my room; 4 the same way! ! ALSOOOOOO. I NAME EVERYTHING!!! Hahaha My Powerbook is named Princess. Sidekick: Flipper. BookBag: Buddy. I name Every piece of My clothing designs. Most recent shirt I made is named Delilah.

What is something you could never leave the house without?
Flipper & HAIRSPRAY!!!!!! Some others include: a Bottle of Water, Lip Gloss, Eyeliner, a notebook to write in, iPod with iMic for song ideas, and most of the time I take Princess with me, oh! And some sort of smell good thing.

Memorable Event:
MTV asked me to go to Cancun for a Dance competition. It took palce in the Spring of 2005 for Spring Break. I’d never been to a tropical place like that, so it was very special to get chosen to do that. Everyone who I met there was so TALENTED and NICE! STORY TIME!!! One night when we all went out, we were walking, and came across this outside mall with huge floor space. The floors were smooth and across the street there was an open air bar with really loud music. So some of the guys just started break dancing on that floor. THEN! Some Mexican Street dancers came and joined in!!! :-D Talk about wishing I had my video camera with me!!! There were these super cute little kids dancing too!!! Then they had a dance off. People walking by joined in and watched. We were all laughing and DANCING IN THE STREET!!! It was official: We started a party!!! Hahaha That was so magical.

How long have you been dancing for?
For about 15yrs. I LOVE IT!!! It’s so much FUN!! I go to Broadway Dance Center a few times a month and take Ballet, Hip-Hop, Latin, Modern, Lyrical, and Belly Dancing Classes. Where fashion was!~!!!!!

You’re obviously not shy now. Where you ever shy growing up? Yes. I was a small kid growing up, so I got made fun of a lot. That just made be stronger and built character. But at the time, I’d just come home from school crying. In 3rd grade I moved back to Trenton from North Carolina, where I lived for a year. I went to this school, and made a really good friend, but there were these other girls who never really liked me. They thought I’d stolen one of their good friends, and no matter how much I tried to be friends with them, they still talked about me behind my back and gave me dirty looks, but NEVER in front of my good friend. EVIL I TELL YA!!! It’s like those Siamese Cats in 101 Dalmatians. Eventually they got her to turn against me by saying I was calling her boyfriend and making moves on him. Our teacher paired the class up into groups of 3. I was paired up with my friend’s Boyfriend and this other girl who was nice to me. The day before the presentation was due, so the teacher encouraged us to call one another and figure out who was bringing what and go over some things. Since I had 3 way I said volunteered for all of us to talk together. I’ll called the girl, then 3 wayed what’s his face. We talked about the project, blah, blah, blah and then hung up. Done. But the next day rumors were going around that I called this guy and I liked him and asked him out etc. Which is hilarious considering my parents are like, “No Boyfriends until you’re 16!” Turns out that girl had a nauseatingly strong desire to be accepted into that clique of girls. Lies and deception got her there. She said I was flirting with him, and asked him to hang out and that we stayed on the phone a lot after she hung up, and that I was ignoring her to talk to him. This is exactly what they wanted the whole time; a reason to get my best friend against me. And it worked. Those girls had Manipulation down to a science. I suppose they’re majoring in psychology right; I’d be afraid either way.) It was pretty Sickening. For the rest of the year while those people made my life a living hell, she just followed them around like a lost puppy. I hate cliques. Yea. So the school year ended and I had a pretty lonely summer. First day of 6th grade, a BEE stung me!!!!! Great. So not only am I nervous because these kids still hate me, but now I have to draw attention to myself by having to go to the nurse and hold ice on my elbow and be in pain. 2 Weeks pass by and it’s worse than ever, especially during lunch. It was a weird set up. Since I ate cold lunch, I’d be in the classroom, while hot lunch would be in the cafeteria; they’d come up after they were done. So, I’d be sitting at my desk while random people (guys & girls) would hit my chair or bump into me while walking by, and deliberately look like they’re talking about me, knock down my drink, or walk down the hall and yell inside the class room. I’d stand up for myself, but it just wasn’t enough. Kids can be very cruel. And they didn’t care what I had to say. I was like an ant. Outnumbered. But I still tried to be brave and confident. My attempts to make peace and be friends failed, even though by then I didn’t even want to be bothered with those pathetic people anymore. Anyone who has to put someone else down just to feel good about themselves, is no body I want to be buds with. They told me my parents loved me because they had to, I’d never be anything, I was ugly and worthless, and no body liked me. I even got KICKED in the SHIN! & Almost got pushed down the steps!! My parents and I went to administration and they did nothing. The principles were these really mean nuns, and I don’t know if it was because these kids’ parents donated money to the school or were in the PTA, but there seemed to be some sort of conspiracy! Honestly! It was CRAZY!!! They even refused for all of us to have a meeting saying I couldn’t prove it. Everyone denied it, so apparently I was a liar. Meanwhile, the teachers would even witness this happening to me and did not say a word!!! Until one day this girl who was like the ‘leader of the pack’ came up to my desk and started saying all those mean hurtful things; I just got so mad all of a sudden I stood up and punched her!!!! It was like the first and only time I ever hit anyone in my whole life. LoL but she tripped over a few desks and landed right on the floor where she belonged! Everyone in the classroom was stunned. Mouths wide opened, with a ‘what the heck just happened?’ look on their faces. The teacher came in; “Andriana just hit her!” somebody says, pointing to the girl. She’s crying (which I’m sure was all an act) and I’m standing up. The teacher yells at me to go to the office, and so like out of an after school special drama movie, I yelled, with tears rolling down my face, “I’m not going anywhere! You know exactly what’s been happening in here the whole time and you don’t try to stop them!” After that day I never went back to that AWFUL place again. Rumors escalated that I got kicked out but I didn’t care, it was time for me to be happy again. Kindly this other school that was full and not accepting any more students for the year, let me in, and that’s where I went until 8th grade. It was tough during sports events when I’d see those people. They still made threats to beat me up and would foul me during basketball or hit me with the ball during softball. But I just kept my head up high and tried to be as brave as I could, even though deep inside I hated it and just wanted to crawl in a hole and not have anything to do with it. having my peers against me . I didn’t want that to be my life, so I just pushed that fear to the side and went on to live my life without all the negative energy. I made some pretty cool friends while at the other school and totally got voted Prom Queen at the 8th grade prom! Haha High School came around and during orientation I saw a lot of the kids there. One by one as the school year progressed more and more of the kids that had made fun of me began to apologize. Someone that I’d known for a few years from dance class invited me over to her house, and one of the girls was there. She didn’t think I’d talk to her any other way, so she used my friend as the medium. While there she explain how sorry she was and then began to cry, saying that she knew how it felt b.c. now she gets made fun of. She asked if I’d forgive her. And I told her, “of course I do and I appreciate you apology. I had to forgive you guys a long time ago in order to move on have peace within myself. I didn’t want to carry around that resentment.” The girl I punch never apologized. But I told my skater-boy friends about her and they went up to her in the hallway and said “how could u do that to Andriana!? She’s such a cool chick etc etc.” and she just walked away. I yelled at them when I found out and said “Stop! No more of that! It’s done with. Ova! It’s all good in da hood. Peace and Love YALL!” Haha Hate, jealously and evil definitely live inside some people and I guess in this case, with time they realized what they did wrong and took the high road and apologized, which is a humble and righteous thing to do, while others didn’t. During that time I just felt so lonely, and confused and scared. Like no one understood. I’ll never forget that feeling of emptiness and hopelessness. I was always nervous, and crying and felt like I didn’t have anyone to turn to. Being an only child just made me feel even lonelier, even though my parents were there for me, and I was thankful and happy because of that, when your peers are against you and people are constantly tormenting you, it’s like…. “For what? What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve this? I was so good to everyone….” It’s just the worst feeling in the world. It’s so painful and I’d never wish that on anyone. But sometimes things happen and we don’t know why or how, but they just do, and it sucks, but we just have to do our best to live through it and stay positive!! J This was an experience that made me grow up a lot fast

What are you passionate about other than your art?
EATING Healthy!!! Working out. Helping people.

What type of guys do you like?
Creative, FuNny, Responsible, Honest, Outgoing, Musical! I think it’s important to always be learning. Smelling good is a must. Can I get a hell yea ladies? Haha Career driven and inspiring; Respects & Loves people.

If you had 3 wishes what would they be?
World Peace and to Cure world hunger. DUH!!!! And to buy my parents their dream house so my nana can move in and have her own floor or door entrance or something. J Since my Papa passed this past November I know she’s so lonely in her Apt, but she loves having her own space.

What place is your safest place to hide?
In my mind!!! haha and In my back room, in my Ikea chair next to my opened window, where I get to hear the ice cream truck go by 2 blocks over, listen to the leaves rustle in the wind; my mind is calm and I am content. I love being home. I love being outside. The beach.

Favorite time of day?
I ALWAYS stay up late, and sometimes until the morning, and I LOVE the mornings, but I love staying up ALL night too. Taking a nap around 4pm in the winter is perfect b.c. of the sun going down. And then during the day everyone is awake and So ALIVE! So my favorite time of day would be…. At night, I get hyper at night, but I love spending time with my family during the daaaaaaaaaaay. Haha But I love night time. SO my answer would be at night.

What type of candy bar would you be and why?
Snickers is my fav. But if I had to be a ‘bar’, LoL I’d definitely be a GO RAW Bar. Why? Because they’re healthy and if I’m going to be anything I want to be healthy for people!!! http://www.goraw.com/products/home.php?cat=4

What inspired WEAR ART Collection?