Daily Inspiration: Meet Whitnye Raquel
Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitnye Raquel.
Hi Whitnye, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hey there! My name is Whitnye Raquel, I am a singer/songwriter/entrepreneur based out of Fort Worth, Texas. Between playing live music and running a creative vending company with my partner, you can catch us on the road in a self-converted camper van I built in 2020. After backpacking Asia for nearly a month and realizing my passion for seeing the world, I returned home with a crazy idea that I was going to build a tiny home on wheels to travel in. I began documenting the van build process through weekly vlogs. It was a great way to share my van build journey while entertaining my interest in video editing and connected me to an incredibly supportive community of like-minded folks. Once travel became an option again after the pandemic, I began a mission to crawl all over this floating rock, making new friends and sharing my experiences along the way. Check out our creative vending machine located at Lola’s Saloon, or catch a performance at a local venue.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The van build was a long, bumpy road. I had never touched power tools before I dove head-first into this tiny construction project. I spent countless hours learning about amps, watts, volts… figuring out how to build an off-grid electric system… I could not have finished it without the help of my partner, and many kind friends. I remember getting to a point where I hated how everything was going, I was nervous about the layout and unhappy with my amateur craftsmanship. There were a lot of tears. I just kept building. Eventually, it all started coming together until my perfect little turtle shell on wheels had materialized.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I own a creative vending company called Portobello Road with my partner, Justin Hill. Our machine, located at Lola’s Saloon in Fort Worth, is chock full of snacks, mystery bags, and other handmade goodies from local artists and makers. I have been performing live music in and around DFW for nearly 12 years. I enjoy expressing myself through music. I have released three projects to date ranging from folk to electro-pop.
A few days a week you can catch me behind the bar at the White Elephant Saloon, where I have been employed for over fourteen years. Serving up good vibes in the ol’ haunt since 2008, where I met Cody Jinks, who had previously been a bartender there for years. He called me up and asked me to play a handful of gigs with him. He later published my album and walked me through the process of copywriting my original music. With a freshman album out, I was kick-started into playing three or four shows a week. Performing became an integral part of my life and I am very grateful to the DFW community for supporting my musical career throughout the years. I look forward to sharing more original music in the future.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I, unfortunately, contracted Covid 19 twice during the pandemic. The second bout became quite scary. I developed a severe cough, and lost my voice for months, and was unable to perform. I realized that I had been taking my health for granted. When I finally recovered, I took a huge step back from all stressors in my life. I cut my work schedule back, started a mental and physical health journey, got back out in nature, lost 30 pounds, and came to the realization that the only thing that truly matters in life is living in the present moment.
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