The Art of Belonging

Some people find belonging in places, while others discover it through the people they surround themselves with. For Alexa Valenzuela, belonging has always been found through the act of creating.

 

Whether she is styling an outfit, stepping in front of the camera, dancing across a stage or writing her first book, every creative pursuit feels connected by the same mindset. Rather than existing as separate careers, each one has become another way of telling stories, exploring ideas and expressing herself creatively.

 

Trying to define Valenzuela with a single title feels almost impossible, and she would be the first to acknowledge it.

 

“I’m a content creator, model, dancer (sometimes choreographer too), writer and I also have my 9-to-5 job,” she says. “In simpler words, I guess I just enjoy working in roles that allow me to create things, be creative, keep learning and connect with people in one way or another.”

 

That desire to create for Valenzuela has never been confined to just any one medium. Instead every discipline has become another way of expressing the same perspective. Years spent training professionally in ballet cultivated in an appreciation for costume design, eventually leading her to study fashion in university. It was there that modeling entered the picture, growing through creative collaborations. Content creation followed in much the same way, becoming a space where her interests could coexist.

 

“I’ve always loved fashion, styling, photography, music and storytelling, so social media naturally became a space where I could bring all of those interests together,” Valenzuela says. 

 

“At first it was simply a creative outlet, but over time it grew into something I wanted to pursue more seriously. What I enjoy most is having a space where I can share things that genuinely inspire me and, hopefully, inspire others too. That’s always my end goal.”

 

That intention is what makes her work stand apart in an online landscape often dominated by algorithms, aesthetics and constant output, Valenzuela approaches creativity from a place of genuine enthusiasm rather than of obligation. 

 

“Anything that genuinely excites me. If I feel excited about it, I post it, no second-guessing,” she says. “I also think people can always tell when content comes from genuine excitement rather than simply being created because it’s expected. Therefore, I try to make things that I would enjoy looking back on now, or even five, ten or twenty years from now.”

 

That sense of intention extends beyond the content for Valenzuela and into the way she views creativity itself. 

 

Inspiration comes from everywhere in her creative pursuits-from music and films to the style of the 1960s through the early 2000s, while fashion icons such as Alexa Chung, Anita Pallenberg, Kate Moss and Marianne Faithfull continue to influence her aesthetic. Even so, she believes some of her greatest inspiration comes from the people closest to her.

 

“My friends inspire me a lot too, so I’d like to think they’ve also played a part in shaping my aesthetic.”

 

Valenzuela’s appreciation for personal connection appears throughout her work and the way she speaks about fashion itself. When asked about one piece in her wardrobe she has grown deeply attached to, she recalls a blue halter top that was thrifted and gifted to her by someone she cares about. 

 

“It now carries this quiet sentimental weight,” she says. “It feels less like clothing and more like a chapter of my life.”

With her first book set to be published later this year alongside new creative collaborations, Valenzuela continues to explore new ways of telling stories without losing sight of what brought her there in the first place.

 

While her work spans multiple disciplines, the thread connecting each of them has remained consistent. It is driven by curiosity, shaped by authenticity and grounded in the belief that creativity is more than self-expression—it is a place of belonging.

 

 

In a world that often asks people to choose a single path or define themselves by one title, Valenzuela offers a different perspective. Sometimes belonging is not about narrowing yourself down to one identity. Sometimes it is found in embracing every part of yourself, allowing each passion to inspire the next until together, they become something entirely your own to showcase to the world.