WASHINGTON D.C. -- She’s fresh, she’s dope – and it’s not just the hip and modern colloquialisms that describe her art and its style. She’s also innovative, creative and versatile.

Originally from Canada and with a short hiatus to Brooklyn, New York, under her belt, her given name is Diana Reyes and she now finds herself back home in Toronto. She’s come a long way from the hustle and bustle of the big city, but her dancing shoes --in this case, break dancing shoes -- have opened the doors of possibility for a young, budding urban artist.

Diana Reyes, the hip-hop and house dancer and visual artist has only just begun. This 27-year-old modern day woman garnered her acclaim through the most unlikely of sources: Myspace.com. Very rarely would anyone think of this social networking site as a successful marketing tool for young artists, but ironically enough, her fame, for the most part, was born out of unconventional methods.

“It's where I garnered lots of popularity, buzz and even some real press,” Diana says of Myspace. “It gave me the opportunity to market myself a certain way (whichever way I please), and this worked out amazingly because the more people saw my stuff, the more they were interested in booking me for shows, interviews and photo shoots.”

With strong Filipino roots as her foundation, Reyes says that her family’s support and understanding have provided limitless motivation.

“I guess the role they play in being supportive is just being able to understand what I have to go through - and that even though I may be struggling at times, doesn't mean I'm unhappy.” Anyone that is artistically inclined is aware that the beauty in making art is the struggle; for therein lies freedom from the pomp and circumstance of conformity.

Inspiration, though it is the life force of any creative mind, can sometimes be painful, but Reyes has managed to find it in other places.

“It's pretty unhealthy to want to go to a painful place in order to be inspired,” she says of her unpleasant muse. “[Instead] I go to a place that's dissatisfied or bored with what is now considered 'cool' or 'hip' - and create something that I'd like to see be created, even if I weren’t an artist.”

Being Filipino American is not always the easiest of circumstances, but throwing art into the equation can make the twists and turns of life less jolting.

“I was often called a 'chink' growing up,” she says of young children she grew up with who were ignorant of the Filipino culture.  “[It] was painful, but definitely built my character.”

As an artist, Reyes has the ability to take adverse situations, such as this ethnic confusion, and transform them into artistic accomplishments. “I see my art impacting the world in such a way that everyone sees me as an artist - not necessarily an 'ethnic' or 'urban' artist - but merely someone who expresses themselves openly and beautifully.”

Art and its unmitigated power to make a lasting impact on FilAm youth, and artists such as Reyes, have an opportunity to show youngsters that the art of Van Gogh and Gauguin can be translated into endless mediums and genres. Art does not have to be classical and boring; art can be poetry, graffiti, break dancing or tattoos; it’s just another form of expression.

“Being an artist means being an open and honest expressionist,” says Reyes. “It takes guts to express oneself freely, and then put themselves on a platform for everyone to dissect.” It can also provide a level of freedom; from the mainstream, the 9-5 grind, it’s an escape that one can make on their own. It doesn’t have to bring instant fame or riches, it can simply be therapeutic.

Striving for the unconventional is Reyes’ ultimate goal. “[It’s] bold, colorful and sharp,” she says of her art. “I hate being classified or put into a category,” Reyes says of her “urban artist” label. “I think my art is more universal than that.”

Though talent is the cornerstone, Reyes’ clean lines, quiet confidence and genuine spirit are the elements that make her art uniquely hers.

“If one is honest with themselves, they are honest to the whole world and the whole world always responds to honesty in its rawest form,” says Reyes, who would, like any artist agree that there is no art in artifice.

For more information, go to: www.flyladydi.com