Today we’d like to introduce you to Brianna Jeanette Diaz.
Brianna, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
The Honduran blood that runs through my veins and struggle that lies within my eyes is often concealed by a warming smile. My guerita hair and white skin led people to believe I am a privileged individual. The countless days and nights, I would spend crossing the Tijuana border to receive an education throughout my childhood would prove otherwise. It was my acceptance into UCLA that gave me hope for a brighter future.
However, during my initial years at UCLA, I was unhealthy; both mentally and physically. Mentally, I was lost in the dreaded thoughts that consumed me as I envisioned the numerous amount of years that awaited me in the predetermined medical field. Physically, my unhealthy eating tendencies and sedentary lifestyle caused me to feel depressed and hopeless. Dropping out of UCLA was the best decision I never made. I was fortunate enough to let my struggles guide me to a decision that would change the trajectory of my life for the better. Through my personal journey with bodybuilding, I have transformed myself, not only physically, but emotionally and mentally as well.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
Bodybuilding is an art form that involves not only the body but the mind as well. Your body is a canvas, and I use the weights at the gym as my paintbrush.
To others, I am a bodybuilder, powerlifter, or an athlete. In my eyes, I am no single label, rather a combination of all of these art forms that each face the same resistance; the resistance on my muscles from the gym; the resistance from the adversities I have faced as a low-income, first-generation student; to now, as I graduate from UCLA and venture off to develop my craft in the fitness space.
I received my Bachelors of Arts degree from UCLA in Psychology as well as a minor in Entrepreneurship. I am a personal trainer, online coach, and YouTuber using fitness as an avenue to revolutionize people’s lives internally as rigorously as I do externally. I create art in its most authentic form; giving others the tools to discover themselves, their strengths, and their unlimited physical and mental capabilities, allowing them to express themselves in their truest form.
I yearn for others to understand that as unique as each human being is, we are all also astonishingly similar. The way I have built my mind and my body through fitness has taught me the untapped capacity that each one of us holds. Overcoming resistance helps us become stronger, in the gym, in our minds, and in life.
I have come to understand that training instills a type of discipline that trickles into every facet of one’s life. YOU owe it to yourself, to start training your muscles; not only the physical ones but the mental ones as well.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
Success is ambiguous, relative to each individual. Thus, I define success as the progression towards a better me; whether that be in my personal or professional life. With each progression, as minimal as it may seem, I define success.
Throughout the conversations, I have had with various successful entrepreneurs and professionals that have built something for themselves. I have come to find that one of the many characteristics essential to success is patience. The patience to keep fighting for your dreams despite the odds that are stacked up against you. The patience to understand that “what is meant for you will not pass you by…” Without patience, your ability to withstand adversity and progress to the next level will be deterred. Patience will ultimately allow you to see your untapped capabilities come to fruition.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Youtube; Brianna Jeanette Diaz
Instagram: @briannajeanettediaz
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannajeanettediaz/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briannajeanettediaz/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMbFAt7K0SFcwjia5ARvL7g
Image Credit:
@KendallParzu @ArzuCreates
@OpticVisionary
@CtrejoPhotography
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