Today we’d like to introduce you to Bianca Pietersz.
Hi Bianca, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I am a first-generation immigrant from Venezuela. I came to the US at the age of 3 and have been absolutely privileged to spend my life in the land of opportunity. My mother raised me as a single, adventurous doctor who loved to travel. Apart from having family spread across 3 different continents, she really opened my eyes to the world from an early age. At the age of 12 we took a trip around the world visiting many countries in Europe: France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Middle East: Jordan, Israel, and Asia: India, Singapore, China. Europe and South America is where we have family, but the lessons on culture from the Middle East and Asia have really stuck with me for life. We don’t truly understand how privileged we are to live in the United States without traveling. It really expanded my cultural awareness and developed my worldview in many ways. I made it my mission to follow my bliss at all costs so that I can one day pay it forward and inspire others to do the same. I grew up on stages singing, dancing, acting, and drawing any chance I got. It was a great way to develop all of my soft skills for the next part of this life journey. This then evolved to creating my first animation after having my first daughter in 2020, which incorporated every art form to that point. This short film was accepted into 6 festivals winning one award for best short, animated pilot. I could not have been prouder that I was able to start and complete it with the new added responsibilities of motherhood. Since then, I have had one more beautiful daughter this past year (2022) and published a bilingual Augmented Reality children’s book called The Alphabet Fruits and Veggies that is available on amazon. It was a huge learning experience and has really opened my eyes to the possibilities of tech and future integrations. I am now working on a series of Trilingual AR-infused children’s books while immersing myself with learning blockchain development and AR/VR design. It’s been a whirlwind of taking risks and experimenting with various mediums. From traditional drawing, painting, and murals, to digital drawing, animation, voiceover, and development, artists truly have the most amazing opportunity right now to shape the future. I am so grateful to be a part of this time and a part of this collective whole, forging the path with futuristic innovations.
If a new mom with 2 children can do all of this, so can you! With one day after another and one action stacking upon the last before you know it, you’ll have built a mountain!
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?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. I had to endure tons of rejection and criticism growing up, but really the biggest obstacle was challenging self-doubt. All the exterior challenges never really compared to the internal struggles of an artist. There is no set path or roadmap for this type of work, so it has really all been experimentation, failing, getting back up, and persevering. It’s easy to say in retrospect, but there really were moments where prayer was the only thing to get me through. Becoming a mother was really the kickstarter to expanding my capacity tenfold. If there is any advice I can give to any young woman, it would be to not be afraid to become a mother. It really forces you to grow up and expands your capacity for love, compassion, responsibility and it aligns your perspective of life. It truly ignites your drive, resolve, grit, and teaches you to be guided by your inner wisdom.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
If you look me up on google, you will most likely come across my short film, some film work, and social media pages including a YouTube, Instagram, Facebook page, TikTok, etc. you may be able to find pictures of my mural in Long Beach, digital drawings and paintings, and my new Agmented Reality children’s book on amazon. The landscape of my work is constantly evolving as I gain new skills and come up with new ideas, so I am sure I will be more proud of what is yet to come! My goal for the next book series will incorporate 3 languages, augmented reality, and an application to house all of these AR books.
The Alphabet Fruits and Veggies El Alfabeto Frutas y Vegetales is a bilingual English and Spanish augmented reality children’s book where you can scan a QR code and watch the book come to life with fun animations and audio! It helps children learn multiple languages and proper pronunciation in a fun and engaging way by incorporating the technology they are already becoming accustomed to on a daily basis.
The next series is incorporating English, Spanish, and Mandarin so that our children will have the most opportunity and cultural awareness. It will help them become accustomed to hearing and seeing the three most used languages in the world. Imagine them being able to communicate with the vast majority of people around the world with ease and excitement! Being trilingual will open so many more doors for their learning and professional lives later on. Exposure to these languages is the first step to fluency and that’s what I hope to provide with these books.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Openness to learn and willingness to persevere are the greatest qualities anybody can have in my opinion. It has lead to any and all advancements not only to any individual but society and the world as a whole. Being able to have empathy and compassion is part of openness to learn and relate to others and a willingness to persevere is what has allowed evolution and advancement of our species. Both of those qualities are the ones I hope to instill in my children and the future generations.
Pricing:
- The Alphabet Fruits and Veggies: $20
- Traditional Painting comission: $500 + shipping
- Digital Portrait: $200 + printing and shipping (if selected)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sites.google.com/view/beartstudios
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artwithbianca/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtwithBianca/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ArtWithBianca
Image Credits
Will Chiang Photogrpahy
