Rising Stars: Meet Valerie Vibar

Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Vibar.

Hi Valerie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I do way too many things.

I’ve always been into the creative stuff. I started being involved with art at a very young age. I started learning how to play the piano when I was seven, and by the age of fourteen, I was involved in multiple art projects in the Philippines involving UNESCO Philippines. My high school was affiliated with them. Around the same period, I started doing musicals. I took my singing and dancing seriously when I moved to Texas at sixteen, and I got trained in Italian, German, and English opera. With dance, I studied every style except ballet. I even taught ballroom dancing for a while. From musicals, I transitioned to doing straight plays or more acting-focused stuff. I moved back to the Philippines in 2012, and I took my acting seriously. I was involved with numerous acting projects for theatre, TV, and film. I also had some solo art shows. I moved to LA in 2018. That’s when I started doing stand-up comedy. The reason was that my Filipino accent was too thick. No one understood me, and I couldn’t go back to acting. You see, when I was in the Philippines, I did a lot of work for TV and was told I sounded too “Texan.” So, I stopped speaking English to get my Filipino accent back. I was too good at it. And I’m very thankful for stand-up comedy because it brought me to where I am today. Aside from the things I’ve mentioned, I’ve also branched out into producing and writing.

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?
If I were to be very honest… yes.

I love what I do, and I love how “hard” it seems. The only struggle I indeed faced was people’s opinions. Like, yes, I struggled financially. Yes, I struggled to get an agent. Yes, I struggled to book auditions. But, the real reason I struggled was because I was worried about other people’s opinions of me. When I look back, did I really struggle financially? Well, the answer is yes to the general public. I had three jobs then, but I was more worried about my family’s opinion about how financially unstable I was. When it came to getting an agent, I was concerned about what the agents thought of me. And it goes on and on and on. The more I care for myself, the more protective I become of my energy and my naturally cheery and strong character who enjoys the thrill of what the general public sees as a “struggle,” the more I get what I want. For example, acting. I got my first major audition in December 2020 (COVID times). I was pressured so much by my ex-boyfriend to get the role to the point where it gave me panic attacks. I stopped booking acting roles at that point. Recently, I found happiness in acting again thanks to my acting coach because he, unlike the other acting coaches that were forced unto me by that old lover, was not screaming at me and pushing their demons and worries onto me. He reminded me that I honestly love what I do. I’m not scared of the work. I’m not frightened of tomorrow or next week or next month. I enjoy the grind. I appreciate the little accomplishments. Most of all, I enjoy being free. Since I found this happiness in acting again, I booked 2 out of the last 5 auditions that I got. That’s good if you’re an actor.

With that said, that goes to everything else that I do (and I do a lot). I opened myself up to people’s fears and worries, and I let their demons whisper to me. When I keep to myself and the more selective I become of who to let inside, the more I succeed. My weakness has always been my relationships, romantic and not. I need to be choosy with who I let in. I heard someone say that you need a purpose to be happy. I’ve always had a purpose. I know my goals. I know what’s on my to-do list. What I needed was happiness. And I learned that I can’t have anyone who’s not happy with my joy because that affects me.

To wrap this up… What people saw as my struggle, I saw as an exciting journey.

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?
What I do – I am an actor, stand-up comic, pianist, singer, dancer, writer, producer, illustrator, and painter.

I am most known as a stand-up comic. But I’m not updated with how people see me, so I’m not sure what I’m most known for now!

I specialize in very random things. I would love to think I’m hilarious, and I would love to crack some jokes here, but writing and saying funny things are two different things. I look like a kid, so I can get away with things in person if I say it. If I write it, I’m not so sure.

What am I most proud of – I am proud of myself. First and foremost. I do too many things, which makes it hard for me to answer. But I definitely am proud of who I am and where I am. I didn’t give up, and I discovered my passion for, well, my passions again. That’s all that matters. No one’s going to tie me down. I love flying.

What sets me apart from others – I don’t care. That may sound weird, but I don’t care. I do what I want. I don’t follow the norms. If you see my paintings, you’ll see what sets me apart from other painters. And the same goes for everything else that I do. Living in LA for the past five years, or being born a woman and being alive in this world, I have learned that people push rules onto you. What to say. How to dress. What to paint and what to write. There’s a formula. Screw the formula! I do what I want – and that’s what makes the best creatives. They challenged the norms. So if anyone tells you that things must be this way or that way because that’s how it is, stick to your gut. Your happiness will lead you. Like I said, I don’t care what people say or think. I’m happy. That’s what matters. And that’s what’s been helping me out the most.

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I don’t compete with people, and I found peace in who I am. All my life, I’ve seen miserable people. I still see them now. And if you’re unhappy, you tend to push that onto other people. In the Philippines, we call it crab mentality. Think of a bucket of crabs. One wants to get out of the bucket and tries to climb out of it. The other crabs pull that crab down. It’s sad, and that’s what I’m accustomed to seeing. It took me a while to get out of that bucket, and I’m very aware of my own demons. They still pop up every now and then, but it’s that awareness which has helped me conquer them. I’m at my happiest, and I’m only getting happier every day.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.valerievibar.com
• Instagram: @valerie.vibar

Image Credits
Roberto Chavez Steve Meier Brad Buckman