We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Victoria Orantes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Victoria , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
After many long meditative walks, I came to the conclusion that resilience comes from decision. Without the accountability of my mind, my body is weak. Truthfully, I rather indulge myself in long naps, but in understanding that my future is hidden in my daily routine, resilience is a choice, a choice that keeps me going even when my motivation runs out. I liken motivation to emotions, fluctuating and capricious, but self- discipline is a decision. Despite how I may feel, I do my best to take action because self- discipline is the foundation to resilience.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
What I do is create oil paintings and write poetry. My poems and paintings are intertwined, since the poem’s purpose is to explain the meaning of the paintings. The storefront of my work is my 1966 Volkswagen Beetle mobile boutique. In reality, the car is an extension to the artwork because the car has been reimagined to suit the purpose of showcasing art, storing art, displaying curated thrifts, and welcoming passerbyers to participate in the community canvas on the rack over the Volkswagen’s decklid.
What is most special about my experience as an artist is seeing how viewers connect with my work. I’ve had the most marvelous conversations and more bizarre first-hand experiences, witnessing how passerbyers’ intuition perceive the meaning of my art and how people can immediately perceive that the message of my work relates to something they are currently going through, and finding solace to their experiences being communicated visually and poetically. It is a surreal experience, as well as an honor to be able to connect with another person in such a specific way.
What’s new is during the month of July 2023, my 1966 Volkswagen Beetle boutique (V.E.O. Visions) and I, had an art tour in the Los Angeles area. Neighborhoods like El Sereno, Echo Park, Eagle Rock, Long Beach, Hollywood, and Pasadena were the destinations of art vending and people connecting.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
In my opinion, three areas of knowledge that will help anyone at any point in their journey is 1. Constantly seeking a relationship with God 2. Constantly nurturing a relationship with themselves 3. Understanding that the pain of self- discipline hurts less than the pain of regret.
What challenge are you currently facing?
It has been difficult to see how ‘convenience’ is the preferred method of living for many people. Preferring convenience inhibits the in-person experience in many aspects of life such as shopping and entertainment. This observation has posed the opportunity for me to rethink how my artwork, poetry, and mobile boutique can be available and visible to the public. Therefore the challenge is to make adjustments that acknowledge these societal shifts, without losing sight of my vision and without compromising my personal philosophies.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/v.e.o.visions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VEOvisions/
