Whenever 5-year-old Vania was visiting someone else’s home, all the walls were covered with large sheets of paper. Everyone knew that she was going to find magic markers and start painting on the walls. Being an artist was in her DNA.
Her desire to paint and create art carried with her into young adulthood.
But then one day everything changed.
Vania and her family frequented a Mexican restaurant when they were living in Kingsport, Tennessee. Although they were all accustomed to the wall décor, one picture stuck out to her like a dog among cats.
“I would always look at these images of representations of Mexican culture that were just very discriminatory. It was about a Mexican guy with a big sombrero, drunk with bottles of tequila on the floor and behind him a big cactus. I just never appreciated that,” Vania said.
She continued, “The more I saw it, the more it would dawn on me that I don’t want other people to go and feel like that’s how my dad is.”
And with that feeling of disappointment, 13-year-old Vania told her mother that she would like to express her feelings to the restaurant ownership.
“I warned her ‘I’m about to do something crazy’ and she’s like ‘You go for it if you feel like this is something important to you,’” Vania said.
She then told the restaurant owner about how their offensive pictures don’t truly capture their Mexican heritage. The owner told her those pictures were the only ones available at the restaurant depot. He did, however, invite her to create her own paintings and he would consider using them.
So she went to work.
“I told my dad, I’m going to need a library card and I’m going to need some money for materials,” she said. “So I went to the library, that’s when I discovered [Mexican artists] Frita Kahlo and Diego Rivera. There are so many more but those two stuck out to me because I’ve always wanted to be a muralist, too.”
Vania learned more about her Mexican heritage from the research she conducted. She then knew what type of art to create for the restaurant.
“So I came up with six images, all different subjects. But the same kind of representation that I would want somebody to walk in there, and if they were Mexican, they could be like, ‘That’s where we come from – this is why we’re here,’” she said.
Once Vania completed the paintings, she took them all back to the restaurant for the owner to look over. The experience was troublesome at first as many of the employees laughed at her and didn’t take her seriously. But as a determined 13-year-old, she fought through it all and brought in one painting at a time.
“He took the time to look at every one of the paintings, and I explained every single one of the paintings and why it was so great to replace the images they had. And he loved it. He absolutely loved every one. He cried and said ‘You reminded me why I have a Mexican restaurant in the first place – this place that is not so friendly of us,’” Vania said.
He gladly bought all six paintings.
“That day an entrepreneur in me was born. But also I had a greater strength of why I should follow an emotion that I have, especially when I’m misrepresented, not just for me, but everyone that I stand for,” she said.
Vania learned a lot about herself after that experience. It gave her the necessary tools, both literally and figuratively, to pursue a career as an artist. And her lessons can resonate with women everywhere.
“I learned a lot of lessons that day to go for it if you’re passionate about it. Invest in yourself by doing the research so you’re really equipped and educated on what you’re going to be doing,” she said.
Vania has a large gallery in the historical district of Kansas City for collectors to view and purchase her paintings.
Check out her art on Instagram @artista_vaniasoto and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/artista.vaniasoto
A Message from Trudy
It is fantastic to see someone like Vania combine her passion for painting with her Mexican heritage. Her culture is rich in tradition and history, as seen in her artwork. – Trudy Jacobson
Who is Trudy Jacobson?
Trudy is an entrepreneur and leader. Her path to success and entrepreneurialism started in the trucking industry decades ago. She encountered numerous obstacles in the male-dominated industry- like discrimination. She was even defrauded out of a lot of money by an unscrupulous, opportunistic person. Despite all that, Trudy always fought hard and pushed forward. Once she realized she could do anything, she started her own company and excelled. Now she empowers other women to do the same and to learn from her experience. Trudy now highlights their stories for the world to see in the Great American Women Series. Trudy wants women everywhere to know they can achieve their goals.
References
https://www.facebook.com/artista.vaniasoto
