Today we’d like to introduce you to Victora Bianca.
Hi Victora, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I always knew my purpose on this earth was to CREATE. Creating has always came to me naturally. I consider it a gift from God, A calling that I must share with the universe. Through creating art, I found my purpose. Drawing, writing & singing were some of my favorite hobbies when I was a little girl. As I got older, I realized that I had a “way with words.” I began writing short horror stories for my friends to read and enjoy at the lunch table when I was in middle school. I even helped my friends with their English assignments after school. I enjoyed writing. Literature was my favorite subject in grade school. I was one of those kids that took education seriously. I knew it was my way out. I loved learning & I strived to get good grades. Getting good grades boosted my confidence. I always knew I was smart & I was always proud of being educated. I never followed crowds. I was my own person. By the time I was in high school, I had a “journal full of feelings” that I jotted down throughout the school day & I eventually turned those vulnerable journal entries into heartfelt poetry.
Fast forward to now, I am a confessional poet/performer. I write real & raw poetry about my healing journey & hood politics. The titles of some of my classic works are “Welcome,” “Letter to Myself, “Mad,” “Letter to Zachary,” & “Insecure.” You can find the live performances of these pieces on my Instagram & YouTube. (Creative visuals dropping this year! Stay tuned.) I am also the curator & host of “Hood Healing Poetry Events.” On March 10th, I celebrated my 3-year anniversary (#ThreedomOfSpeech), which also happened to be my 10th event! I hosted this milestone event at Bookstore Gallery near the Benz Stadium. On April 24th, I am curating my 11th event (#EastsideEdition) at Fletcher’s Place in the city that made me “Decatur Where It’s Greater.” As you can see by the names of the events, I put a lot of creativity, intentions & authenticity into curating my events. I want my supporters to get a different experience at every event but receive the same message each time. My mission statement is “Healing The Hood One Poem At A Time.”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, my creative career has been very fulfilling. I love what I do. I wouldn’t change anything about my journey. Every lesson that I learn, I appreciate. Every soul that I touch, I cherish. I am grateful for community. I am so glad I found the courage & inspiration to create a platform & share my platform with other phenomenal poets & artists. And I appreciate all of the collaborations I’ve done with venues that allow me to curate in their establishments to create a safe space for my people. I think the highs and lows of being a creative AND entrepreneur is important to my overall growth. Staying grounded & validating self is so crucial in this industry. I can’t stress that enough. Something I live by is self-affirming & breathwork. Talk nicely to yourself & take deep breaths. Mastering your craft & constantly seeking knowledge is another one. Most importantly, rest & take care of yourself. We’re creators. Not superheroes.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
Other than performing, hosting, & curating my poetry shows, I’ve recently begun a new series on YouTube called “Hood Haikus & Hikes.” It’s a Hood Healing Poetry series of my nature hikes that I routinely go on that incorporates an audio recording of a haiku poem I wrote. If you’re into nature & poem, this is the content for you. Check it out on my YouTube channel!
Outside of business, I am a mother of a brilliant little boy, Zachary. We enjoy traveling, playing outside & all things Minecraft & Lightening McQueen. He’s my inspiration & my motivation for everything I do. He’s 6 & already a scholar. His favorite subjects in school are math & science. He’s a jokester, too. I teach him that it’s perfectly fine to be different from others & to always strive for more knowledge. One thing that I instill in my son is that it’s okay to ask questions, so I enjoy when he quizzes me. I think it is important to keep his little mind working, so we also do a lot of arts & craft projects & science experiences at home. I love being a mom! It’s one of my favorite things about my life.
I am also a student of the arts mastering my craft as a poet & performer. I’m currently pursuing my Master’s of Arts degree in English & Creative Writing with a concentration in Poetry. I will have completed my program the Summer of 2025. After graduation, I am going to pursue a career as a professor at an HBCU, like Spelman College or Clark Atlanta University & become a world-renowned author. I also plan on expanding Hood Healing Poetry as a brand & business & providing writing services like copywriting, editing & publishing to the public. I want to specifically target underrepresented artists to help their creative careers. My long-term career goal is to become a writer/editor for Essence or Ebony magazine.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Taking risks can be rewarding. I think creatives are the biggest risk-takers. Whether you’re a poet, artist, photographer, or musician, you’re a risk taker. The reason why creatives have to be risk takers is because how else will our art make its way to the rest of the world? We have to take a risk on ourselves, release our art to the universe & hope it reaches someone’s soul. That’s not to say we create to get recognition or validation because that’s absolutely not the case; I’m almost certain every creative would agree with that. But what it means is that we take risks on ourselves. We allow ourselves to go outside of our ego & be vulnerable at that moment. To me, that’s taking a major risk, but it’s worth the reward. The creative industry is risky, but someone’s gotta do it, right? Stay dangerous & stay creative.
Pricing:
- Early Bird – $10
- Early Bird Performer Admission – $10
- General Admission – $20
- Performance Admission – $15
- Vendor Pkg Fee – $50-$100
Contact Info:
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Instagram: @hoodhealingpoetryllc
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Linktree: https://linktr.ee/
hoodhealingpoetry
Image Credits
Kenneth Cohen
@pax_mans
