Life & Work with Roberta Riežniece

Today we’d like to introduce you to Roberta Riežniece.

Hi Roberta, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Roberta, and I’m an artist from Latvia.

Art has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a little girl, I used to paint on the lids of my mum’s shoe boxes because, in my eyes, they already looked like framed paintings. My mum still keeps a few of them, and every time I see those tiny paintings, they remind me of, that maybe I always knew who I wanted to become.

When I was young, my mum enrolled me in art school, and from then on, creating simply became part of who I am today. After finishing high school, I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Art at University of Latvia, specialising in Interior Design. I loved exploring different creative fields, but I was still searching for the place where I truly belong.
Then I got my Master’s degree in Graphic Design, convinced that creativity would somehow become my future.

Then came The Graduation, and reality hit.

Like many young artists, I suddenly found myself asking the question no university really prepares you for: **”Now what?”**

I had the degree, the passion and endless ideas, but none of those things automatically pays the rent.

I packed my things and moved to Riga, the capital of Latvia. Hoping that the opportunities would somehow find me. Instead, I found myself working in fashion retail. I started as a sales assistant and eventually became a store manager. It wasn’t the start of a career as an artist I had imagined, but looking back, it taught me far more than I realised at the time.

Through work I travelled to fashion shows in Italy, surrounded by incredible design, architecture, fabrics and people who lived and breathed creativity. Every trip inspired me. Every time I came home, I felt even more certain that I wanted to create, not just admire what others had created.

Still, wanting something and building a career from it are two completely different things.

There were evenings when I came home after work exhausted and questioning whether my education had been worth it. I watched other people build successful careers while my portfolio sat quietly on my computer, unseen. It was frustrating, discouraging and, at times, lonely.

But instead of giving up, I decided to create my own opportunities.

I started sending my illustrations to magazines. I emailed people who didn’t know me. I offered my services for free just to gain experience, meet people and understand how the industry works. Most emails never received a reply. Some were rejected. But every “no” pushed me to stay strong and send the next one.

Eventually, one “yes” changed everything.

My first professional project was creating illustrations for a fashion magazine about different female body types. Shortly afterwards a well known person in Latvias fashion industry, discovered my work and reached out to me. That message became the beginning of a collaboration that continues to this day.

Together, we’ve worked on many exciting projects over the years. He was also the person who gave me the opportunity to create fashion sketches for Eurovision costumes, something I could never have imagined while sitting behind a shop counter. Later, I was invited to create illustrations during another Eurovision season, and every project reminded me that taking a chance on myself had been worth it.

As my portfolio grew, so did the opportunities.

I started creating product sketches, merchandise concepts and eventually artwork for bank cards. If someone had told me that one day I’d be designing bank cards, I probably wouldn’t have believed them. That’s one of my favourite things about being an artist – you never really know what is going to be next.

At the same time Instagram became a big part of my artistic career.

For me, it was never about chasing likes. It became my portfolio, my gallery and my way of introducing myself to the world. Looking back, that decision completely changed my life.

One day, a German company discovered my work through Instagram and we got in touch. We started working together, creating bespoke artworks for private clients, families and businesses. That collaboration has now lasted for five years, and it’s been one of the biggest chapters of my career.

For years, we worked together almost every day without ever meeting in person.

Then, this year, something I had been dreaming about for a very long time finally happened, we met in Bali.

It felt surreal. After years of video calls, messages and creating art together from different countries, we were suddenly sitting on the same island, talking about projects face to face. Bali had always been a dream destination for me, and somehow it exceeded every expectation. The atmosphere, the people, the colours, the creativity. It honestly felt like living inside a painting. I completely understand why so many artists fall in love with it, and if someone asked me today whether I could imagine living there, my answer would probably be yes.

Today, my work is unpredictable.

Some days I’m creating digital illustrations on my iPad. Other days I’m painting on canvas. Sometimes I’m designing graphics, and lately I’ve also fallen in love with animation. One of my most exciting recent projects was creating animations for the Documentary series, which opened another creative door for me. The woman I’m working with is just amazing and together we have created a couple more projects and I hope that there will be more in the future.

When I look back, I realise my journey has never followed a straight line. It has been full of detours, uncertainty and moments when giving up would have been the easiest option.

But every rejection taught me something.

Every unexpected job gave me a new skill.

Every person I met opened another door.

I genuinely love what I do, and I never take that for granted.

Fashion and art continue to inspire everything I create, and I love combining the two whenever I can. Whether I’m sketching on my iPad, painting on canvas or working on a completely new idea, I still feel the same excitement I felt as a little girl painting on shoe box lids.

The only difference is that now those little paintings have become my career.

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?
Definitely not. I think every creative person knows that talent alone isn’t enough, you also have to learn how to build a career around it.

One of my biggest struggles was graduating with two art degrees and suddenly realising that projects won’t come by themself. I had spent years studying what I loved, but I had no idea how to turn that passion into a sustainable career. There were moments when I questioned whether I had made the right choices.

Moving to Riga was another challenge. I worked in fashion retail for several years, and while I genuinely enjoyed the industry, deep down I knew it wasn’t where I wanted to stay. I often came home after long shifts and spent my evenings drawing, sending emails, building my portfolio and looking for opportunities. As I said before, there were plenty of rejections and many emails that never received a reply. Those moments can easily make you doubt yourself.

One of the hardest lessons was understanding that being an artist isn’t only about creating art. You also have to become your own marketer, salesperson, accountant and project manager. No one teaches you that at university, and I learned most of it through trial and error.

Social media has also been both a blessing and a challenge. Instagram has brought me incredible clients and opportunities, but it shows other people work so you start to compare yourself to others and sometimes you think that you are not doing enough. I’ve had to learn to focus on my own journey instead of measuring my progress against someone else’s.

Probably the biggest challenge has been learning to trust the process. Success rarely happens overnight. Most people only see the finished artwork, but they don’t see the years of uncertainty, the late nights, the self-doubt or the persistence behind it.

Looking back, I’m actually grateful for those difficult moments. They taught me resilience, patience and the importance of creating opportunities instead of waiting for them. Every setback pushed me to grow, not only as an artist, but also as a person.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I always find this question difficult because I don’t like putting myself into one creative category.

At my core, I’m an artist and a storyteller.

Over the years, my work has naturally evolved into many different directions. I create bespoke artworks for private clients and businesses, digital illustrations, graphic design, branding, product sketches, fashion illustrations, bank card designs and, more recently, animation. I work both ,digitally on my iPad and traditionally on canvas, depending on the project and the story I’m trying to tell.

If I had to say what is my speciality, I’d say it’s transforming ideas, memories and emotions into visuals. Whether it’s a painting, an illustration or a design project, I always try to create something that feels personal rather than just beautiful.

I’m probably best known for my detailed digital sketches and custom artworks. Through my collaboration with German company, I’ve had the opportunity to create hundreds of commissioned artworks for families, couples and companies, each one completely unique. No two stories are ever the same, and that’s what keeps my work exciting.

One thing I’m especially proud of is that my career has never been built around just one type of project. Every opportunity has taught me something new. One week I might be sketching concepts for fashion, the next designing artwork for bank cards, creating illustrations for a television project or painting a large commissioned canvas. I love that variety because it constantly challenges me to grow.

I’m also incredibly proud that many of the biggest opportunities in my career came through people discovering my work online. My Instagram became much more than a social media platform, it became my portfolio, my business card and, in many ways, the reason I’ve been able to work with clients from around the world.

I think what sets me apart is my curiosity. I’m never afraid to try something I’ve never done before. If someone comes to me with an unusual idea, my first thought is usually, “Let’s figure out how to make it happen.”

I also believe my background in both- fine art and graphic design, allows me to approach projects differently. I care just as much about composition, colour and storytelling as I do about emotions. I don’t simply create images, I want people to feel something when they look at my work.

More than anything, though, I hope people remembers me as a person who genuinely cares. Every project, whether it’s a small illustration or a large painting, receives the same amount of attention and heart. I know that behind every commission there’s a person trusting me with their idea, memory or dream, and I never take that responsibility for granted.

How do you think about happiness?
Honestly, I find happiness in the simplest things.

Of course, creating art makes me happy. That’s probably the most obvious answer. There is something incredibly satisfying about watching an idea slowly come to life, whether it’s on my iPad or on a blank canvas. I love the process just as much as the finished piece.

But outside of work, I find inspiration almost everywhere. I love travelling, discovering new places and experiencing different cultures. Every destination teaches me something new, whether it’s through architecture, colours, fashion or the people I meet. Those experiences inevitably find their way back into my work.

Fashion is another huge inspiration for me. I’ve always loved how it allows people to express themselves without saying a single word. I often find myself noticing silhouettes, textures and colour combinations wherever I go, and they frequently influence my illustrations.

I’m also happiest when I’m surrounded by nature. Sunsets, the sea, mountains, forests or simply walking outside help me slow down and recharge. Some of my best ideas come when I’m away from my desk.

One thing that brings me a lot of joy is seeing my clients reactions when they receive their finished artwork. Knowing that something I have created will become a part of someone’s home or hold a special memory for years is incredibly rewarding. Those moments remind me why I chose this career in the first place.

The feeling that I’m constantly growing makes me feel alive, happy and gives me boost to continue my path of life . Learning a new skill, saying yes to a project I’ve never done before or stepping outside my comfort zone keeps life exciting. I never want to stop being curious, because curiosity is what has led me to every opportunity I’ve had so far.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roberta_riezniece_art?igsh=Mnl1NjVoMDQyaGQ%3D&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
Personal photo – Ieva Andrupe