We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bianca. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bianca below.

Alright, Bianca thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you share an anecdote or story from your schooling/training that you feel illustrates what the overall experience was like?

I had always been a lover of the arts; I remember asking my middle school art teacher if I could do something slightly outside of the box during a class project, and the pure state of flow & satisfaction I felt from following inspiration. As I grew older, I found myself in environments where the arts served as a vessel to touch into our emotive, inner experiences. I obtained my B.S. in expressive arts therapy, and developed a fuller relationship with the approach of “process over product” – in other words, forget the end result, and be with the journey of creating. Through playing with form, color, movement, and sound, the unexpected would happen, and it felt quite magical. I remember one moment, during a unit on “untraditional” art supplies, a beloved teacher had us dancing with newspapers. Newspapers! At first, we felt awkward, shy, uncertain; and then, it simply unfolded into its own unique texture. Eventually, after the initial fear & questioning, a peacefulness swept over me: this was the work of trusting the process. The mystery and pure joy of creating with whatever was present landed deeply in my bones, and thus became the core of my work. As an artist, therapist, dreamworker, and celebrant, this central philosophy of trusting the process wholeheartedly continues to be the core of what moves me as a professional and individual human being.

Great, we appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

We all need a different vessel to walk this journey inside – so, that is why I offer multiple points of entry: therapy, art, dreamwork, and ceremony.

Each of these avenues weave the same thread: it’s a journey of learning to trust our essential nature.

And, since we sometimes get lost in the woods and find ourselves on all-too-familiar paths, it can be helpful to have a partner to mirror our innate goodness back to us.

No matter what it is we are going through in life, there is something – be it the arts, ceremony, dreams, or therapeutic work – that can hold the complexity & emotional depth we are experiencing. It is through this holding that we can learn to be congruent and present with whatever comes our way.

I remember a ceremony I once co-created with a dear one who was grieving the loss of a beloved. We went into a sacred spot beneath the trees, created a mandala with sticks, stones, & flowers, and gathered inside with some of her closest friends. Each element, from the place to the blessings to the way in which we remembered this loved one, was uniquely chosen to her and her family’s core beliefs about the world and beyond. There were just a few of us, and even in the silence the love was so wide and present it felt palpable. It was so profound; I can still feel how expansive their love is to this day. It was such an honor to bear witness to the depths of grief, and invite creativity and authenticity to bear the unbearable with a great, unconditional presence.

In the end, I feel that I am successful if the art, the retreat, the ceremony, the therapeutic work speaks for itself; it’s never about me, it is about the process.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

The more that you can hold and be present to your own muse, your own emotional experiences, your own wise self within – the more that you can do the same for someone else. This is not lip service; we have to reflect, be compassionately truthful with ourselves, and connect with others who support us along this journey. This is the work that is perhaps more impactful than training – it is building a trusting relationship with your real, true, perfectly imperfect self along the way that makes the magic happen.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Doing good work. When your offerings are developed, impactful and beneficial, the work will speak for itself. No marketing in the world can top the value of a good “product” – so, hone your craft, whatever that may be. Word will travel from there.

Contact Info:

• Website: withinwildlight.com
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Jessica LaFleur