Yamilla Rivera has been surrounded by art her whole life. Growing up in Puerto Rico in a family of artists, inspiration constantly enveloped her. Throughout her childhood, she was drawn to art and was always painting, sketching, or sculpting when she could. Even a young cancer diagnosis didn’t stop her, but rather encouraged her artistic endeavors, prompting her pursuit of creating children’s books tailored to helping kids with cancer. Now, as a RMCAD illustration student, her artistic passions continue to propel her through her studies and toward her ultimate dream of helping children and their families to not only understand their diagnoses, but inspire hope.
Cultural Influence
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Rivera is constantly taking her inspiration from her memories and life in Puerto Rico. While pictures and images help to inspire her at times, she typically pulls ideas from her memories and imagination and is able to use these to produce her art. “I know Puerto Rico from my heart and I don’t have to see a photo to know what I want to make, I just have it in my heart.” She enjoys making art that is both heartfelt and playful at times, typically mixing people, symbols, and animals. She frequently incorporates the Puerto Rican flag into much of her work which helps her share her love of her culture with others. “Talking about my culture and where I came from is one of my biggest inspirations, and it’s something I’m very excited to share with other people and continue to grow in,” she says.
Family Inspiration
Rivera’s family has been deeply rooted in the artistic community for decades, inspiring her own exploration into her artistic journey. “My family has gone through generations of artists, singers, and sculptures, so my family was a huge inspiration for me to pursue art and start my own artistic journey,” Rivera remarks. She would spend hours with her aunt discovering her own love for painting, sketching, and sculpting that she continues at RMCAD today. “[My aunt] is a painter and makes a lot of sculptures and art that involves culture from Puerto Rico, and we used to do a lot of painting together.”
While her aunt inspired her traditional artistic endeavors, Rivera’s mother is an incredible icon of strength and perseverance that she admires. “She recently founded her own advertising and events company, working with big companies like Coca-Cola. She’s one of my inspirations and one of the people who has shown me to be strong and independent.” Surrounded by her own supportive and creative community, Rivera’s passion for art continued to grow as she discovered new ways in which her art could help her and others.
Diagnosis Turned Artistic Dream
At the young ages of three, seven, and nine, Rivera was diagnosed with Leukemia. As a child, the diagnosis was difficult to fully comprehend, and even more difficult to come to terms with. “When I was diagnosed with Leukemia, I was scared, it was a huge process and a condition that’s very scary for a kid to learn about,” shares Rivera. “So at that time, I wished I had a book that could have helped explain exactly what was going on, since I didn’t have that and I didn’t really know why I was in the hospital for most of my childhood.” As Rivera was fighting her illness, she turned to art for comfort and encouragement. “Something that used to help me as a kid is that I used to do a lot of DIYs and make a lot of my own toys, and that would keep me occupied all day long. So when I felt scared, I would turn to art and it would help comfort me.”
Her journey of overcoming Leukemia not only strengthened her connection to her art, but it continues to inspire her greater goal of creating children’s books for other kids going through the same experience. “I want kids to understand what they’re going through, but also I want them to feel inspired. I want to help their parents because my parents were also scared and didn’t know what to do, and I want to give them hope by making a story about my life and telling them that it will be okay,” Rivera shares.
Pursuing Passions at RMCAD
“When I first saw [RMCAD], it was inspirational. I always wanted to explore more of the world, and having the opportunity to study outside of Puerto Rico was very exciting.” Rivera remarks, “I felt like a part of the community even though I wasn’t physically there. It looked so fun, and seeing all of the events they offered made me so curious, it made me want to be a part of it.” Now with her first year at RMCAD complete, Rivera is working constantly to continue to improve her artistic skills so that she can continue to work towards her personal artistic goals. Classes such as Topics in Color and Life Drawing are helping her improve her skills and explore new perspectives in her art. “When I started at RMCAD, I was passionate about art, but there were a lot of steps I was missing and things that I didn’t know were possible. RMCAD has helped me not only improve my art but also learn new skills that make things feel easier. Every class is a new journey and I absolutely love that.”
While exploring her passions for ceramics, sketching, and painting, Rivera says the RMCAD community has offered ample inspiration for her artistic endeavors. “I met a lot of wonderful people, and they welcomed me into the community from the beginning and I had such a good experience visiting the school.” Whether it has been meeting individuals within the classroom or through campus events, Rivera’s community continues to grow and work to inspire her. “Some events that I have really loved include visiting the aquarium and museum for drawing. We also went to Golden to draw the landscape. Meeting new people has been really fun and finding your own community at RMCAD has helped me a lot.”
Yamilla Rivera’s journey is one of resilience, creativity, and inspiration in which each chapter has shaped the artist she is becoming today. In working to sharpen her artistic skills and develop her talent, she continues to find new ways to turn her personal stories into a powerful source of inspiration for others. Her aspirations to use her art as a source of education and healing for children and families serve as a powerful reminder of the capacity that art holds to comfort, connect, and inspire all who encounter it.
Ready to Start Your Journey in Our BFA in Illustration Program?
If you are looking to tell your own story or inspire others through your artistic passions, check out our Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration Program at RMCAD, available online or on-campus.
Many of the quotes in this story have been edited for brevity and clarity by the author, but retain the significance and purpose of the original speaker.
