Riva Quenery is Miss Gritty

A woman has always been taught to flit the line between delicate and empowered. She is like a flower turned to the sun but plucked from the earth, she is beautifully dependent on the nature that surrounds her. She is a woman — a woman who must be the stem severed from its roots to be placed in a vase that brightens up the room. But, she is more than just a decoration with her petals dancing in the wind. Riva Quenery is the bones and flesh and hair and eyes that shine. Standing on her own two feet on the ground, she stays planted. She isn’t meant to be pulled, poked, prodded, and placed where men see fit.

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Riva Quenery isn’t the type of woman who waits, who relies upon, and who wills her wishes away just to be a pretty bud in a windowsill. A wild and beautiful woman, she wants you to see fierceness and grace. She wants you to her hands, worn from both labor and love. She wants you to see her legs, strong from the paths she walked and the burdens she carried. Be lost in the poetry of her own voice as she represents something that perches in the soul as it sings the tunes without words, and never stops at all. It’s hope — it propels one to achieve their dreams and drives them forward in their pursuits.

Riva Quenery is Miss Gritty

Hope shines a light at the end of the tunnel. Like, the northern star that navigates one’s life through trials and difficulties towards a better day. Having and finding hope remains essential. It keeps one’s dreams upright and continues to sail in the direction of their attainment. 2020 has come and gone, ending the year that proved tribulations remain inevitable. However, there is still hope for a greater and brighter start. Just like everybody else, Riva Quenery had a rough year. But, she continues to see the brighter part of it.

“Just like everyone else in 2020, coping made it hard for her. COVID-19 has forced people to stay at home and curtailed social interaction among all of us even among families, relatives, and friends. But while we have limited ourselves from going to different places, the pandemic has nevertheless brought our families closer and afforded us more time spent together. People who are currently battling against a similar experience can make the most out of it by being productive at home, taking care of each other especially their health, and following safety standards to ensure a safe living environment from the threat of the virus.”

Gleaming with new hope

2021 fosters determination and grit. Of course, this includes the ability to bounce back and to remain determined despite 2020’s failures and setbacks. We make daily efforts to change and improve what we can control. The new year, on the other hand, brushes away old heartaches and awakes new dawn. Riva Quenery hopes to improve further as an artist, create more content to inspire and entertain her followers. She would like to focus more on her businesses. She decides to work hard and finish the house that she has started to build for her family.

In case you didn’t know, Riva released Rewind in May 2019. It truly showcased her talents in singing and dancing. Each note is remembered, thought about, and adored. As for new music, on the other hand, Riva admits that “talks are still ongoing about a new song that I hope I can share with everyone. Hopefully, this year. My YouTube ideas, on the other hand, continue to remain spontaneous. Generally, it comes from a sudden impulse or what I feel at the moment that I think will be of interest to my subscribers. Although at times, I also look at what is trending and apply it if it speaks about myself or my intricacies.”

Riva’s prosperous climb

When asked if she was able to rewind or travel back at the time she was starting her career, she reveals that she wouldn’t do things any differently. Her family has guided her to make important decisions in her career. Although if she wasn’t a personality, she would have been a dentist today. Upon entering this line of work, people have continued to influence her career’s growth.

“Before I entered showbiz and even up to this time, I am still a fangirl. I admire the talent and acting skills of Liza Soberano, Kathryn Bernardo, among others, and I feel overjoyed just watching the chemistry of their respective love teams. I admire them for being who they are now – certified self-made artists. They are among my greatest inspiration and have kept me moving on training and working hard to at least follow their path. I believe that hard work will eventually make your idols become your friends and I am happy that these events are unfolding.”

“Among the highlights of my career include several TV and movie appearances like Damaso and Make It With You with LizQuen (Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil). And, just recently, The House Arrest of Us with Kathniel (Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla) which will be shown on Netflix this February. There were a lot of projects scheduled for me last year. However, due to the pandemic, almost all of it didn’t push through. So, I decided just to make the best of what I can show through my social media accounts such as YouTube, Instagram, Tiktok, and others.”

The cost of standing under the limelight

In such an industry, Riva Quenery would find herself in situations that unravel uncontrollably. Sometimes, she delves into wide expanded pits of insecurity. Such a feeling would make anyone squirm and squiggle under watchful eyes. It paints walls of peeling purple hate that digs into one’s comfort zone of a home. Self-doubt remains so dangerous, so destructive, and so isolative that it destroys one’s confidence and innocence.

“Insecurities go hand in hand with fame and popularity. At times, when you can’t manage these challenges, it may cause depression or anxiety. There are times that I run out of ideas or content. You feel like facing a blank wall or dead end. This is so stressful and anxiety sinks in because at times you need to live up to the expectations of your fans.”

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Since Riva has felt this way, she can truly understand how self-doubt destroys one’s mind. She has received a piece of advice from her mother that reminded her of loving herself and valuing self-worth. Riva says, “My mother always reminds me to put my feet on the ground. She would always tell me that no amount of fame and fortune can be achieved if you lose your values and self-respect. In life, she says, you need to love yourself and know your self worth because that is how you gain respect from everyone.”

Riva’s emotional bond with her audience

Riva has 930-thousand followers on Instagram and 1.85-million subscribers on YouTube. As a person with a high reach on social media, she thinks it’s important to continuously connect with her audience. During the interview, she admits that her audience knows the real her.

“Largely, the number of subscribers that I currently have are those that identify themselves with the real me- no takes, no cuts, no script – the raw me. We share common dreams like traveling to foreign places, goofing around with family and friends, and of course, how it feels like when we are in love. Sharing my life’s journey is my way of connecting to my audience.”

As a person looking at her from a third-person perspective, everyone can see how she express herself through music, dancing, and sometimes, through the way she dresses, and the way she does her hair. Riva knows how important it is to express one’s creativity and individuality.

“Each of us is unique. We have our individual differences, biases, prejudices, likes, wants, or even choices. When you express yourself in the way you dance, the way you sing, the way you dress, the way you do your hair, or perhaps the fashion or style you carry. People may share their bias with you while some won’t. But, when more people appreciate or are inspired, or even identify their uniqueness or individuality with you, than those who don’t, then you become an influencer.”