Alyssa Rose Bliven

I attribute my success to curiosity, persistence, and having people in my life who made it safe to figure things out as I went. My grandmother fostered creativity in a very natural way. Making things was just part of life with her, and that early encouragement stayed with me.

My dad has been a steady, constant supporter. He did not always understand my art, but he showed up and helped however he could. When I switched my major from biology to art, he just said he had been wondering when I was going to get that figured out. That kind of quiet support gave me the confidence to trust myself and keep going.

The best career advice I have ever received came from my dad. He made it clear that you do not need the best tools, the perfect workspace, or ideal opportunities to make something happen. If you are willing to work hard, you can figure it out with what you have.

Beyond that, I oddly benefited a lot from people doubting me in undergrad and graduate school. Being underestimated gave me the push I needed to prove myself and to get more precise about my ideas. It forced me to find concrete ways to express what I was trying to do and to keep moving forward, even when the support was not always there.

Find your supporters and actually rely on them. Pay attention to the people who show up for you and ignore the ones who are counting you out. Not everyone deserves access to your energy or your confidence.

Opportunities can be made. Get your foot in the door however you can, volunteer, show up, and make yourself known. At the same time, know that as women we tend to undersell ourselves, especially compared to our male counterparts. Be a little full of yourself. Advocate for your ideas, take up space, and trust that you are more capable than you have probably been taught to believe.

The biggest challenges are funding and public buy in. Funding is always tight, and recently I lost my only employee due to funding issues, which means I am currently running things on my own. That kind of reality is becoming more common in museums and galleries and it puts real strain on the work.

At the same time, the biggest opportunity is collaboration. Museums and galleries cannot operate in isolation anymore. Working together and partnering with other public institutions like colleges, school districts, and libraries helps keep this work sustainable. The more people and organizations you can work with, the more ways there are to support each other and keep what we do going.

At work, I value being equitable, making things accessible, and being consistent. I want people to know they can rely on me and trust that I will follow through. At home, family is at the center, but so is fostering my own creativity and staying curious. I want to keep learning and making things for myself too.