CARLA BIANCA RAVANES-HIGHAM
It’s not a secret that Aencille Santos was born to stand out. With a name as unique as hers, Aencille has spent a lot of moments explaining to strangers how her name is spelled. This doesn’t bother the gutsy twenty-something because her name is a foreshadowing of who she is: unique and artistic.
Aencille is the woman behind the brand Aencille, which brags of over 3,000 likes on Facebook and has sprouted numerous workshops all over the metro in a desire for others to free their own inner artists.
Aencille graduated with a degree in AB Journalism from Centro Escolar University although she admits that she has always been torn between her great love for words and visual arts.
“I chose Journalism as my formal education. I loved the romance of words and weaving them together,” she relates.
Her love for writing was soon rewarded when she first landed a job in a publishing house as a junior writer but somehow she still felt something missing, “I stopped painting in college because I’ve had insecurities in the past and thought I could never better my craft. I went cold turkey and focused on writing instead. In my mind, I convinced myself that painting will never give me the financial stability I needed.”
Despite going cold turkey, she still missed her first love, “I rediscovered art and painting during my first job but this time with a different mindset. Instead of focusing on how bad I thought I was, I looked at the possibility of getting better with enough hard work and patience.”
Aencille, who has always been an artist even as a child soon gained her footing, giving her the confidence to set up Aencille, a brand that not only showcases her talent but also encourages others to embrace their inner creativity through teaching in her well-attended workshops.
She reflects, “As an artist, I feel the need to share my journey as a human being enveloped in positivity and negativity. From heartbreaks, envy, depression, loneliness, romance – it all makes us human. There is no shame in it. Through my art and my lectures, I aim for the Average Joe to be immersed in it. I don’t believe it when people say they have zero skills in art or they’re not artistic at all. There is art in all of us. I take pleasure in transforming every student I had in learning that they have art in them all along.”
She also says that art workshops go beyond the superficial, “I don’t believe in the principles of teaching to copy something beautiful on canvas and you’re done. I teach art for students to learn about the basics and eventually, take home what they’ve learned and slowly discover their own art and style by experimentation and practice.”
Aside from pursuing Aencille, she is also a communications strategist for Makati Shangri-La, Manila, and passionate about CrossFit.
Aencille Santos merges her profession with her artistc ability at her unique worshop
When asked how she manages it all, she says, “I make mindful choices in time management. My Sundays are sacred. It’s my art day. I make sure to stay at home and paint, whether it’s a huge piece or just quick exercises. A schedule keeps me disciplined.”
She also adds that it’s the support of her boss and colleagues that make it all possible, “I am blessed to have colleagues and a boss who are very supportive. My workshops will not be possible without their support.”
On what encouraged her to pursue her dreams, she avers, “Art was something I knew I had in me. There is that strong desire for me to keep on creating each time. It was indeed terrifying until one day, I just said, ‘To hell with it and let’s do it.’ I’m a nobody, so I have all to gain and nothing to lose.”
For Aencille, it was all about taking the risk and by the looks of it, she’s winning.
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