During the lockdown, my work stopped. At the beginning of the pandemic, I was paralyzed by fear. I eventually shook it off by returning to something I’ve always loved. Being creative has always been a source of joy for me.
Apart from writing, I love art, reading and music. So I got out my sketchbook which had been put aside for years and revived my love of self-expression. It was my own personal therapy.
Then I thought, why not share some of the things I’ve been making with my blog audience? So I started creating a zine, a self-published book or magazine dedicated to sharing personal interests with my readers.
I loved the idea of making something small, personal and well crafted for those people who are already reading along with me on my blogs. It was an enthralling process, which I hope to continue.
My first zine is dedicated to photography. I’ve been taking photos ever since high school. I have gradually documented Sicily’s landscape and architecture, where I’ve lived for nearly two decades. And so, I’ve gathered up some of my favourite images into a collection titled A Sicilian Mosaic.
A Sicilian village, town or city has its own personality. Like characters on a stage, they proudly act out their daily dramas as faithfully as any well-rehearsed actor.
Every place is like an individual tile of precious stone in a golden Sicilian mosaic. Each piece shines as bright as the entire masterpiece.
The mosaic details reveal a particular shade of light, landscape and character that can only be found in Sicily.
Poetry is and will always be my first love. My poems come from my dreams, imagination and emotions.
In Trinacria Poems, I share this poetry inspired by Sicily. The ten poems included in the zine represent an intimate connection to the island through my maternal grandparents. They are the fruits of two decades of experience living on an ancient Mediterranean island.
The Trinacria of the title is an ancient sun and fertility symbol featured on the flags of Sicily and the Isle of Man. In Greek, the word triskeles is linked to the geographic meaning: treis (three) and akra (capes). Also, the Latin triquetra means three peaks.
So one zine dedicated to my photography in Sicily titled A Sicilian Mosaic has now two into a second zine devoted to poetry.
Trinacria poem is a collection of poems written during my time living on the enigmatic Italian island of Sicily. It’s about my own Sicilian heritage and the nature of this ancient place. It is also made up of original collage artwork, made using personal family photographs and material gathered over twenty years of living in Sicily.
Both A Sicilian Mosaic and Trinacria poems are currently available on Amazon.com
