The piece I’ve submitted was created after I had started taking therapy amidst quarantine, and my first piece of advice was to think of a ‘happy place’. During this time, I found myself troubled by the idea of being unable to go outside. I left my house for only a few hours once every three weeks, and found solace in seeking help through old family photos. My family doesn’t travel very often, and when we do, it’s always to the Philippines. My mom was one of the only ones in her family who decided to move abroad for us back in the 90’s, and often misses her parents and siblings very much. Throughout quarantine, my mom and I grew closer, and as we did, I spoke to her about her favourite places in the Philippines. As to which, she replied: “Anywhere my family is.” My mother is the most selfless and loving person in my life, and if I could give her teleportation powers to see her family more often, I would, in a heartbeat. This piece was based off of one of our favourite places to visit in the Philippines, and one of my favourite photos with my mom... the beach! I’m not actually a big fan of the beach; I don’t like sand. It’s rough, and coarse, and it gets everywhere. But! It’s a big part of our family trips every time we’re there. The Philippines has so many beaches, like Palawan, or Coron... but, I guess, my favourite one would have to be whichever one my mom was at.
Hello! My name is Alexandra Bustos. I had just turned 23 a few weeks ago, and I have a passion for 2D Background painting. I enjoy reading, and indulging myself into forms of pop culture through comics. I often pursue creative writing communities online in my spare time, and am currently taking classes at Schoolism and LearnSquared. A few other passions of mine are history from the 1700’s, bouldering, plein-air painting, making ice cream at home, and building LEGO sets! Being a heavy introvert, I normally enjoy quiet time to myself, such as listening to movie tracks and seeing if I can recreate the whole movie in my head through the music alone. The thing I’m currently most proud of is identifying as an extremely feminine female whose hobbies usually include male-dominant communities, and embracing the idea that I do not need to act ‘boy-ish’ to be taken seriously.
