BOOK REVIEW
“For you nothing changes, for me, everything.”
Calmness on the Horizon, is a tear-jerking, empowering read filled with poetry of excellence flowing so effortlessly over three chapters written by Jessica Fiona.
Lost in the Darkness explores building someone up to crush everything down. Detailing fears in life of losing the love she searched for so long and finally found, in-turn, hurting them to save herself. Expressing when one feels a heavy soul most is on the silent nights. Taking her hand in hope they would be side by side, only for them to walk into the darkness. Losing herself trying to be the best version of them to regret ever trusting them, she acknowledges the blame she puts on herself for the only person she loves. She becomes tired of being disappointed as she only became used to their let downs, it’s an emotional opening chapter with heartfelt storytelling.
By Gone Thunderstorm sees that one day she decided to break the silence, the weight got lighter while the heaviness flew away like a butterfly, while yearning for a reason to stay. Many will resonate with this unfortunate situation. Discussing the love that makes one feel addicted for when it goes the waves of sadness pulls one into the sea of dark feelings. Burning her love while the person left her burning soul there to die, she’s surrounded by their ghost. Recognising acting cold saves one from drowning, to wanting that one last moment to create a perfect ending, to the missing feeling sometimes that is unbearable, this chapter of the book floods the reader with more emotions.
The Clearing eases into the relief state, seeing things for how they truly are. She pens, “hurting means learning. Learning means understanding. Understanding means healing.” Acknowledging she’s lost for awhile, whereas they will be lost a whole lifetime, in their thin bond between love and hope growth is present. There’s a positive understanding present in regard to the power in staying patient as karma will sort things out. Knowing endings have two parts: learn to deal with it, or fall into pieces. There’s an endearing mood change closing out the book with a story that came full circle.
Jessica Fiona is a 28-year-old writer from the Austrian countryside. She always loved writing and started to share her words back on Instagram in 2018, which turned into releasing her debut book "Calmness On The Horizon" last year. The book's main topic is about loving, losing, and finding oneself. She likes to read books and write while listening to music. Furthermore, she loves to be at the beach or lakes; it is her primary inspiration source. Jessica Fiona currently works on her second poetry book.
Words by Danielle Holian
INTERVIEW
Tell us a bit about your writing background.
I've always loved reading and especially writing stories and my diary, but at one point, I lost interest in it and didn't do it for many years. I actually rediscovered my love for writing when I started- surprise- a fashion and lifestyle blog back in 2015, with which I was successful. I worked with known companies and attended fashion weeks, but I wanted the "more". Don't get me wrong, I was so lucky that I reached, but at some point, I wasn't so satisfied with it anymore. Writing about topics, which are only for entertainment, but actually don't touch people's hearts- I knew that this wasn't what I wanted anymore. I also started following poetry accounts on Instagram during this time, because I felt the words and thought: wow, maybe I could do this too. In January of 2018, I created my Instagram account and started to share my work, mixed with a lot of anxiety. It's a whole new different level sharing personal words or experiences than new fashion trends. Especially when you have a hard time as I did back then. My life turned upside down; I started at 0, and poetry was my mouthpiece for people who may feel the same way as I do. I wanted to be my words in the spotlight, not me anymore, so I decided to keep my face private. This was a new refreshing way. My blog is still online, but I'm not writing anymore. Creating poetry is what I was always searching for, but couldn't see that I was made for it. Now I feel like I came home and do 100% what I love.
What, or who, inspired you to start writing?
Firstly it was poet Atticus. I really like his work and also got all 3 books of him. His words gave me the courage to share mine. Secondly, as I mentioned before, a tough time, which I had to process. I felt the words rushing through my fingers, and I needed to bring everything to paper. And I knew, somewhere, there's someone out there, needing these words so bad right now. This is still my motivational factor to this day.
And what influenced your debut book Calmness on the Horizon?
My experiences. I would describe it as a broken soul, where you slowly put the pieces together. The tough experiences, the heartbreaks, and the drama in between- everything is coming like a big wave, crushing you down. At first, you feel destroyed. You're standing in the middle of a thunderstorm, and it stirs up all your emotions. But after you went through it, you realize you made it, yes, you're still standing- and there's nothing left except peace. The book was also influenced by my love for the ocean, more precisely, a beach in northern Italy. The reason is that most of the poems came to life when I was there. And one fun fact: the girl on the cover is actually me.
How do you find the balance between writing about your own personal experiences and exploring topics that may not necessarily be autobiographical, but still speak to so many people?
Empathy is the keyword. It allows me to dive deep into the emotions of others. As the following step, I try to recreate situations in my mind to catch these feelings. And bring them to paper as soon as possible. Sometimes I think it's so hard to absorb the emotions of people around you, but on the other hand, I also think it's a gift, especially when you are writing poetry. But I need to be very careful, to let these emotions go again. Otherwise, it's pretty overwhelming.
What makes a piece of your writing right to post on your Instagram, versus the ones that stay in the book only?
I don't make a difference here. The poems you'll find in the book are also available on my Instagram page. The only difference is, when I have longer poems, I take a picture of the book page, and when it's shorter, I decide to go with a handwritten style, more precisely my personal handwriting.
And finally, what advice would you give to aspiring writers?
There are so many! Write from your heart, and don't force yourself into writing. Take breaks in between; at one point, I've had a break for 3-4 months! So don't be sad if there are times where you can't bring your words to paper. I take time to write and rewrite my poems until I feel a "rush" in my veins. As for that, I'm a little perfectionist, if I'm not completely satisfied with my work, I don't share it. Another piece of advice: don't expect to get famous etc. It's not working this way, and if you do it for these reasons, people will know. Also, my no-go's at Instagram: writing other poets "follow me" "share my work"- it's insulting in my opinion, and don't do the follow/unfollow thing, this one is a red flag too. Try to find a writing routine- mine is listening to music while working on new pieces, for example. And last but not least: write, write, write (if you're not currently stuck in writer's block)! Practise makes perfect, you can do this! Don't be afraid to share your work, there's always someone out there needing your words! Your words have the power to change someone's day.