It was a day like any other, a regular afternoon filled with homework. Among all the assignments, one stood out — it stirred something in me. I had to create an advertising, starting from existing advertisements I found in magazines at home. The choice was mine. A blank slate. I could explore freely, pick anything, tell my own story starting from stories that were already out there. It called for critical thinking and creativity.

I was drawn to this task, perhaps because I had always loved advertisements, even as a child. I admired how they told stories, conveyed lives, and sparked imagination through messages and images that managed to speak to those who looked at them. They united people in their diversity. They were unique and universal at the same time.

That afternoon, with scissors, glue, and cardboard in hand, I created my own interpretation of the world around me. I remember cutting out words and images, mixing fonts and colors to shape a message that was mine — something positive for the reader. Diversity was richness. Diversity was beauty.

Even though I no longer have that little creation (it stayed behind in the first home I lived in), I still carry the warmth of that memory. It feels like a gentle hug. It makes me smile when I think about why I chose to study communication (and its many branches), and why I later fell in love with psychology.

"Invent what doesn't exist. Because what already exists belongs to everyone. But if you can find what isn’t there, then you have something that's truly yours. And if someone else sees what you see, well, then you've found someone who shares your soul." Twenty years ago, Giulia Carcasi published these words in a powerful book about the world as seen through the eyes of two teenagers ("Ma le stelle quante sono?"). I was a teenager too when I read it, living that very world. It was a recommendation from my literature teacher, to whom I’ll always be grateful for sparking my love for reading, and it guided my first steps into introspection and listening during those high school years.

So yes, it all started with a feeling. Anything can start with a feeling. And telling that story — turning it into a piece of storytelling — can bring light not only to our own journey but to the journey of others. It gives voice to our paths, to the roads we've chosen, and to the deeper meanings behind them. To share all this — and to feel it together.

"To search for yourself wherever you go. To believe in it fully. And to remember the moments that give life."

And you? What’s the emotion that started it all for you? (If you'd like to share it, just click “Contact” on the website menu and feel free to write me ✨)