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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 DECEMBER 2023 6 ALMANAC My essentials IVAN GRIXTI 41, teacher and visual artist I was trained as a Teacher in Malta and Poland. I am a member of the Society of Christian Doctrine (M.U.S.E.U.M) founded by St George Preca. As an SDC member, I served in Poland from 2010 to 2022. I am now in Malta. I have exhibited my artworks in Poland, France and Malta. 4 5 1. Book 2. Film Internet / TV 4. Music 5. Place I do not watch TV and I try to limit my time on social media to sites on art and in- terior design. On YouTube I like to watch interviews with visual artists, and videos and lectures related to psychology, spirituality, and the art world. Websites such as vangoghmu- seum.nl and others which of- fer high resolution pictures are also my favourite. Here one can observe and analyse the details and texture of the artworks. MY favourite musicians are Enio Morricone and David Gilmore however I like to listen to different genres of music according to my mood. It's hard to choose one song in particular, but one of my favourites is Louder Than Words by David Gilmore, from the album The Endless River. It reflects what I believe in, that is, that what we do speaks louder than words. I cannot but not choose Poland, the country where I have lived for the past 12 years. Its cities, forests, mountains, lakes, fields, together with its culture, traditions, the people, and the friends I made there, are still in my mind and heart. I just only wish Po- land has more sunshine in winter. RECENTLY I read How To Be Your Own Best Friend by Mildred Newman & Bernard Berkowitz. It gave me useful insights on how to be true to myself. It reminded me of oth- er books which I read again and again, such as Happiness Is An Inside Job, by John Powell and the Polish edition of Einreden: Der Umgang mit Gedankenm by Anselm Grün. Psycholog- ical and spiritual themes are my favourite. WELL, it's been a while since I watched a good film. I like watching short films and an- imated films such as Kung Fu Panda. Such films are filled with deep psychological and spiritual metaphors. I like Kung Fu Panda 2, especially the scene of the final fight with Shen. This scene not only ex- plains the whole puzzle of the film, but it is in itself a comic, and at the same time, a dra- matic metaphor on how to find inner peace. Compiled by Laura Calleja suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com 1 This article is supported by Arts Council Malta 3 2