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My essentials ELAINE MIFSUD 43 years, artist and teacher in the secondary sector Mum of nine-year-old twins; Luke and Danielle. Art and teaching have always been my passions from a very young age. I am quite the philosophical kind… the rational side of me takes the lead most of the time as I reason out everything. Lately, I am exploring more my emotive side by expressing my emotions through abstract art. 1. Book 2. Film 3. Internet 4. Music 5. Place I love listening to Chopin's piec- es especially Waltz in A minor and the many Nocturnes, as well as pieces by Debussy like Arabesque and Clair de Lune. These pieces help me get into a meditative and creative mood when I paint. I also love all the pieces by two Italian composers and pianists Ludovico Einau- di and Andrea Vanzo both of whom I have heard live in Ve- rona and Milan last year. I feel that their music transmits a lot of emotions and transports you to another dimension. A place which I have wanted to visit for so long and have finally managed is Claude Monet's res- idence and gardens in Giverny, France. I have always admired the impressionistic works of this art- ist and the good use of colours and light in his many plein air com- positions. This place, especially the water lily pond, is a painter's paradise in my opinion with all the different blooming water lilies and the reflections of the sky in the water, together with the iconic bridge. A book that I have read in the last year is Everything For Art by Tizian Balding- er and Timon R. Böse. It has a lot of useful tips for artists, especially emerging ones like me. In this book the authors discuss blunt quotes from an established artist who wanted to remain anonymous. Some examples of quotes which I really loved are: "Your motivation must never suffer, your task is art"; ""Good art causes prob- lems. Good art tugs at your nerves. Good art is too big, too complex for your small studio. Good art is beyond the scope of your budget. Good art needs something after closing time. Good art requires over-time. Good art doesn't just fit in the trunk of your car. Good art can't just be sent by regular mail. Good art is exhausting." I'M not that much in- to films, however I often end up watching movies with my kids. A movie I've watched with them late- ly is A Minecraft Movie. I was surprisingly intrigued by it, even though the only small briefing I have about the Minecraft game is from my son. The scene which struck me most is the one in which Dennis the dog reu- nites with his owner Steve. I guess I imagined myself reuniting again with my Springer Bella who had just passed away after almost 12 years with us. SOMETIMES, as I am scrolling on social media, I often come across deep messages from people who know that their days of life are counted due to a ter- minal illness. Their mes- sages about life capture my attention. They make us realise that we take many things for granted, espe- cially the simplest things… like waking up each morn- ing, hearing the sound of the wind or the chirping of birds in trees, smelling the first raindrops on the grass, tucking your small children in bed and the list goes on! Compiled by Laura Calleja suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com 4 5 1 2 MaltaToday is supported by Arts Council Malta 4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 AUGUST 2025 ALMANAC 3