Hello, my name is Anasthasia Maria Maura Rey Daniela, but you can call me Ana Mariela. Imagine having to write that on a ¼ piece of paper during a spelling quiz! While everyone else had moved on to question four, I was still writing my name. What a nightmare! Thankfully, it was changed to a shorter version.
I hail from the Philippines and moved to the UK in 2001, seeking new opportunities and, more importantly, to be closer to my mum and sister in Vienna. Growing up, my sister and I both have vivid imaginations. She leaned more towards design, fashion and decorating, while I found my passion in words. I love to write and describe the world around me, whether it’s from my travels, daily activities, or simply pondering “what if?”. My friends often share their stories and feelings with me, and I use their words as a spark of inspiration. With just a sentence or phrase, I weave entire stories, and from those stories, my poems come to life. I am a visual person and I love to describe what I see hence, you will read about the seasons, sunrise, sunset, the moon, and the stars. These feelings are like the different colours on a canvas, each adding depth and texture to the picture of my inner thoughts and my own map of the world. They provide a richer understanding of my journey and hopefully to yours.
