 Art is beautiful. It manages to tell stories that words couldn’t describe. They bring us to alternate universes and make us picture life through someone else’s life. A Gen Z artista who is doing just that is Aisha Coello, an artist from New Jersey. She paints stunning images and takes us to her world. We got the chance to speak with her about her art, and how she’s painting all the colors of the wind! It takes a very skilled, and patient person to be able to paint. Aisha has been doing art for a while now. She told us, “I was always aware that I enjoyed being inside the realm of creativity. I poured my heart out dancing to every rhythmic beat, I explored writing poetry in rhymes to match my emotions, and lastly acting and partaking with any form of theatrics. There was one form I never really touched upon was the talent I would never take for granted. Drawing and Painting was my newest form of expression and it all started with practicing anime characters. My closest friend Yailin was drawing anime at the same time which jumps started my efforts to try. Informing me of the basics. From there I decided to move on to a variety of art mediums.” Art is a beautiful thing, and it has paved the way for so many famous stories. Stories like Van Gogh, and even Frida Kahlo. Artists come from greatness and Aisha is just getting started! Aisha has done so many paintings that she must have a favorite! She told us, “My favorite creation has to be one of my recent drawings during the quarantine. As I was listening to The Weeknd’s new album After Hours and the idea struck to do my interpretation of his album. Drawing this creation felt like a revival within my soul because I haven’t done the hobby I adored in awhile. Those three days putting all my fixation towards the colors, proportions, and concepts that can coexist.” She has painted phone cases, murals and so much more! We can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us! In the future, she wishes to study law or political science. She mentioned, “I would love to keep my art as a side hustle for sure. As of right now, I have plans of studying Law or Political Science. I believe that Justice or Peace hasn’t been restored in many aspects of society and I would love for change to happen. The change starts with us.” What an incredible role model! Every artist has their inspirations. For Aisha, she stated, “My inspirations would be those close to me. My grandmother who recently passed. I keep her clearly in my heart as I paint. Seeing her smile as I evolve as an artist. She would be proud of the recent and future works to come. Another inspiration is my sister's friend Jeremy who I inspired as well. He told me one day as I was viewing his artwork, ‘You know your drawings were the reason why I started doing art.’ Looking at how genuine he was saying this made me feel important on his journey and be so honored. He inspires me further that I am planting seedlings for the evolution of many more upcoming artists. Pushing me to new limits in the world of art.” A Gen Z artist who can paint and build bridges for more people like her. It is never easy to draw. It takes strength, and a keen eye to be able to create images with hands. Aisha is just getting started in showing the world that her art is transformational. In her hometown, she got the chance to create a mural outside of a restaurant. She said, “This painting was a blessing in disguise. I describe it like this because this painting is what lifted me up from a scary abyss I was encountering personally. With college coming next year, the recent loss I had, self-depreciation that I cannot do much due to a pandemic. I questioned a lot, I was really hitting the rocks. Being asked by the owner ‘Aisha would you like to paint the back of our patio that will be soon renovated?’ When I tell you my spirits felt lifted and I thought about one thing: painting. Those days and hours working on my mural it feels like a million stars staring back at you saying ‘you're doing amazing kiddo.’ Every time in the back of my mind I thought of my Abuela as she would have sat back at that table admiring how far I’ve come. I personally dedicated that to her as my way of finishing the painting I wanted to give her. I truly cannot thank the owner of Piccolino’s enough for this opportunity to share my imaginative mind into his world.” You can visit the mural itself at Piccolino’s in New Jersey. The painting got a lot of recognition and it is so great that she got the chance to be able to display her creation! Aisha Coello is going to do amazing things with both her art and her intelligence. In the future, she wishes to keep art close with her. Aisha said, “When I am asked about my future with art, I haven’t ruminated enough but I believe I’d like to make an impact on many more as I have with Jeremy. I’d love to have my creations be seen for a younger audience to discover the talent they never knew they had. I would also love to do more art pieces for the community. Seeing residents and their eyes beam with awestruck as they are surrounded by the vibrancy of colors and ideas. This was the same exact feeling I had about Bayonne's artwork surrounding me. I would love for others to feel lo mismo of amor and unity in the neighborhood they live in.” We are so proud of you, and we hope you continue every aspect of life with a paintbrush in one hand and your spark of creativity in the other. Continue doing you Aisha, the world is your canvas! Every artist has their inspirations. For Aisha, she stated, “My inspirations would be those close to me. My grandmother who recently passed. I keep her clearly in my heart as I paint. Seeing her smile as I evolve as an artist. She would be proud of the recent and future works to come. Another inspiration is my sister's friend Jeremy who I inspired as well. He told me one day as I was viewing his artwork, ‘You know your drawings were the reason why I started doing art.’ Looking at how genuine he was saying this made me feel important on his journey and be so honored. He inspires me further that I am planting seedlings for the evolution of many more upcoming artists. Pushing me to new limits in the world of art.” A Gen Z artist who can paint and build bridges for more people like her. It is never easy to draw. It takes strength, and a keen eye to be able to create images with hands. Aisha is just getting started in showing the world that her art is transformational. In her hometown, she got the chance to create a mural outside of a restaurant. She said, “This painting was a blessing in disguise. I describe it like this because this painting is what lifted me up from a scary abyss I was encountering personally. With college coming next year, the recent loss I had, self-depreciation that I cannot do much due to a pandemic. I questioned a lot, I was really hitting the rocks. Being asked by the owner ‘Aisha would you like to paint the back of our patio that will be soon renovated?’ When I tell you my spirits felt lifted and I thought about one thing: painting. Those days and hours working on my mural it feels like a million stars staring back at you saying ‘you're doing amazing kiddo.’ Every time in the back of my mind I thought of my Abuela as she would have sat back at that table admiring how far I’ve come. I personally dedicated that to her as my way of finishing the painting I wanted to give her. I truly cannot thank the owner of Piccolino’s enough for this opportunity to share my imaginative mind into his world.” You can visit the mural itself at Piccolino’s in New Jersey. The painting got a lot of recognition and it is so great that she got the chance to be able to display her creation!
"I would also love to do more art pieces for the community. Seeing residents and their eyes beam with awestruck as they are surrounded by the vibrancy of colors and ideas. This was the same exact feeling I had about Bayonne's artwork surrounding me. I would love for others to feel lo mismo of amor and unity in the neighborhood they live in," Aisha continues. We are so proud of you, and we hope you continue every aspect of life with a paintbrush in one hand and your spark of creativity in the other. Continue doing you Aisha, the world is your canvas!
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By: Kiana Maria Building a business takes a lot of courage and ingenuity. Especially when you use your business to be able to give back to the community. Sixteen-year-old Lilly Marsh from New Jersey knows how to make giving back and triple its meaning. She is a young entrepreneur who started TumblingBooks. She makes jewelry and gives 50% of her profits to charity. She is also a graphic designer for a very successful teen run magazine on Instagram called Zenerations. We got the chance to speak with this amazing role model to learn more about her success and journey. Starting a company is never easy, however, Lilly shows that she can do whatever she wants if she puts her mind to it. When asked about her business she said, “I have always wanted to have my own business. When I was in elementary school I would sell duct tape wallets and other handmade items and I found it super fun. However, I first thought of starting an Etsy when I was in middle school. In 2018, when Women's marches were happening all over the country, my mom went to a march in DC. I was sad that I couldn't go and I knew that I wanted to find a way to help. I decided to make pink hat charms and donate all of the proceeds to Women Rising in Jersey City. In the end, I raised over $1000 and I was invited to their founders day and given an award.” It is astonishing what hard work and determination can do for this young woman.  Pictured: A piece of artwork by Marsh She told us about the experience saying, “I loved every part of the experience, and being able to help others through my love for design and business was the best feeling. After that, I decided that I wanted to be able to reach even more people than the ones in my town so I opened my Etsy shop.” It is amazing to see such a great contributor to society in the way she runs TumblingBooks. We got the chance to ask her what running a business is like. She said, “It is amazing and I love every moment of it. Creating the products, assembling the items, designing cute packaging, putting them in the mailbox, and more! Of course, there are the days where you have no orders, but there are also the days where you launch a new collection and have tons of new orders! Overall it is a great experience and has taught me a lot.” Visit Lilly’s Instagram for her drawings and jewelry designs @tumblingbooksco and don’t forget to purchase some of her amazing jewelry on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/tumblingbooks/ TumblingBooks has been giving back through charities. She recently worked with the Hudson Pride Center for a jewelry sale and 50% of the proceeds went to them. She told us that working with charities has been amazing. She said, “After I sold pink hat charms to raise money for Women Rising I realized that being able to help people through my passion for design is so amazing and I wanted to continue doing it. Once quarantine began I had a lot more free time and decided to devote more time to my Etsy. I made a collection of polymer clay earrings and bookish jewelry and I decided to donate 50% of the proceeds to The Spa Diner in Hoboken. They were making sandwiches for the homeless which was great because it allowed me to help people keep their jobs and give food to those in need. I also created another collection called the Pride Project where I partnered with Zenerations and Hudson Pride Center in Jersey City to create a collection of LGBTQ+ inspired jewelry. 50% of the proceeds from this collection go to Hudson Pride Center.” The link to purchase from this collection is https://www.etsy.com/shop/Tumblingbooks?ref=seller-platform-mcnav§ion_id=29552403 Zenerations was started in Hudson County by Sophia Delrosario, an amazing writer, and artist. Lilly Marsh has been working with Zenerations since the beginning. She told us how working with Zenerations has been such a rewarding experience. “It's amazing! I discovered my love for digital art during quarantine and I thought that my drawings would never leave my Ipad. Zenerations allows my art to have an incredible impact.” Her work is incredible. She also told us, “The process is pretty simple. Sophia will either give me a photo of the person in the article, the topic, or any ideas she has for the graphic and then I will draw it. I've been doing it every day for the last three months so I am getting pretty good at executing her vision.” When asked why she enjoys she said, “I love it because it gives my art meaning. If a drawing I create just sits on my iPad, it has no impact. But when something I created is seen by millions of people and educates or helps them, it is the best feeling in the world.” Be sure to visit Zenerations on Instagram @zenerations.
As stated before, being an entrepreneur isn’t easy. Despite challenges Lilly truly shows that Gen Z is more than just TikTok videos and social media. She proves that starting a business can be anyone's turf. Her biggest advice to those trying to start a business is, “If you want to create something, now is the time. Because we are so young, we don't have to worry about making enough money to pay for a house, taxes, etc. There is no stress, so you can just enjoy the experience and have fun.” Her future is as bright as the sun. Speaking of her future, she told us that she hopes to bring more of her designs in local stores. She said, “A couple of years ago I got the opportunity to have some of my jewelry in the Washington General Store in Hoboken. I loved seeing my products in a store and I had planned on trying to get into more stores in my community but because of the pandemic, I have had to put that plan off to the side. However, I am planning on making that happen as soon as I can! I am also looking forward to making new collections and helping more and more people.” Lilly Marsh, you are an entrepreneur extraordinaire, take your journey and run with it! By: Kiana Maria  Serendipity means to find happiness or fortune in an unforeseen time. For four sixteen-year-old boys, it means getting the chance to create one of the greatest forms of art together: music. Luke Rodriguez, Toby Harrison, Joshua Ibarra, and Joaquim Pereira are all a part of a boy band Joaquim and Joshua formed called Serendipity. They all come from different parts of New Jersey in the Hudson County area. Between writing their songs, forming a schedule to practice, and recording their videos, these boys are sure to rock any stage they perform at! A band is like a car, it needs certain parts to get going. In Serendipity, the role of each member goes as such; Joshua is the singer, Luke is the bassist/vocalist, Joaquim is the guitarist/vocalist, and Toby is the drummer. They each have a love for music and a lot of brotherly love for one another. Toby told us that his favorite part of being in the band is, “Coming together and making music. Figuring out problems that we [may have] sometimes, which just helps us become friends and create a bond of a lifetime.” They have worked together for a while now, and yet they have so much more to offer! Joshua also mentioned, “I love how each member of the band loves making similar music, but what makes it so interesting is that we all have slightly different musical inspirations and they all complement each other.” The way these boys work together to create their art is something that a lot of more people need to see! Every living thing starts at the roots, similar to a band. Every band has to start with the greeting of a member to a member. Luke Rodriguez told us of their first encounter stating, “Joaquim and Joshua have known each other for a very long time. Joaquim and Joshua first formed Serendipity in middle school with some of their friends. After they broke up they kept the name.” He continues by stating, “I first met Joaquim at lunch, [in high school], he was playing guitar and I thought he was super cool. I was originally trying to start my own band, so I asked him if he wanted to join mine. He flipped the script and asked me to join his band. I said yes. A couple of weeks later, Joaquim recruited Toby Harrison, and the rest is history.” After that, it was as if fate knew exactly what to do. Since they met, they have performed in school events, festivals in nearby cities, and fundraisers. Further talking about their initial steps, Joaquim Pereira, the guitarist/vocalist of the group, told us their roots in how the name, Serendipity, was chosen. He said, “...the name Serendipity came from a discussion I had with my aunt. We were painting a room in my new house and I was talking to her about trying to find a name for my band. She had recently gotten back from a trip to Ghana and took a picture with an Anaconda snake named Serendipity. The word stuck with me and soon after I told Joshua I wanted that to be the name of our band.” Who knew snakes could be such inspiration! In March of 2020, the Coronavirus hit the United States. New Jersey schools were closed by the second week of March. Even though it was hard to be around each other to continue creating their art, the band did not hesitate to do it virtually in the meantime. Joshua Ibarra told us how quarantine affected the process by saying, “Sometimes you just have to make the best out of a really bad situation. So we took advantage of quarantine to practice and improve the instruments we play, and we were able to write a lot of material.” Since cases have gone down in New Jersey and places are opening up again, the boys are slowly getting back to their normal music ways. They are however taking precautions and taking care of each other.  In terms of inspirations, the boys each have their style and look up to many artists. Toby’s inspirations include Inner Wave and Queens of the Stone Age. Luke’s inspirations consist of Childish Gambino and Jimi Hendrix. He said, “He is versatile, creative, original, and unique in every aspect. He is a pioneer and is never afraid to step out of his comfort zone and try something new,” about Childish Gambino. Joaquim told us the impact of his favorite band stating, “I’m inspired by Nirvana. As corny as it seems, I wouldn’t be playing the guitar if it wasn’t for the Nevermind album. The Smiths, another great band. The guitar riffs and the vibes make them a great listen.” Lastly, Joshua told us that his biggest inspirations were 5 Seconds of Summer and Wallows. We also asked a few questions just to learn more about the idea behind their style. Toby told us that he would describe their music to be similar to indie pop-rock. When asked if Serendipity were to be categorized into a decade of music what would it be, he stated, “If I were to generalize the band into a decade it would probably be the early 2000s which was the rise of pop-punk music and set a course for a new indie wave of music.” For their far out future, the boys hope to, “drop great music and play out as much as possible. We want to gain fans and be known as well. But most of all we want to have fun,” according to Luke Rodriguez. In the meantime, Joshua told us, “...We really wanna put ourselves out there and we want as many people as possible to know about us. We’re going to be uploading a lot of content on our social media to get people to know us and what we’re about. We have lots of new stuff coming out in the fall that we can’t wait to share with the world.” Go follow them on Instagram @sserendipitybandd and check their recent cover of Remember When by Wallows out on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Cc6kVA7AfJM
Luke, Toby, Joshua, and Joaquim, we wish you luck, and we hope you continue to create your art!
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