Finding Joy
by Anika Toro
Discover the magic of serendipity and artistic exploration in “Finding Joy”! This mixed media art book takes selections from nine different copies of the same book, showcasing Anika’s transformative and playful approach to the original text.
Each page spread uses hand-selected text, left unaltered from its original position. Through a process of erasure and blackout, Anika redacts everything except a newly found message, thought, idea, or poem, without adding any new text. Analog collages, paint, photography, embroidery, and more celebrate unique narratives, exploring creativity, spontaneity, and the profound moments that emerge from reimagining existing ideas.
Above all, Anika believes that creating should be fun! She hopes this book is a testament to the delight in making and that in exploring this book, you too find a bit of inspiration on your own path to joy.
5 out of 5 fairies
This was such a fun mashup of poetry created by blocking out chunks of text, leaving only a few words visible, and mixed media. The art part is truly eye catching, and I love how it was used to help make the poetry, by highlighting or blocking out words. The artwork alone made this book a joy, and because it is so colorful, I’d recommend reading it only in a medium or on a device that will truly let you appreciate it! Although this isn’t a kids book per se, I think readers of all ages will find joy within these pages. Overall, if you enjoy mixed media art, and unconventional poetry, you’re going to adore this book!
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Anika Toro is a mixed media artist with a background in photography and collage. Her current work fuses narrative, serendipity, and playful experimentation into art that transforms familiar texts and images into unexpected expressions of creativity. Her innovative projects have found homes in hotels and private spaces around the world, while her award-winning photography has been seen in magazines, on record covers, and in exhibitions throughout the United States.
In this debut book, Anika offers an intimate look at her creative journey-a path of wonder, discovery, and those unexpected twists that make art so fun and magical. When not in her studio, Anika finds inspiration in music, nature, tarot, and time with her family. She lives in Tennessee with her husband, teenage daughter, and their much-loved cat.
Though she isn’t active on social media, Anika warmly welcomes your letters, ideas, or collaboration proposals, believing that genuine connection enriches not just the creative process but us all!
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We are (slowly) working on updating old posts to the new format and removing old tour/blitz posts that are now missing key assets – please be patient with us, there are a lot of posts to go through, we’ve been doing this since 2016! Any tour/blitz posts that contained a review and are now missing key assets will be updated to review posts so the reviews remain accessible
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We’re doing our best to get everything up on the site and social media in a timely manner. Apologies if anything is missed or late! Between the state of the US right now, mental/physical health problems, and some things going on in our personal lives, things may be missed or late occasionally. We truly appreciate your understanding! Feel free to reach out to Lily if you notice something missing.
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Mental Health Resources for those in the USA – In light of the recent election, we want to put out a message that LGBTQIA+ and minorities are always welcome here. We may post promos in conjunction with tour companies that spout worldviews we don’t always agree with, but we do our best to avoid any openly phobic posts, and should you notice any, we’d appreciate you contacting us with this form to let us know.
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