Dear Reader:
I know it's been a little over a month since the release of the first issue, and I want to thank you all for your continued love and support. This zine has truly been a passion project, and I love every bit of it from its creation to the readers who make it all worth it. Life has been lifing, but here I am, standing strong and solid as ever. In this issue, you'll find some heartfelt poetry, my favorite Spotify tunes, a peek into some of the places I love to visit in the city, Of course, my Living in Layers podcast is back, diving even deeper into the journey we're all on
Something new this time around. I'm sharing my Linktree link with you all. As a mom and an entrepreneur, I'm out here juggling it all, just trying to stay afloat in the realness of it all. Writing is the one thing that keeps me grounded, and I'm so grateful I get to share it with you.
I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I enjoyed creating it for you. Thank you for being part of this journey.
Always remember to stay bold, raw, real, and confidently you. XOXO, Tri <3
COLLECTIVE JOY AND
HEALING
By: Katrina Perez
Lately, I’ve found myself feeling lonelier than ever. For the first time in years, my home is filled with more silence than laughter. I’ve raised everyone who’s been part of this journey with me from the beginning My daughters are busy, thriving, and it’s become an empty house It’s not large, but big enough for silence to echo off the walls
In this season of loneliness, I've been reflecting a lot on collective joy and how it heals the soul Yet, at times, it feels just out of reach The dismantling of a society once filled with love and community has been weighing heavily on me It’s made me want to run away, to find the nearest corner or escape where even a sliver of joy still exists.
I need to reach out more, open my doors to others who feel the same way. We need each other now more than ever. Loud silence and isolation do more harm than good. I am seeking love, seeking soul-filling people who surround me with laughter and resilience. I’m seeking a community that holds space for my eccentric creativity. I’m seeking mental stimulation that vibrates all the parts of me.
I’m here for the noise. I’m here for the love. I’m here for collective joy and healing. When this world is constantly trying to tear us apart, collective healing and joy become an act of resistance. Lets get a weird-looking tube to float down the river with a weird group of people, and an ice-cold beer, and cheers to collective resistance.
W H E R E
D O Y O U F I N D
J O Y , E V E N O N H A R D
D A Y S ?
I wish I was waking up in the wilderness overlooking a beautiful stream with a mountain I plan to climb one day.
I wish I was waking up next to the ocean with the sun kissing my skin, and the man I love laying naked next to me in my bed of silk sheets.
I wish I was waking up from a deep mediation by the seas of Bali while my children frolic beneath the waves.
I am a wild one missing another wild one to complete my wild woman's dreams
I am a free spirited bohemian Woman that needs no one to tame me, but to just revel in my wild madness with my wild spawns
My mental illness is starting show
And I wish I had someone to keep me stabilized
It would be medicinal
It would be freeing what burns inside of me is trying so hard to throw me out of whack
It’s lonely
It’s lonely feeling this way
I need someone to save me, and I need someone to save me now
To wrap me up in their arms and let me know that’s it’s okay
I need someone that will allow me to share every single deep dark hurt feeling that is plaguing me.
I need someone to love me
Love sets me free it’s what I am made of, and without it I feel lost
That kind of love is soothing it keeps me together it keeps me whole
My mental illness is starting to show, and this time I don’t have control
D I R E T I O N S
On a blank sheet of paper, draw a large circle in the center. This circle will represent YOU the heart of your joy. From that central circle, draw lines radiating outward like a sun. These will be the branches where you map out sources of collective joy. Label them as you go (you can use words, drawings, symbols, or a mix).
A Soft Landing: Reconnect with Your Joy
We’ve just gone on a journey through this zine together, and now I want you to take a moment to sit with all the feelings that surfaced. Embrace the joy, the healing, and the growth. Ride the wave of joy that’s filling your soul right now. Remember, joy is not just a destination it’s a journey we walk together.
“We need culturally informed healing. Mental health care isn’t onesize-fits-all and we deserve spaces that see us ”
Joy is the practice of loving self and humanity; caring for and helping humanity on earth; recognizing truth, beauty, aesthetics, art, and wonder; and working to solve social problems of the world ”
Dr Gholdy Muhammad, Unearthing Joy