With the abundant technological wealth of which a great majority of people have the honor to constantly enjoy, almost every day we expose ourselves to meet talented people of true inspiration who from the first moment you contact them doubles the brightness that resides in your self. By the end of February 2021, I virtually met the Costa Rican writer, poet and painter Ligia Calderón Valerín who was born in Orosi, Cartago, on December 20, 1955. In literary terms, his favorite subject is self-help-motivation and in painting his strength is the figurative face.
Ligia has given a lot of color to her existence and has done it to her full freedom, her success is synonymous with reference, since she discovered her talent of painting her inspiration has been colorful and those of us who have had the honor of having a painting in our house of his authorship, we are flattered with appreciation and admiration we praise his artistic work. Ligia is a daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, poet, artist but above all a great humanist, who throughout her life has been committed to carrying motivational messages through her artistic expressions (painting-literature) that so much adores.
You are cordially invited to learn of his wonderful literary work. Our guest is the author of two published books: “Un Grito del Alma” (Costa Rica 2014), “Como Letras Escritas” , (Ediciones Kuélap , Peru, 2021), of which I had the honor of being the prologue, I take advantage of the space to thank you for granting me such a unique privilege. She is also the author of the unpublished book “La Percepción del Amor”. Represented Costa Rica as a painter in the Anthology of the Bicentennial of Central America, (Ayame Editorial, Mexico 2021). In this interview we will briefly learn about your artistic and literary world, dear readers, I hope it is to the liking of each one of you.
On Sunday, October 17, 2021, we had the immense pleasure of presenting the collection of poems “As written letters”, (2021). The moderator of the event was the Mexican singer-songwriter, writer and poet Yared Ayala, this event was held through the zoom platform and began at 2:00 pm, Central America / 3:00 pm, Colombia and 10:00 pm, Spain. In this presentation we share with writers, poets, editors, journalists, musicians and artists from eighteen countries: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Spain, Romania and Italy.
In this presentation, all the guests participated, some of them read poems, made comments or others asked the author questions. This event was attended by relatives of the artist: Gastón Umaña (Ligia’s husband) and her daughters Angie and With the abundant technological wealth of which a great majority of people have the honor to constantly enjoy, almost every day we expose ourselves to meet talented people of true inspiration who from the first moment you contact them doubles the brightness that resides in your being. By the end of February 2021, I virtually met the Costa Rican writer, poet and painter Ligia Calderón Valerín who was born in Orosi, Cartago, on December 20, 1955. In literary terms, his favorite subject is self-help-motivation and in painting his strength is the figurative face.
Ligia has given a lot of color to her existence and has done it to her full freedom, her success is synonymous with reference, since she discovered her talent of painting her inspiration has been colorful and those of us who have had the honor of having a painting in our house of his authorship, we are flattered with appreciation and admiration we praise his artistic work. Ligia is a daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, poet, artist but above all a great humanist, who throughout her life has been committed to carrying motivational messages through her artistic expressions (painting-literature) that so much adores.
You are cordially invited to learn of his wonderful literary work. Our guest is the author of two published books: “Un Grito del Alma” (Costa Rica 2014), “Como Letras Escritas” , (Ediciones Kuélap, Peru, 2021), of which I had the honor of being the prologue, I take advantage of the space to thank you for granting me such a unique privilege. She is also the author of the unpublished book “La Percepción del Amor”. Represented Costa Rica as a painter in the Anthology of the Bicentennial of Central America, (Ayame Editorial, Mexico 2021). In this interview we will briefly learn about your artistic and literary world, dear readers, I hope it is to the liking of each one of you.
On Sunday, October 17, 2021, we had the immense pleasure of presenting the collection of poems “As written letters”, (2021). The moderator of the event was the Mexican singer-songwriter, writer and poet Yared Ayala, this event was held through the zoom platform and began at 2:00 pm, Central America / 3:00 pm, Colombia and 10:00 pm, Spain. In this presentation we share with writers, poets, editors, journalists, musicians and artists from eighteen countries: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Spain, Romania and Italy.
In this presentation, all the guests participated, some of them read poems, made comments or others asked the author questions. This event was attended by relatives of the artist: Gastón Umaña (Ligia’s husband) and her daughters Angie and Heilyn. Among the musicians who had intervention were; Madeline Ramírez Méndez guitarist, performer and founder of the Costa Rican band Alinea and the Nicaraguans Bayardo Quinto Núñez (pianist) and Zayda Quinto Calderón (violinist).
About Ligia’s artistic and literary work, Gastón Umaña expresses:
• We are very proud of the talent that Ligia has, not only with writing and painting but with many others that she possesses, she always surprises us every time she writes poetry. They are interesting messages and with painting she also makes a great work out of nothing. of art which always carries an important message inspired by women and family. We support her morally and also economically, her talent is an invaluable treasure, it is very important to be able to share the content that she transmits through her art is and will be of great inspiration for many generations.
Angie Umaña is Ligia’s eldest daughter, she designed the cover of the book “Like written letters” through a message, I sent her two questions and I share the answers that she kindly shared with me. Angie, what did it mean to you to design the cover of the book ‘like written letters’? What does your mother’s artistic and literary legacy represent in your life?
• Designing the cover for such an important book in my mother’s life was one of the most enriching moments not only in my life as a designer, but also in my personal life. My mother’s artistic legacy is an inspiration to me, an example of what a strong and courageous woman can achieve at any age, and also a way to immortalize her and have her with me forever.
Interview
How is poet Ligia? How were the results of your projects in 2021?
Ligia: -Carlos, I’m very well thank God. The year 2021 was an interesting year for me, in the midst of the circumstances that we all know. It was a good year, there was the opportunity to publish my book, Como Cartas Escritas, with the Peruvian publishing house Editorial Ediciones Kuelap, directed by the writer Elías Mondragón Herrera. I have created and advancing in art, my other great passion, “I confess very blessed.”
What did the art of writing or the art of painting discover first?
-The first thing was the art of painting, from a very young age I fell in love with colors wanting to paint the world and then writing was born a few years later, it came to complement my creativity and captivated my heart.
You are an excellent artist of figurative faces, but I have noticed that most of these portraits are female faces. What has inspired you to cultivate this subject with more dedication?
-I started painting all kinds of works, but when the artist grows, he becomes more aware and begins to look for a theme that has a voice, that communicates something.
I found in the art of female and child faces, those feelings that I was looking for, the sensitivity that they express, without hiding what they live and feel, it is as if they will tell me stories, that is why I represent my art with faces and I call it feelings. .
In June 2021 you kindly gave me a beautiful painting of your authorship entitled “confrontation”, very grateful for your noble gesture. The work shows two birds in which you can see from afar as if they were loving each other, what is the main message of this work?
The name of this is confrontation :
The message behind this work represents: Two birds in a dispute over the material they need to build their nest. It is taking place in the center of a wonderful environment, full of light, color and life, but self-centeredness blinds them and leads them to contend for a few branches or dry strips of still life.
I emphasize, many times it happens to us, we miss the blessing of helping each other. Arrogance and lack of maturity hinder us, so that we do not act properly, we end up blinded by meaningless discrepancies. This happens in every social sphere.
You are in love with colors, what is your favorite color and why?
-My favorite color is white, but I love green and the range of blues. The white color is pure, clean and harmonizes with everything. Green is a calm cool color that is easy to combine. It is a blue color, it is versatile, it suits me well, it is elegant.
Can you mention the names of the writers and artists who have influenced your artistic and literary career?
-Maybe not really influenced, but I really like your writing. Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer Pablo Neruda, Mario Benedetti among others.
In painting, Miguel Ángel, Amiguetti, from these times Vladimir Volegov, Amet Demir, Rafa Fernández from Costa Rica.
You come from a family, who breathe, enjoy, live and make art in various expressions. What does it mean to you to belong to a distinguished artistic family?
-It means of course a great blessing, a privilege, for which I give infinite thanks, in my family we are born with art in our blood. As a child I remember my mother drawing, embroidering fabrics, designing clothes, without having studied.
About writing almost everyone writes. In art we work from handicrafts, crafts, plastic arts, music, each one born in the family begins to show inspiration in some branch of art. In writing, my brothers make poems, write about life, declaim, play musical instruments, some play piano, violin, guitar. All my nephews identify with art in one way or another.
In the family there are literature teachers and plastic arts teachers.
Did any of your daughters inherit maternal talent?
-I’m sure that art lives in them, because of the career they chose, advertising is a creative branch of art, but I know that they write for them, maybe one day they will surprise us.
You have long been a bible student, which of the wonderful books of the holy book are your favorites?
Genesis 1- This chapter is very important.
This book reveals to us that we were created by God.
The Lord of the universe and owner of the world we live in, created us to do his will, we are the work of his hands.
He put his breath of life into us.
And John 1- In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.
These two books reveal it all. In this book he is talking about Jesus, who represents the word, the verb, the action of God from the beginning and declares to us that Jesus himself is God.
You are a successful woman, for me and for many more you are a reference of success, you have achieved many of your goals that you once proposed, we know that it has not been easy at all, from your experience, could you give us some tips on how to materialize the goals in life?
• -Persistence, even if doors are closed, keep trying.
• Don’t listen to negative voices.
• Believe in yourself, all in good time.
• That it is God who aligns things.
• Take failures as lessons to grow.
• Take the good and discard the bad.
In 2014 you published your first book entitled “Un Grito del Alma”, what are the main themes that you address in this work?
-The book A Cry of the Soul, confronts us with our inner self. We are tripartite beings, spirit, soul and body, many times due to lack of knowledge we deal only with the body, we neglect the true self, which is found in the soul and spirit and we neglect them.
It guides us to solve our problems and build our own balance. To release the inherited burdens that we carry inside, and to reconcile ourselves with our self.
In literary terms, one of his favorite subjects is motivation. In what way can one find oneself with motivating words when we are living the most difficult circumstances of our existence, be it health, economic, emotional or sentimental?
-Well, I recognize that life is not easy, it is full of adversities, but we must continue working with perseverance, faith, hard work, life takes many turns, not everything is easy from the beginning, what is yours is added, As you walk, life gets better.
“Como Cartas Escritas” is the second book published in 2021 by the Peruvian publishing house Ediciones Kuélap, Why this title?
-Because I believe that the writer is someone sent to communicate a message. Like a written letter. Everything that the world overlooks in its crazy hustle and bustle of the day,
like love, hugs, forgiveness, smiles, that life is made up of moments, experiences, dreams, mistakes, tears, joys.
We are the voice of alert, so that we make a stop on the hectic road that we are taking.
The message is not ours, it belongs to everyone, and it must be sent.
What did it mean to you to publish this work abroad?
-It was a very good opportunity to be able to publish abroad, it opened a new path for me which will help me for future projects and have more options in literary excellence. It is important to mention that the virtual media that were developed during the pandemic will make it easier for us to carry out these literary projects, even outside our borders and to be able to communicate with the world beyond the everyday.
• I share the link in which you can see the video of the presentation of this book:
What did it mean to you that writers, poets, journalists, and artists from eighteen countries were virtually present at the presentation of your collection of poems?
-I represent an immense honor, to have the accompaniment of such distinguished and magnificent artists, poets, journalist writers and excellent human beings from eighteen countries. At the same time, I was very pleased that my writing style was to the liking of the participants. In this
In your book “like written letters”, there is a text entitled “creating rainbows”, in which you briefly describe your childhood, at the end you say: “that life marked a miracle in my sentimental soul as a child, to live happily and gratefully of the life”. What do you miss most about those first years of your life?
-The joy, the tranquility, the peace that exists in the field, nature, does not need more than what you have.
What are the topics that you talk about in your unpublished book “The perception of love” And when will you publish it? Why this title?
-The themes of the Unpublished book The Perception of Love are: Agape love. It is the purest love, the love of God, the spiritual that knows us, lifts us up, sustains us, supports us. Then brotherly love, the love of family, of friends, the love that shares values, that respects is a good, voluntary, committed, understanding love that accompanies. Eros love: It is the romantic, sensual, sentimental love, of a couple, of spouses, commitment, of two who love each other.
When do I publish it? I don’t know yet, maybe this year, God willing.
The name: It means how I perceive the manifestations of love in each area, and how necessary it is to talk about this issue and learn to separate each manifestation, so that there are no disagreements, consequences, between families, parents, children, etc.
I thought it was a very good name. The Perception of Love.
In the Anthology of the Bicentennial of Central America, you were invited to participate as a visual artist. What technique did you use to create this work? What is the main message of this collage?
-The technique I used was, the black ink pen and watercolor pencil: The main message is the protection and importance of taking care of our natural resources and the pride we feel in our ecosystem. Flora and Fauna of Costa Rica.
What motivational message do you share with our readers? If your purposes are not well defined yet, what suggestions do you offer?
-That they keep going so that they never stop believing in what they do. That life is the best school, that they meditate and observe. Be attentive and listen to your heart. May they love the gift they have received. Let them read a lot of books.
Thank you, Carlos Jarquín for taking our hand and accompanying us, along the path of literature and art, and thank you for your friendship.
