Isabella Mente

Growing up, Isabella Mente’s dad would read her stories every night before bed. “Because of that, I have been writing for as long as I can remember,” she says. “I believe storytelling is a part of my identity.” But Mente’s love of writing was a secret passion until she self-published her first book 7,300 Days last year. Filled with her unique prose and original sketches, Mente describes 7,300 Days as an “odyssey” and “mental journey through twenty years of life.” Her coming of age poetry, now available at Book Soup in Los Angeles and online, has deeply touched thousands of young people through Mente’s relatable themes of femininity, mental health, love, sexual abuse, veganism and more.

“‘7,300 days’ is 20 years,” explains Mente about the title of her book. “On my 19th birthday, I made a promise to myself that I would begin my writing career by age 20.” And it was a promise she would keep. On her 20th birthday, September 29, 2016, Mente self-published 7,300 Days. The book is divided into “days” instead of chapters in order to take the readers through a linear progression of not only Mente’s life, but their own journey as well. “I chose days instead of chapters because life is not defined by chapters, it is defined by birthdays or celebrations that signify the amount of time we have spent on earth.” The title came to Mente on a plane ride to Europe. Her mother’s family is Italian while her father grew up in Denmark. On this transformative trip, Mente visited the farm on which her father grew up where she says she was the most calm and content she ever felt in her life. “I truly do not think I could have finished the book had I not visited my family’s homelands, especially my dad’s. I believe you have to know where you come from to know where you are going.”

Prior to publishing 7,300 Days, Mente was never open about her writing. “I’ve actually never told anyone this before, but the first time I knew I wanted to write books was when I fell in love for the first time,” Mente reveals. “Little did I know I would later write a book about finding myself and how I empowered myself to think of my life more as a story in itself, separated from the art of romantic fairytales.” However, like many new writers, Mente was hesitant about publishing such a personal body of work, filled with her deepest thoughts and secrets. “But being afraid has never been a good enough reason for me. Yes, I knew that publishing what I did would surface some extremely difficult, personal traumas for my family and I. But I had to do it,” she says. “And boy, am I grateful that I did.”

Mente wrote 7,300 Days partly as a personal catharsis — “It’s way cheaper than therapy” — but also for the readers to whom the book is dedicated. “I knew the journey I have been on and the words I have found to keep me company would be helpful to girls my age going through similar experiences,” she says. “I still cannot believe that I have connected to the amount of people I have through that one, seemingly random decision to share my work. It’s truly crazy how many people you can touch when you start living for yourself with a purpose that fulfills you.”

When you open Mente’s book, you will find her words but also original illustrations by Chase Wolcott, Sarah Hesky, Andrew Truhan and a carefully chosen color palette of red and yellow. Mente wanted raw, natural sketches that complimented her poetry. “I gave the illustrators the freedom to insert their own interpretation to the poems because the drawings represent an instant feeling that readers experience as soon as they open the page and see the image,” she explains. The use of red and yellow is symbolically important too. According to Mente, yellow relates to the solar plexus chakra which represents self-esteem and the power of transformation. “The use of the budding roses on the cover signify the the transformation of life. We begin as a closed rose bud, and as we grow we become more open and full,” says Mente. “Our petals droop and our leaves grow thicker, and we beginning revealing more of ourselves until we finally reach maturation.

We can stand on our own, rich with nourishment, ready to share our beauty, experiences, and radiance with the world.” Now approaching her twenty-first birthday, Mente finds herself in a routine that is both “comfortable and uncomfortable.” She has returned to school, studying Creative Writing at the University of Southern California, and is experimenting with her writing to try to find her own voice. “This is another big transitional time in my life that I want to be present for so that when I do sit down to write my next work I have authentic, honest experiences to draw inspiration from,” Mente says. “Like taking a walk after it rains or conquering a fear, I find that I am most inspired when I push myself to experience things that are outside of my comfort zone.”

“Be present, live slow.” These are some of Mente’s words to live by and advice to young writers. “It will help your mental health, your inspiration, your overall quality of life, and your ability to be open to any and all opportunities that have the potential to later serve as a great story. Learn to draw inspiration within yourself instead of searching for it. Do not allow your desire to achieve your dreams keep you from enjoying the journey. The journey is the story and the lesson.”

You can purchase Mente’s book on Amazon, at your local Barnes & Noble or through the bookstore, Book Soup in West Hollywood, California.

I find that I am most inspired when I push myself to experience things that are outside of my comfort zone."

Written by Olivia Clark | Photography by Starr Smith | Hair by Sabine Jean, @RealSabineJean