Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Scalisi.

Hi Patrick, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

[Pat]: I’ve always been a writer. Some of my earliest memories are of writing stories at the kitchen table in the home where I grew up using that really cheap, yellow-ish loose leaf paper. I would write stories about my favorite movies or video games, expanding the stories as I wanted outside of their original mediums.

I wrote all through high school, and in college I approached my university paper about doing movie reviews. Seeing my name in print for the first time was one of the most thrilling moments of my life.

After graduation, I began taking my writing more seriously. I was deeply influenced by Stephen King’s book On Writing and began to build my “writing resume” by writing and submitting short fiction. My first novel, The Key to the Universe, was published by Owl Hollow Press in 2019. Connecticut Cryptids, which was entirely self-funded and self-published, followed in 2023.

[Val]: I am an artist by nature. My earliest memories are of copying the illustrations on the front of the Lion King VHS case (which gives you a clue to my age) and being absolutely entranced by them. This is how Da Vinci must have felt studying the human body (I joke!).

Regardless of what I’m doing, I try to find the creative possibilities. As a result, I’ve found that I really love working with my local community in nonprofit spaces. Being able to work with people who share the same vision of creating a better world truly lends itself to creativity, because you have to be able to think outside of the box to achieve your goals. I find that creative thinking is a lot more acceptable (and even celebrated) in this field of work.

If I had to identify myself within the world of art, I’d say that I am an illustrator. I think I am drawn to illustration (pardon the pun) in particular because I like the freedom of being able to portray what may or may not exist. You can create a fantasy world entirely of your own, or you can portray the beauty (or horror) of the reality in which you live. It’s very open-ended.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

[Pat]: I think any creative pursuit is full of ups and downs. I learned early on not to take rejection personally and generally don’t. That having been said, I’m still human, and getting turned down for a story pitch occasionally stings.

For Connecticut Cryptids, getting book reviews has been an interesting challenge. When we sell books in person, we try to ask buyers to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads if they feel so inclined. We’ve also gotten a number of reviews organically. Like rejections, I try not to take reviews too personally, especially since I’m proud of the final product we put out regardless of what anyone else thinks. But having our first review on Amazon be a one-star review felt diminishing of three years of work.

[Val]: Of course not! Being an artist in 2025 is an uphill battle every step of the way, especially now that we have to “compete” (I use the term very lightly) with AI. But we do it because we love it, we are called to it, and we have something really important to share.

I think the hardest thing that I still struggle with today is separating my art from the confines of capitalism. Most artists, especially those who make a career out of what they’re doing, often fall into the trap of believing that they are only successful as an artist when they’re actively profiting off of what they create. This to me is the killer of creativity. If we are only making art because it is profitable, we’re limiting ourselves so severely.

I openly reject the idea that art needs to make money, and I encourage everyone to create art just for the joy of it, just to feel something or to make the world a better place. I truly believe that art and the humanities are the only things that will save us in the end.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

[Pat]: As a writer, I’m particularly interested in storytelling. I’ve learned, in fact, that there are very few writing projects that don’t benefit from a storytelling component. It’s just part of our shared humanity that we love telling each other stories.

That’s certainly what was most interesting to me about Connecticut Cryptids. I wasn’t particularly interested in creatures or the paranormal — I love the stories and what they tell us about the communities they come from. Whether the Glastonbury Glawackus is real or not becomes irrelevant; the story informs what was happening in the community at the time, and folks’ continued embrace of it says something about how it stokes their imaginations.

I’m particularly proud of this project, especially since Val and I didn’t have the backing of a publisher. Everything you see in the book is the product of our own labor, with valuable insight from a small group of friends and loved ones. To see how people have responded to it still blows my mind.

[Val]: I’ve done a lot of really cool projects, from band posters to children’s book illustrations. In 2023 I checked off one of my dream projects, which was illustrating a beer label for a local brand called Armada Brewing in collaboration with a local business called Strange Ways. Working with folks in my own community always brings me so much joy!

Connecticut Cryptids is by far the best project I’ve worked on. Pat and I started collaborating because we loved the idea and felt driven to bring it to life. We didn’t have funding going into the project, and we didn’t really get paid for our time until after the book was published. But honestly, I think all of that was secondary to the passion we had in bringing these stories to life. I truly think that’s what makes it so special.

Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?

[Pat]: Playing with LEGO bricks! I don’t remember when or how I got my first LEGO set, but it definitely inspired a lifelong love of creation. To the surprise of no one, I loved the Castle and Space themes the most. Being able to remix or customize models beyond the box instructions felt like wielding the power of a god. I think that’s part of why, in our digitally saturated culture, this very basic, analog toy remains exceedingly popular among both children and adults.

[Val]: One year on Christmas Eve, my sibling and I left a bottle of nail polish for Mrs. Claus along with the classic milk and cookies for Santa. I was beyond thrilled to find a thank you note from Mrs. Claus hanging on the Christmas tree come Christmas morning! I did find it interesting how similar Mrs. Claus’s handwriting was to my mother’s, though …

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ctcryptids.com
• Instagram: @ctcryptids
• Facebook: facebook.com/patrickscalisi | facebook.com/ValerieTheTinyRuby

Image Credits

All images courtesy of Connecticut Cryptids