Jacob Garbarino, 21, has spent the last 10 months developing and self-publishing his first poetry collection, “LEAP.” During the process of piecing the collection together, he found that it was best to self-publish. For Garbarino, the accolade of being published through a big name publishing house wouldn’t bring him fulfillment.

“I think the idea of ownership is big for me,” he explained. “Also, the fact that this book was more for myself and having a title of ‘published’ by a big company just wouldn’t fulfill me anyways.”

Garbarino was inspired to embark on this endeavor after watching his favorite YouTuber, Kain Carter, discuss his 70-page collection of poetry. “I always thought books had to be 200-plus pages, and that seemed very daunting,” he explained. “When I read his and it was actually good, I thought, ‘I could do this, too.’ ”

He realized that with technological accessibility comes an opportunity for independence.

“I think in the age of the internet, people are able to succeed without the backing of large companies if they are able to get themselves out in front of people,” he said.

In light of this understanding, he has made it a mission to make other young artists aware of this reality.

“Most people wouldn’t even know that you could produce a book by yourself,” he said. “Anytime I have shown or mentioned my book, people have been surprised by the quality of it, and I learned it all from the internet. I just want to show people what is possible, and inspire others and show them the only limitations there are are the ones we place on ourselves.”

This doesn’t mean the process was easy. “The internal layout of the book halted a lot of the process,” Garbarino admitted. During the creation process, he attempted to complete the internal formatting by himself. “I found out that it would just be better to hire a professional, and I’m glad I did. The book exceeded my expectations.

“I learned from that experience that I can’t do it all by myself and that having a team only creates higher-quality products.”

Despite any setbacks, and with the help of professionals, Garbarino created art that he is proud to distribute. He is grateful he took the risk, and wants other artisans to do the same.

“Put your work out there, I know as an artist that we can be self-conscious of our work, but taking that risk to inspire and captivate is worth the courage that it takes,” he said.

“LEAP” is an intimate exploration of loss and grief, and the healing that follows suit.

“There is a transition from grief and self-doubt into more loving, inspirational and self-reflection within the book,” said Garbarino.

He did not shy away from his emotions while writing. “When I listen to other poets, it’s so inspirational how they vent their emotions, I love the honesty,” he said. “I think that’s why poetry works for me, because it’s coming from an honest place.”

Much of his motivation stemmed from his loved ones. “A lot of inspiration came from past relationships and finding true love through my girlfriend,” he said. “I would also have to credit the love for the people around me, my passions and my desire to be a better person.”

“Divine Comedy” by Dante Alighieri was also a source of inspiration, as Garbarino cited “LEAP” as his “journey through Hell and being let into Heaven.”

“I was inspired by Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’ on this aspect of the book … being me suffering for the sins and the worse things I’ve done in my life, and that journey into asking for forgiveness and also forgiving myself and making peace with that.”

The transformative nature of water is a recurring theme in Garbarino’s work.

“Water has inspired poetry for ages now, from the themes of love and grief,” he explained. “At the end of the day water is life, and just like life, sometimes you can feel like you’re drowning and sometimes you can feel like you’re just at peace.”

The process of publishing this book is also a process of metamorphosis for Garbarino. “This book is closing a chapter on life,” he said. “I struggled a lot with self-confidence and ‘wanting’ to be a better person, this book is me becoming a better person for myself.”

He plans to continue creating and growing through his poetry.

“I would see that to be true with my future works while also reminding myself who I am, some of these poems drug deep almost like a therapy session.”

For Garbarino, the most important result of “LEAP” is the positive effect it is having on readers. “To hear that people are resonating several different poems can help someone with what they’re going through, inspire them to follow through with a dream, inspire them to open a book or lead them to a positive change in lifestyle, then I can live happily with that.”

“LEAP” will be released on Jan. 20, 2023. The paperback edition will be available for purchase on Amazon, while the Kindle edition will be available on all major websites.