The photograph of Timothy and Alexandra Alden, opposite, as they sat for a portrait at their home in Naxxar, pretty much sums up the mood of the whole hour I spent with them - in which, in between conversation, they were either laughing or cracking a witty joke between them.

They both made their way into the public eye in 2018 for different reasons: Timothy, for his political activism and Alexandra, with the launch of her album Wild Honey, followed by her taking on the role as the more critical judge in Malta's first production of X Factor.

It is not often that a brother and sister are both in the public eye, let alone at such a young age, so I was intrigued to find out more about them, the proactive approach they have in common and their relationship as siblings: a relationship which I found to be a strong foundation for them both when it comes to pushing each other forward and celebrating each other's successes.

At 27, Timothy is the 'older brother', with Alexandra being three years younger. "That means I was the experiment for my parents, who were more likely to worry about what I was getting up to as I was growing up," he told First, cheekily. "I had to message them to check in and let them know that I was still alive whenever I was out late with friends. By the time Alex caught up with me, she would sometimes tag along with my friends and my parents learned to relax. After all, I nearly always came home after a night out" - much to his parents' relief, he assured me.

Funnily enough, Alexandra felt that she was the more protected one growing up. "I always felt that Timmy had more freedom than me, which made sense since I was always the little girl of the family," she said. "It's funny how I was actually very outgoing as a kid, and Tim was the shy one at first, but as soon as we hit our teens, the roles reversed. I'd spend hours indoors just working on drawings and music until, eventually, Tim took me under his wing which made me get out of my shell again. We had a lot of fun in our teens together."

Prior to teenage years, the family lived in a lakeside town in Bavaria, Germany, so the (then) children grew up in a place surrounded by trees, snow and fresh air. "Some of the most fun we had was making short movies by filming ourselves playing with our toys in the garden," recalled Timothy. "I guess we were always creative types." During those years, Malta was a holiday home for the family, but one that they used to look forward greatly to visiting: "My memories of being with the family during Maltese summers are some of the very best," he mused.

When Alexandra was eight and Timothy 11, the family moved to Malta and lived here for a number of years and then, later in their teens, they both moved abroad to further their studies, which gave them a new perspective of sorts.

If there is one quality that the siblings inevitably share, it is their pro-active drive. Timothy has been an environmental activist for years and has recently moved on to the next platform, which allows him to "fight to protect what makes Malta and Gozo special." "My grandparents would tell me about their experiences as refugees in Mġarr during the war, and all the colourful personalities, memories and perspectives of Malta through the years," he said, explaining his drive. "I have always felt a close connection with what I consider to be Malta's soul and heart, and it pains me to watch that needlessly fading away."

Meanwhile, Alexandra wrote her first album at the age of 15, has recently launched her full-length album Wild Honey - after she was scouted in Holland, and worked with top producers Hanyo Van Oosterom and Ocki Klootwijk. She has also signed up with the international label MARS Worldwide and is now working on another album.

"We don't like to sit back and watch things unfold before us," said Alexandra, when asked about their shared sense of motivation. "We try to improve things around us with the talents we have. Coming from an artistic background, Timmy expresses himself best through his writing and for me it is most definitely my music."

Timothy added that moving forward and being proactive, however, did not come without its challenges. "Like most people, we have had our fair share of adversity and challenges in our lives, which we have overcome" he said. "I think we learned how to learn from these problems and make the best of difficult situations.

"I have no doubt that it has often been thanks to the family that we have found the strength to keep going when times got toughest," he continued. "I also think that it has to do with the values and attitudes passed down to us."

It is certain that the duo push each other when it comes to following dreams and pursuing passions. Alexandra speaks about her admiration for Timothy's courage when it comes to speaking out on important subjects related to the environment and sustainability. "He has never shied away from a challenge," she said.

Timothy pointed to her perseverance when we asked him which of Alexandra's particular qualities he looked up to. "She decided what she wanted to do, and she went for it with everything she had," he said, adding: "At times, it looked impossible for her to overcome the mountains she had to climb, but she went for it and she succeeded. Her graduation concert remains one of my proudest moments."

On the other hand, ironically, the thing that irritates Timothy the most about his sister is her moments of self-doubt. "Some people may see an invincible star on stage," he said, "but at the end of the day she is a normal girl with insecurities and self-doubt, despite her achievements. I hate to see her doubt herself over minor insecurities, because she is better than that."

"I suppose he can sometimes still be very over-protective of me," said Alexandra, when asked the same question. "But that's okay - it means he cares."