Montreal: The Mold Farm for Creativity

Montreal is like a mold farm for creativity. Everybody and their mothers are an artist in their own way here. From the crochet lady on the subway - dressed in head-to-toe crochet attire (even her socks were crocheted!) while crocheting a hankerchief - to the sidewalk rappers, working on their rhymes at 10 in the morning... Only in Montreal does everyone get a chance to be an artist.

Life Art

I've always wanted to be an artist and I'm lucky to have been born with some basic creative gifts. However, making art - something tangible that could be critiqued and sold - was never something I was able to throw myself into. I found that my energy was always too diverted by a creative project that required my full attention: Life.

So being in a mold farm for creativity, I'm being filled with new ideas and new perspectives about life that will hopefully follow me home to Toronto. I'm so fortunate that the agency that I work for is based in this lovely city, and I plan to make time for more working holidays this year.


ACTIONS: Comment s'approprier la ville (What you can do with the city)

Yesterday, my friend Andrea (a masters student at Concordia) recommended the ACTIONS exhibition at the CCA (Canadian Centre for Architecture). It was a very inspiring collection of cases where individuals, groups and businesses have taken the initiative to take back responsibility for the urban spaces in which we dwell.

More and more, I feel the desire to be more socially active and this show demonstrated how other people have found creative ways to do so all over the world.

http://cca-actions.org/

I think there's a perception that being socially responsible or active requires getting involved with the right "groups". While I do think that group or community intiatives are the ones that will make the biggest impact, I think we can all start with our own lives. And as we become more responsible and active about our work, play and home environments, when these practices become a basic part of our daily lives, we will naturally discover the communities to which we belong.

Baby Steps for I... Giant Leap for Us

Change is the word of the day. However, many people think that it's the government that's going to bring us change, and it's not. Change is something we must take on as a responsibility to our future. People also forget that change is a learned behaviour. It's not easy, it requires a lot of time and commitment. We have to WANT to change before change even has a chance.

How many of us have really taken the time to really think about what change means to us? I think every individual in our priviledged society could use a little Action Planning.

• Do we want help our environment? Recycling is not even close to enough. What other ways must we change? Make a list. Start with the basics. A great place to start would be reading about other people's projects. Carmen is a girl that works from our Montreal office and has a very useful blog about green living: http://www.urbangreengirl.com

• Do we want the economy to improve? This requires contributions to the economy, but our budgets are tight. Are there alternative sources of income available?

• Our dollars affect the market - creates demand which drives price which drives production/manufacturing out-put. If we want our Canadian producers to thrive, we have to divert more of our dollars into our country's goods and services. This means we have to actually pay attention to what we're buying and not just buy what's cheapest or most convenient.

I'm not saying this is easy. I myself haven't even begun to scratch the surface. But I know many people who have implemented these kinds of principles in their lives and live better for it. And I believe that if enough people take on personal responsibility for the world which we live in... change will come.

Do you know of any other good resources to find inspiration for Change?

C'est la vie en rose.

After 5 years living on the west end of Toronto, I moved to the Beach in September. It was difficult at first - being so far away from the bustle. Most people I know live in either Parkdale, King West, Annex... anything east of Broadview is considered the 'burbs.

The Beach is a very family-oriented neighbourhood. Children and dogs is how I describe the vibe out here. So since I have neither, I guess I moved out here because I wanted some fresh air and better access to the lake that we have a tendancy to forget is right there.

I wanted a bit of space away from prying eyes. I didn't want to bump into people who ask me how I'm doing like I have a terminal disease. I needed the space to rediscover my voice, my hands, my feet, my eyes, my nose, my lungs, my heart.

I have history in the Beach too, though I've never lived here before. I remember my mom bringing me down here when I was little in the summer to walk along the water and eat ice cream. I remember dating a boy who lived not far from where I am now, and the smell of spring dew and the lake from his window. I remember my "adventure" down here with Cheryl when we were still in high school, and having brunch at Cora's although I haven't found it yet so maybe it's gone now. Or maybe it wasn't Cora's at all.

Originally, I had wanted to move to High Park and it was a very last minute decision to move to the Beach instead. It was meant to be and I couldn't be happier. More than anything, I need to slow down again. Life changed at such a manic pace over only a few months, that I actually need to force myself to relax and take it easy. Enjoy the pace of the Beach and the lovely people who are in my life now.

From my little home in the Beach to my open concept office, I feel like everything has fallen into place. I feng-shuied my life. Energy flows from one corner to another and back to centre. There is a lot of love in my life; a new kind of love that is fully conscious, stripped of fear or regret, and with the understanding that love is not something that can be given or taken away like money. When it grows, it grows. When it's earned, it's indestructable.

I'm looking forward to spring when all this cold melts away to new warmth. I can't wait to watch the world burst forth out of over-long stillness. I want it to sweep me up with the richness of it all. It's going to be beautiful!

Stuff I Like to Do and Should Do More Often in General

It's been almost two months since I moved to my place in the Beaches. I'm learning about independence, and what I've discovered so far is that it's not just about being able to feed yourself and keep your shit neat and clean. Contrary to my mother's belief (whose impression of me will forever be retarded at 16 years old), I'm pretty good at the day-to-day staying alive business.

The real challenge, I've found, is trying to not become listless or depressed. Actually I think listlessness is a symptom of depression, so I always try to make plans every weekend that involve other people to ensure I don't lie in bed for 48 hours wondering what the hell I'm doing with my life.

But I'd like to not rely on special events. Especially with winter being right around the corner, there will be weeks when I won't have big weekend plans to look forward to. I've come up with a few solid activities that I am trying to integrate into my life to keep cabin fever at bay:

Writing
I've started writing the outline of a story about two young friends who believe that invisibility can be achieved with the mental negation of your Self. I've been able to go pretty deep into the narrative, but I'm having real trouble writing dialogue that sounds believable. Blargh.

Drawing
I have the Clown issue of VICE and I want to draw the clown portraits in pastel. It'll look awesome, but I need to go to Curry's and pick up some brighter coloured pastels for the clown hair.

Music
Ukulele. The one I bought at Steve's is fucked, so I have to bring it in to see if they can fix the top string. If not, I'll need to buy another one. I actually enjoy the uke more than the piano. It's got such a great sound and I've been able to pick it up pretty quickly. I'd also like to pick up a melodica if I ever come across a nice one.

Pole Dancing
Laugh if you like, but my body has never looked hotter. I've been taking classes since June at Aradia Fitness and have mastered all kinds of fancy spins and recently nailed the infamous inversion. Some people have asked if I'm taking classes because I want to go pro, but it's one thing to enjoy pole dancing at an all-girls studio vs. performing naked in a strip club. I just love the joyous abandon of spinning on a brass pole. I would encourage any girl of any body type or age to try it. Let me know if you want to take a free teaser class, I can set it up for ya!

Relationships
I'm not good at letting people close to me. I like getting close to people (as Laura once said, I'm a very "penetrative" person), but when it comes to letting people see my icky, sappy innards... I generally feel disinclined to do so. This started when I was quite young; I never wanted to tell my mom if anything was wrong because I didn't want to stress her out or be yelled at. Or worse, have her try to fix my problems for me. So I keep shit tight to my chest and try to fix everything all on my own. This doesn't usually work out. And it alienates people who I've helped but who never get to help me in return.