Regina: Amanda Minion
(photo credit: Michelle Brownridge)
One of my coziest recent memories of Regina is having dinner at Amanda and her husband Ryan’s home. The woman had made everything from the curtains to the table we were eating on.
KC: What do you do? What do you like about it? What has been the biggest challenge so far?
AM: I work as the Sponsorship & Communications Coordinator at the Regina Folk Festival. It’s a great job. I work with a small, amazing team throughout the year and then during the summer when the festival becomes a bit more tangible the team grows to include all sorts of people from sponsors and community partners to hundreds of volunteers. The actual day to day work of arts administration is not very glamourous and I find it difficult to have a desk life. Perhaps the best part of the work is that our aim is to create events that draw people together to experience something joyful as a community.
KC: I know you are creative. What kinds of things have you made/ do you make?
AM: I am drawn to making things with my hands. I don’t tend to stick to one type of medium though I do seem to favour fibre arts. I’ve done lots of sewing and embroidery and I’d love to get into weaving.
KC: Is your work currently on display anywhere?
AM: I’m motivated by necessity so I make things when I personally have a need for them (a wedding dress or a dining room table, for example) and when others commission me to make something for them (costumes or decor for some project). Since that is the way I create, I’ve never had work on display.
KC: (From the Proust Questionnaire) What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
AM: I think productivity is one of the most overrated virtues. We are often so driven to produce that we overtax ourselves, creating stress and frustration. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is important to get shit done and accomplish important goals. It’s just that there is so much more to life than constant striving. I really don’t like the reaching, needy quality that “productivity” can create. I much prefer to be quiet and observe, to sit and enjoy sometimes.