Timothy Turner - Real Estate Agent
I guess we all have at times. Be it businessperson, nurse, gardener, sculptor or whomever. It may be what you do on a daily basis to earn a living to support yourself and others, but don’t be so quick to slip into that comfortable little pigeon hole where society loves to place you. Your job is only your job. It isn’t really who you are at all. Indeed, you are a much richer reservoir of nuance than you may believe and you are most definitely more than the sum of your parts.
Most of us are familiar with the remarkable works of art created by the Italian master, Leonardo da Vinci. Was he simply an artist or was he much more than that? Was he not an amalgam of his many interests, professional disciplines and hobbies? He was an accomplished engineer, mathematician, innovator, anatomist and inventor. Without a doubt, he serves as a leading example of what we now describe as a true Renaissance Man. His genius was fueled by his insatiable curiosity about the world around him and his fascination with the human condition - all of which was manifested in one facet of his being, his artistic expression.
We are no different than Leonardo. It doesn’t mean that we must be a famous artist or world-renowned anything. It just means that we need to nurture our varying interests. Celebrate our diverse experiences from the world around us. Feed our curiosity. Dabble and dip into the unknown. Harness our experiences to create new ones. In effect, embrace our inner Leonardo.
I suspect that my own experiences as a university graduate, lawyer, television producer, advertising executive and realtor are really just part of my ongoing learning continuum and merge with my hobbies as gardener, renovator, painter, interior designer, photographer and singer. Each serving as colourful threads that weave together to create the ever expanding tapestry of my life.
Every day, we paint the picture that we wish to inhabit. Some of us are a little more shy and shield the outside world from our thoughts while others are comfortable shouting from the mountaintops. Neither one is better than the other. Wherever you find your place in the world it is important to learn to recognize and appreciate your own uniqueness and manifest it where ever and however possible.
Regardless of the degree of fulfillment you enjoy from your work or profession, your job does not actually define you. You define yourself in every human interaction and in the manner in which you embrace learning and seek meaningful activities and pursuits, big or small, day in and day out. Remember to embrace that inner Leonardo that is in all of us.
Kiera Hill Dancer
Johnna Wright & Sascha Director/Mother - Son/Dreamer
Decker & Nick Hunt Cat & 19th century amateur
George Bowering Poet
Celia Duthie Gallerist
Linda Lorenzo Mother
Katheryn Petersen Accordionist
Stefanie Denz Artist
Ivette Hernández Actress
Byron Chief-Moon Actor/Dancer
Colin Horricks Doctor
Ian Mulgrew Vancouver Sun Columnist
Jocelyn Morlock Composer
Corinne McConchie Librarian
Rachel Ditor Dramaturg
Patrick Reid Statesman, Flag Designer
Michael Varga CBC Cameraman
Bronwen Marsden Playwright/Actress/Director
David Baines Vancouver Sun Columnist
Alex Waterhouse-Hayward Photographer
Lauren Elizabeth Stewart Student
Sandrine Cassini Dancer/Choreographer
Meredith Kalaman Dancer/Choreographer
Juliya Kate Dominatrix