26 February 2012

Passion Portrait: Sébastien Desrosiers

SÉBASTIEN DESROSIERS- VIDEOGRAPHER- Sébastien Desrosiers website "I remember making my first videos in elementary school on big VHS tapes. Later on, when I got my own recording and editing equipment, I really started tripping out! I was making videos of everything: films for my school work, dance shows, video clips and road movies when I’d go to the cottage with my friends.   A few cameras later, I now work in conceiving and producing promotional videos for business' and artists. My objective is to make people who work passionately on projects shine.   My career brings me a lot of joy and pride, but also a lot of responsibility and stress, not to mention irregular working hours. Like many freelance workers, I sometimes ask myself why I’m in this crazy profession rather than be in a normal 9-to-5 job with a boss and a coffee machine.   What pushes me to continue, among other things, is the ability to make my own schedule and my own coffee - which is frankly better than what you get in office buildings! I strive to make a difference for my clients with every production I undertake. Because at the end of the day, my main objective is to touch people visually.   Also, and above all, what motivates me is a sense of pride when I’ve managed to create something beautiful, that magic moment where I smile and tell myself: wow, I just made gold there!"   Démo BPM Delarosas from sebastian delarosas on Vimeo.

10 February 2012

Passion Portrait: Marianne Girard

  MARIANNE GIRARD- VISUAL ARTS- Marianne Girard website - "In my case, I don’t really think that I chose to be an artist; I was exposed, at a very young age, to circus arts, dance, and visual arts and the trajectory sort of traced itself.   The uncertain and contractual side of these sectors was instilled in me at a young age, which allowed me to become familiar with the negative sides that some may fear. I had the opportunity to learn very early on to adapt myself to different situations and variables. I was then able to make an informed choice to stay in the field and develop my career towards where I wanted it to go.   It was always obvious to me that there was more positive aspects than negative ones in having a career in the arts. You must, at the very least, have a good tolerance for uncertainty and change, be comfortable working alone (at least in visual arts), and love what you do unconditionally. No matter what career you choose, there will be always challenges and disappointments. However, I have creative freedom and the opportunity to be autonomous and independent. I also have the possibility to work wherever I want without feeling locked down. I love managing my own time and constantly reinventing myself. I also have a strong sense of accomplishment and pride when I create a piece of art from an idea, a feeling, a person into something very unique. I also enjoy what I do for the process of researching and experimenting which is very interesting on a personal level. No limits are imposed other than those that we impose upon ourselves."    

01 February 2012

Passion

Ask any dancer why s/he has chosen dancing as a profession and more often than not, the answer will be “I could not imagine doing anything else.” A career in the arts is often unforgiving; the stereotypical portrait of the “starving artist” is not without some truth. Working in the arts does not pay well and often demands a secondary career path. However, unlike the assignment of quantitative and tangible measures of success used in so many other fields, artists are driven by something else; something that cannot be measured, whereby the meaning of success is different and personal for each individual. That something else is passion. The innate and inexplicable hunger for what makes us feel fulfilled, what gets under our skin and defines us.   Passion, for those who may not understand it, is a frightening thing. We are easily consumed by it. Those who devote their lives to their passion surrender themselves completely to it, exposing their vulnerabilities, letting it engulf their homes, their lives, and their entire state of being. Passion can make someone become obsessive, neurotic and crazy to let something so abstract dictate our way of life. What others may not see is how the intensity of this passion translates to the immense happiness of fulfilling it, and essentially living our dream. Those who follow their passion are often those who make their dreams come true; those who inch their way closer to their dreams through blood, sweat, and tears. These so-called obsessive, neurotic, crazy people, however, eventually reach that peak; never needing to ask “what if,” never knowing the regret of giving up on a dream or worse, the regret of never even trying at all. There is nothing like the joy, the liberation and the serenity of living your passion, whereby sacrifices are easily forgiven and soon forgotten.   Passion is what we dedicate to 2012. As such, we welcome this New Year by honouring some of the remarkable artists that we are privileged to know. Throughout the year, we will be featuring these artists and their words. We have asked each of them to share their passion with us by telling us why they do what they so lovingly do. We are humbled to be among them and hope that your passion, whatever it may be, continues to inspire you, strengthen you, and bring you unconditional love and joy.