This week I was inspired by the ultimate transformer. No, it is not an Autobot or a Decepticon- it is Aaron the ‘transformer’ Gagnon. To say he is talented is an understatement. The guy is a god damn magician.

Aaron has always had great taste- I mean I was his highschool prom date! His creativity was put to good use even as a teenager, designing high end cars and bikes. His passion led him to earn a degree in interior design at Ryerson University and a job designing stores for one of Canada’s hottest companies and a personal favourite of mine- Lululemon. But what impresses me most about Aaron’s work is his ability to transform thrift store finds and run down places into beautiful masterpieces. His most recent project was transforming the 2nd floor of an old Portuguese eatery on James St North in Hamilton into what is now an amazing space. Before he got his hands on it, it was bad. The place was obviously decorated by an old Portuguese woman right down to the tile on the bathroom ceiling.
 

 
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. ~Abraham Maslow
 

 

I am always inspired by people that can see the potential in things. So that is my intention for this week, to see the potential in the ugly Portuguese restaurants in my life. I began to search for the ugly around me and challenged myself to reconstruct my attitude.

I always thought I had man hands. Yes, like that episode of Seinfeld when Jerry’s date eats lobster with those huge, manly, bear paws. What was a girl to do? Inspired by my talented friend Aaron, I tried my best to look for the potential in these bear paws of mine. I mean, I do give a bad ass savasana massage (a massage us yoga teachers give on the back of our students necks at the end of practice- yes it is as incredible as it sounds), I have never missed a high 5 in all my life and who needs to buy a foam finger at a baseball game when you have catchers mitts like these! Haha I am joking a little, but seriously if the first thing I notice about my physical appearance that I dislike are man hands then I am doing alright. No longer do my hands freak me out, I actually see them as amazing tools.

I know we can all relate to this one. I hear it all the time – the complaints over the rainy weather. Eww it is so wet. Ewww my hair is frizzy from the weather. Instead of complaining about the evils of rain consider all the good that comes with it- free car wash, no need to water your plants or gardens, wet t-shirts, you can actually use the umbrella that you have sitting in your car, jumping in puddles, filling bird baths, rain is the perfect soundtrack on a lazy afternoon and how about all those people that are stranded on a deserted island and are all out of water? Ya that’s right- rain is the best thing ever!

When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute – and it’s longer than any hour. That’s relativity. ~Albert Einstein

We spend so much time searching through the rooms of our lives looking for the negative. Let’s balance the list a bit and look for the potential. So use the tools you have- drills, hammers, man hands, creativity, or positivity and transform your perspective.

A penny will hide the biggest star in the Universe if you hold it close enough to your eye. ~Samuel Grafton

Here are more pics of Aaron’s creations. Or, to be directly inspired I recommend you check out his studio space at 301 James St North that will be open to the public starting July 1st by appointment only. Email Aaron at studioaalona@gmail.com. Thanks buddy for being a great inspiration! I can’t wait to see what you do next!
 

 

 
We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are. ~Anaïs Nin

Peace, peace, peace

NAT

NEXT WEEK! Lazy Jay and the art of relaxation!