Spotlight On Writers
Amanda Eifert
- Where, do you hail from?
I’m a Canadian from Alberta. I’ve grown up in the province and it’s a beautiful place despite the cold winters. Recently where I live they’ve been reviving our city’s downtown area with a new arena for our NHL team and many other events such as concerts of every music genre. In summer we have many festivals — The Works Art Festival, Street Performer’s Festival, K-days, Shakespeare in the Park, Heritage Days, and The Fringe Festival; the number of festivals increases each year. I live close enough to the Rocky mountains, Jasper, Banff (etc). The area is a wonderful place to visit in warmer weather or to ski or snowboard in the winter. We also have some of the best shopping in Canada with the fourth largest indoor mall in the world.
- What is the greatest thing about the place you call home?
As I stated above there are so many great things to do where I live in Alberta. It’s hard to choose what’s the ‘greatest’ aspect. I would honestly say that having my friends and family near and here, up for whatever we feel like doing is probably the best thing for me about where I live. We also have beautiful river valley trails and parks even in winter, and I live near a couple of them. It’s nice to walk down there and around the neighbourhood. When my family had a dog it was the perfect place to live because she loved to run and we have a lot of areas with off leash trails for dogs, walkers, and cyclists.
- What turns you on creatively?
A switch turns-on in my head and I have an urgent need to write my thoughts/ideas on my iPad or iPhone. Some people prefer writing by hand, but my thoughts move faster than I can write. I hear/read a certain phrase or set of words and my mind starts to play with those words and things progress to a point where I have to type something out roughly — even in the middle of the night. I think my overlying goal is creating connections between ideas, other people, memories, and life. I read a lot and I love movies and music. I enjoy being with my friends and all these things are inspirational.
On top of that I’d say when I’m emotionally affected by something or someone, my best writing occurs. Sometimes it bothers me that my writing involves displaying such raw emotions at times. I’m also intuitive and empathetic so it’s hard to shut my mind off if I’m worried about someone or something. Writing is a wonderful way to harness emotions for a better purpose than worry. Writing is something that really frees a soul.
Learning new skills/ideas or improving upon old ones, is also influential for me. Learning pushes my imagination to think creatively about other people, life, and the bigger picture. I want others to benefit from my writing so often I have underlying didactic messages in my poems and short stories. Other times it’s just raw emotion. Christianity as well, is a definite influence in my creativity.
- What is your favorite word, and can you use it in a poetic sentence?
“Ethereal”
She cast her net, ethereal wings, hovering above the air on flight;
Her catch, the exquisite thoughts of light and airy breath.
- What is your pet peeve?
I suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome due to a Depressive disorder. For me this has limited me in life, specifically, how much time I can be out doing something. My pet peeve is never really waking up knowing how I will feel each day. If I’m staying home, that’s fine but If I’m going out it’s disappointing, especially if I have something fun planned with a friend or family member. I’m a person who because of my illness, has to plan her time carefully. When I feel great I cram as much activity in as possible, but the downside are the next days when I feel terrible — flu like, or plain exhausted. I hate cancelling on people and it’s even worse if I’m visiting with a friend and feel so foggy and out of that I have to leave after a short time and I don’t actually get to hear about their life. I’m not complaining but I try to make the best of what time I have.
- What defines Amanda Eifert?
Defining oneself or any person is a task I don’t feel is easy or maybe even possible to do. Each of us is unique and made up of so many parts, personalities, likes, dislikes, quirks, emotions good and bad, relationships, our pasts, and the things and people who are in our life now. Defining myself feels more like below, like a list, but it’s like an iceberg, you’re only seeing a little piece.
I’m a creative writer, artist, friend, sister, dog lover, daughter, poet, Christian, prayer, woman, yogi, painter, designer, beauty enthusiast, life-time student, thoughtful person, kind, shy, imaginative, loves to shop, good friend, intent listener, intuitive, level headed, dreamer, connector, networker, wing-woman, granddaughter, Goddaughter, wine enthusiast, fashionista, Pepsi drinker, cold tea lover, want to be traveler, French language butcherer, lover of literature of all kinds, NHL and CFL fan, lover of music (especially country), wisher of a cure for mental illness, advocate for myself and those I love, a persevering woman no matter the situation, persuasive if I need to be, and there are many other things. Too many tiny pieces make a whole person.
When it comes down to it, you see and know me through my writing. Otherwise, I’m much as any other woman my age, trying to make a go if it and use the talents God gave me to the best of my ability.
- Driving and Biking: Beach Glory - June 20, 2020
- Light, Darkness, Battle, and Glory - July 25, 2019
- The Writings On The Wall - February 11, 2019
