Who are you?
I’m Andrew Frank, originally from the South Okanagan, and these days I’m interested in piecing together a creative livelihood that will allow me to think and move in a diversity of ways (e.g. woodworking to move my body and teaching to work my brain). A quote I recently came across that really appeals to me is, “Jack of all trades, master of none, is oft times better, than master of one.”
Daydreaming, scheming and learning new things. When I was a kid, I used to read encyclopedias and dream about exploring new lands or owning a chicken farm (depended on the letter of the encyclopedia I was reading at the time). The day dreaming and scheming results in lots of creative projects (my girlfriend calls them “rabbit holes”) that pull me in diverse directions. As an example, I own like 40 URLs related to topics ranging from yoga and beat boxing to environmental communication. There’s no way I’ll develop them all! I also love to surf, hike, build things, grow things and make people laugh (I used to do stand-up comedy in university).
I love spontaneous community – those special times when a group of people agree to make a crazy idea a reality or join a common cause. You never know what’s going to speak to people’s values enough that they are moved to participate in a new community, but when things “click” and a community is born, it’s a pretty special thing to be a part of.
What is your superpower?
Passion. Feeling emotions very strongly and then acting on them. When I was a kid, I stopped traffic to save a bird that had an injured wing. I’ve also made a citizen’s arrest and once started a petition on a moving train between Toronto and Montreal…to avoid being thrown off the train (it’s a long story, but the bottom line is that I had a passenger car full of people having fun and rooting for me). It’s a character trait that borders on foolhardy, but I’ve also had some rich experiences because of it.
I love to get people excited about an idea and to work together to realize it. One example was at university when I put together a team of students to produce a Deaf television pilot. We co-wrote and directed the show with the Toronto Deaf community, and the creative relationships it produced still endure in friendships today. I also use passion in my day job as an environmental communication specialist and educator, getting students excited about learning and convincing people to protect our biodiversity and fight climate change.
My Three Favourite Things About Andrew Are…
1. His supportive listening skills. You won’t meet to many people who can listen and engage with you as well as General Frank. It’s like his ears, eyes and entire expression is wide open, non-judging and incredibly interested in what you have to say. Even when, like me, what’s spewing out of your mouth isn’t particularly interesting or (worse) is somewhat “controversial”. Plus, while we all know that you should never trust a man with a mustache – sorry Geoff Horn – we also all know you could place your life in the hands of a man with a beard. Andrew’s got a kick ass red beard (bonus points coming from Theo for it).
2. His woodwork. Let me just say I’ve never seen more funky and fun furniture. Andrew’s zest for woodwork has seen him complete a number of fine specimens. If you ever pop by his place you’ll get to relax in one. It’s a treat, not just because they are comfy, but because you know Andrew – thoughtful grad student who’s attentively listening to you at that moment – has in fact taken that wood and fashioned it into something nifty. Plus, he uses his charms and “connections” to sneak his wood into a high powered federally-funded kiln. Am I joking? Maybe or maybe not.
3. He brings his tactical A-Game when it comes to Paintball. The General got his name when we picked him up this summer for a round of the ol’ ball. Andrew had never played, but had done a lot of research on YouTube. During our ride out to the range we learned about tactical maneuvers, flanking attacks and other strategies to maximize our team’s firepower. While our team got mowed down worse than the Allies at the Somme, the General’s nickname stuck. Hey and why not? Wasn’t Douglas Hague a General too?
As told by Kurt Heinrich