Amanda Morie - Miss Universe Canada 2012 Profile

Amanda Morie | Miss Universe Canada 2012

Age: 24

Height: 5'6"

Hometown: Edmonton

BIO: Amanda Morie is a person who strives to be the best each and every day. Today is an opportunity for something new and great, an opportunity to give back and achieve the best for you and others.

Life is a luxury and all the simple little things are what keep Amanda smiling, appreciative and adventurous. She sees the beauty in everyone’s characteristics and cherishes them to the fullest.

Amanda is always happy, positive, committed and driven by the world and its cultures, people, traditions around her. She has a strong sense of self, confidence, fulfillment and purpose but is continuously working on her personal growth to achieve the best quality of life and balance of life.

She loves to stay active and by doing so she likes to work out as much as she can to keep the body and mind clear and healthy.

Amanda is a recent graduate from the University of Alberta 2010 in Elementary Education and Fine Arts (Music, Art, Dance, Drama). She also holds a designation as a wedding and event planner through Wedding Planner Institute of Canada which she received in April 2011.

In April 2011, Amanda entered a competition to be an Ambassador for Groupe Dynamite (www.dynamite.ca) in which she had to submit a fashion video, questionnaire about why she loves fashion and Dynamite, and a resume. As a result, her and five others won the competition from hundreds of applicants across Canada and are now the official Ambassadors’ for Dynamite.

Amanda started taking private flute lessons when she was seven years old. She then joined the Edmonton Sabers Marching Band and learned how to play in a band setting. As a result she travelled a lot with the band for field shows, concerts, parades, performances and tours across the country and the United States. At ten years of age and won her first personal award for Best Woodwind Player across Alberta under the age of 18. She then moved on to play in the Edmonton All City Band where she played solo flute, lead flute, and piccolo while still taking private lessons and playing as well in the Symphonic Band at her high school.

Amanda loved to draw when she was young and started taking art classes in junior high. At the age of twelve, she won the Artist of the Year award, beating out all the other students in her school. She continued to follow her passion and completed her first group exhibition at the age of fourteen. Her first painting ever, won a juried show and travelled across galleries in Alberta.

She started her art business under her name Amanda Morie in late 2010 (www.amorie.ca). Since then she has done five gallery showings, has two due for this year, been featured internationally four times in Aesthetica Magazine based out of the United Kingdom which sells internationally and signed on a huge solo exhibition for September to October 2013 at New Art Centre in New York, NY. She will also be represented at Artexpo 2012 New York, which is the worlds largest and oldest art fair. Amanda also recently published her first art book through the Brooklyn Art Library and will have the original book tour the entire year across North America to different galleries. The book is dedicated to young people who feel at a lost with themselves.

Amanda has a huge passion for animals’ especially homeless dogs in countries and cities where they are disregarded. If Amanda were to become Miss Universe Canada she would love to help organizations who work in rescuing animals and shed light on people of the big situation thousands of animals are facing in our country and others around the world today.

Another reason why Amanda wants to be Miss Universe Canada is because she wants to create lasting change for herself and for others by doing everything in her capabilities and to follow through with all the best that she can. She wants youth to have a role model they can relate to and be inspired by and know that they too can have the achievement of making a difference. She would also love to share her passion of art and education with the youth of our generation.

Languages spoken fluently (please include your native language if English is not your native language).

English

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?

I love everything that life has to offer. Life is beautiful and we are here to love it and explore it. I love to maintain my life with active living and eating healthy. Your body is your canvas so show the world who you are! As an Ambassador for Groupe Dynamite, I love to inspire women to feel confident and beautiful in the clothes that they wear and to be proud of their natural beauty inside and out. Providing others with inspiration from my fashion, positivity and my constant drive to always succeed and better myself is a constant goal of mine and I am happy that I can achieve this everyday by being an Ambassador for Dynamite.

I have a keen interest in blogging and connecting with the world around me. I have two blogs. The first one is called Life Couture (www.life-couture.tumblr.com) which is a more personal visual diary of my thoughts and feelings about the luxury of life and all the simple little things. The second one is called Diamond Cut Style (www.diamondcut-style.tumblr.com) which is based on the idea that style can be so unique that it is like a diamond cut to perfection. I blog about the newest runway shows by designers, inspirational photos of fabrics or details, or unique artistic photos from magazine editorials around the world. I am a member of Independent Fashion Bloggers based out of New York and constantly share ideas with bloggers internationally about fashion. I have met and built connections with people from Teen Vogue, StyleSays.com and Ford Models only through the power of blogging. It is an amazing tool of communication and sharing ideas and I love it!

Some random interesting things about me are:

Art is also a huge passion of mine; it is something that I could not live without in my life. It keeps me balanced and creative and I have to do some form of it every day. I also love to spend time with friends, going to the movie theater and dancing with my dog to music in the living room! I love the color yellow, it makes me really happy. I am also addicted to avocados. They are so delicious! I love listening and spending quality one on one time with people. Those moments are way better then spreading them thin in a group. I am a huge fan of boxing. I couldn’t go a day with out wearing high heels or drinking bottled water in the morning when I wake up. I am an avid tea drinker. I love giant snowflakes, it makes me feel warm. I love to make people smile and do special things for them. Everything is always about the simple things.

List any special training you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc.)

I started taking private flute lessons when I was seven years old. I then joined the Edmonton Sabers Marching Band and learned how to play in a band setting. As a result I travelled a lot with the band for field shows, concerts, parades, performances and tours across the country and the United States. I learnt how to master playing by ear, memorizing songs that I had to play while at the same time performing for field shows or parades all at a very young age. It paid off when I was ten and won my first personal award for Best Woodwind Player across Alberta under the age of 18. I then moved on to play in the Edmonton All City Band where I played solo flute, lead flute, and piccolo while still taking private lessons and playing as well in the symphonic band at my high school.

When it comes to art, to me the heart is like a paint brush when it strokes across a crisp white canvas. Each stroke is unique unto itself, showing its distinct characteristics of the emotion evoked in that particular moment. With layer upon layer microscopic complexities of the heart are unloaded onto its viewers that surround it. That is what is so special about art- it makes the viewer see, listen, hear, touch and most importantly move the soul within. It can create an unspoken respect among people who may be from two different walks of life. It can build a foundation of friendship between the most unlikely candidates. This is what art means to me and the world around me. I started my art business under my name Amanda Morie in late 2010 (www.amorie.ca). Since then I have done five gallery showings, I have two due for next year, been featured internationally four times in Aesthetica Magazine based out of the United Kingdom which sells internationally and signed a huge solo exhibition for September to October 2013 at New Art Centre in New York, NY. I also published my first art book through the Brooklyn Art Library and will have the original book tour the entire year across North America to different galleries. The book is dedicated to young people who feel at a lost with themselves. The art book called Along the Lines…of My Thoughts is illustrated with inspirational thoughts and words that I say to myself everyday to keep me on the right track to being the most successful me that I can be. I am currently a member of Harcourt House Arts Centre, VAAA- Visual Arts Alberta Association and CARFAC- Canadian Artist Representation..

In university I focused on taking some drama classes. I wrote two plays and performed both at Timm’s Centre at the University of Alberta with a partner and a group. I also took modern dance classes and completed a choreographed routine with a group in the end of my modern dance classes. When I was little I also took Jazz classes.

In what sports, if any, have you participated?

Growing up I played basketball and grew to love free throw basketball. I went to provincials and won all tournaments with a 20/20 basket shot. I also loved to run and was always involved in cross country running as well as sprinting, 500 meter and long jump.

Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life. Why?

The person who has had the most influence on my life would be my grandma Morie. She is incredibly giving, thoughtful and full of life. She was always involved in the community whether it was cooking food for elders (Meals on Wheels) or volunteering at the local museum to teach children about history or heading the book and tea club in town. These things always made me look up to her because she was continually learning and growing to extend her education and those around her. She is always poised and proper and you would never hear her say anything rude at all. She would always state, “Do not say anything at all unless it’s positive”. Isn’t that the truth! She is a great listener and loved to have heart felt conversations with me on how to grow as a lady. She makes me remember to always be patient, kind and to be selfless.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment (other than participating in this pageant)?

My proudest accomplishment is pretty simple. For me it is allowing myself to be able to love and be at peace with myself and cherish my unique qualities. To tweak and build upon my strength and weaknesses to create a deeper understanding of myself, I have been able to break down my walls of fears and really learn how to conquer my dreams with a positive frame of mind. Without these key components I can not make my wildest dreams a reality. I am always learning and growing to build bigger steps for success. I recently reached my biggest step for my self and career which is being signed to my first solo exhibition from September to October 2013 at New Art Centre in New York, NY and as well as being part of Artexpo 2012 New York which is the worlds largest and oldest art fair. This is only the beginning for bigger steps to come.

What is the most interesting or unique thing that has ever happened to you and/or what is the most interesting thing about you?

The most unique thing that has ever happened to me would have to be when I was chosen from hundreds of applicants across Canada to become one of six official Ambassadors for Groupe Dynamite. The first day on the job, we had a chance to visit the head office located in Montreal. Dynamite designs, creates, and ships all their clothing items and goods from their head office. For a fashionista like me, it was heaven to see the design room full of sketches, inspiration boards for their upcoming clothing lines for the season, their mock stores, to meeting their fit models, to see and learn how they chose and make fabric designs, right down to their racks and racks of clothes lining the hallways to the photo shoot studios and offices. It was extremely inspirational and I will always remember it!

The most interesting thing about me would be that I can look at anything and visualize it like how it would be as a painting and know what colors and paint brush strokes to use to achieve the “frame” or “picture” of what I am looking at. I call it my “painting eye”.

What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?

My career ambition is to be a more rounded international artist. Every day I have little goals that I try to achieve that compound into weekly, monthly, bi-annual and then annual goals. Without following these goals or achieving these goals I can not follow through in achieving the highest quality in my career. I am persistent, strong and confident that my career will be where I want it to be with the success of completing my goals.

What would be your “dream job” in life?

Unless its mad, fearless, extraordinary dreams, it is a waste of your time. There are too many mediocre things in life. Dreams should not be one of them. This is why I believe in myself and all that I am. I know that there is something inside of me that is greater then any obstacle. I breathe inspiration and trust my self that the answer is always “yes you can”. Somewhere deep inside we can all fly and I am flying reaching the sky and its brilliant stars achieving my passions, my dreams. My dream job is a reality; I have become a professional artist. A job that many people laughed at me and told me I could never accomplish but I did.

Are you currently a student?

No, I am a graduate from the University of Alberta 2010 in Elementary Education and Fine Arts (Music, Art, Dance, Drama). I also have my designation as a wedding and event planner through Wedding Planner Institute of Canada which I received in April 2011.

Are you currently employed?

Yes

If yes, what is your occupation?

I and five others currently work for Group Dynamite as their official Ambassadors. Their clothing lines are located across Canada, the USA, the Middle East and Europe. After 35 years in the fashion business, Groupe Dynamite has successfully launched some of the most recognizable fashion brands in Canada. This spirited group creates, designs, markets and distributes from its head office located in Montreal, Quebec, and operates over 250 stores with more than 4,000 employees.

I also was fortunate to be hired back to Avison Young Commercial Real Estate Inc. as a receptionist after completing university. I worked there for two years prior to graduation as an accountant assistant. I am there full time during the week which helps supply funds to support my professional job and passion as an artist. Even though the school boards in Edmonton are at stand still for hiring new teachers, I still have hope that one day I will receive a full time teaching job in an elementary school or as a fine art teacher.

Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.

“When you look at a person, any person, remember that everyone has a story.
Everyone has gone through something that has changed them.”

My childhood is my story. I believe that it has made me strong, independent, and headstrong to live life to the fullest. My parents divorced when I was six and my sister was one years of age. My mom is amazing because without her strong will to want the best for my sister and I; I seriously do not know if my life would be the same today. My mom went back to school to receive her CMA when my sister and I were young. My mom, sister and I spent a lot of quality time together as a family. Those times are the best memories I have and will continue to cherish them when we are together.

List any interesting or unusual jobs you may have had.

When I was in my last two years of university I was working at Avison Young Commercial Real Estate Inc. as an assistant accountant. This was interesting to me because I love learning the ways a business operates. To see how Avison Young is leasing and selling land, offices and towers, retail space and malls, and industrial space basically shaping the city around us and the way we live is amazing. The principals that work there and started the company, (the company originated in Edmonton), are impressive to me for their business savvy and comprehension of the way the whole city works, lives, and functions.

List any volunteering you have done.

- I am currently a member of SCARS- Second Chance Animal Rescue Society and try to donate as much as I can to them. I would love to attend more adoption events and get more involved on that side of their work. As well when I am travelling aboard I like to carry food with me to feed homeless animals that I come across.

- In 2009 I helped coordinate with Avison Young a silent auction event for Red Cross where we raised over $10,000.

- From the years 2007- 2010 I was active with Presidents Choice Children’s Charity and donated money to them every month.

- I also volunteered to run and head an after school art work shop for children at the elementary school where I completed my last year of university in 2010.

- In grade eleven I attended a conference hosted by Youth Millennium Project (a charity based out of Vancouver) where I started to raise money with others to build a school in Iki- Iki, Uganda, Africa. The school is for children who have been taken from their homes in the middle of the night by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) and have been enslaved to work for them, sexually, physically, and mentally abused. This school gives them a place to sleep eat and learn so their futures will be bright like the rest of us who are so fortunate.

What is your most unusual talent?

My most unusual talent would have to be throwing a football. I can throw it far, really far!

Where is the most interesting place you have been?

Everything has beauty but not everyone can see it. For me the most beautiful and interesting places are the ones where people live their life as a luxury and enjoy all the simple little things. I have first discovered this in the slums of Mexico City. I can still picture my first arrival there in my head accompanied by the sounds, sights, and smells. People living in crumbling buildings or on the streets with any materials constructing a roof, the abandoned dogs wandering deathly thin through out the hungry streets, the little children begging passers to buy Chiclets and lollipops, and the heavy smog looming above us. This is the life where no one takes anything for granted, where a hand-me-down shirt could be a treasured item for them for many years and where a five minute shower could wash three people at once with no water wasted. It’s amazing to see a child’s face light up from the happiness of you just being there offering them a piece of the world that you can share with them that they would never experience otherwise.

What do you hope to be doing in ten years?

- In the next ten years I would like to first of all accomplish becoming Miss Universe Canada and try with all my ability to win Miss Universe.

- I want to be signed to at least three art galleries for representation internationally.

- I want to exhibit my art on a larger international scale then I already have and exhibit at least once in all of the following places: Brazil, Mexico, Dubai, Vienna, China, South Korea, London, Colombia and Indonesia.

- I want to travel to a third world country and teach in a school or help a community.

- I want to receive my masters at Julliard in New York or Emily Carr in Vancouver.

- I want to and would love to start a co-op art gallery with studio spaces and curate art from international emerging artists.

- I want to teach art part time to young children.

Is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t asked?

I wanted to thank you all so much for this amazing opportunity that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Your time and consideration of me has not been over looked and I appreciate all your constructive feedback and help. Thank you again!

* Back to Miss Universe Canada 2012 Contestants

* Special Thanks to Beauties of Canada