Aimée and I first met on a very foggy day back in March of this year. It was our first time at an #instameet, and I remember she looked super cool wearing tailored plaid jacket with a fresh undercut hairstyle, and holding a Canon camera in her hands.

Since then her hair grew out and I’ve learned that she knows how to play guitar, so we met up for an impromptu portrait shoot in Calgary’s downtown.

Aimée is a lot of fun, and it’s very easy to make her laugh. But I will let her to tell us a little bit about herself.

GETTING REAL: PASSIONS & ASPIRATIONS

Aimée, how would you describe yourself in three words?

I would say that I’m a free-spirit, compassionate and loyal.

What do you do and what are your aspirations?

Currently, I’m just working. I work as a hostess in a restaurant called Chop Steakhouse & Bar, and also in the clothing department at Sport Chek. I aspire to be a counsellor of some sort for the teens and adults. My heart and head are telling me that I’d like to be a Domestic Violence counsellor or a Transformation Counsellor, so that’s what I’m leaning towards.

What are you passionate about? What draws you to it?

I am passionate about helping people. I believe that every single person who can think for themselves is going through a battle that we don’t know about, so my heart is always ready to help when an opportunity occurs.

I believe that my passion for helping others comes from the hardships that life has also thrown my way. It’s so easy to feel alone in our world. It’s very easy to feel lost and confused and hurt, so when I’m out in a place where there are many other people, I try my best to share a smile with someone, or to say “Hi”, or to engage in a conversation when it’s appropriate.

We don’t have to all be millionaires to help others; most of what we need is a positive attitude. I know that when I go through phases of loneliness, having someone I have never met share a very genuine smile with me makes me feel better, and that, is already another step closer to making someone feel okay again.

What three things currently inspire you and how?

I can’t say I can name three things, but I can name one thing. I think that my aspirations inspire me to want to be better. Because I so very much want to become the woman I aspire to be.

What’s your biggest achievement? 

I don’t think I’ve lived long enough to name one solid thing yet, hahha! 

Do you have a mantra or a phrase that you live by?

“When it’s all said and done, only Love remains.”

You have beautiful tattoos of birds. Could you talk a little bit about it?

Hahahah, sure! I have six biological siblings. I haven’t seen any of them in a few years, but I have a few memories of what we would be like together. When we were all little, we had many many many neighbours. And most of the kids were our ages, and these kids would fight a lot. They would even provoke us to fight with them for no reason. But my siblings and I didn’t fight a lot at all. We tried our best to maintain peace with as many kids as we could. The adults would often call us “The Peaceful Siblings.” So, to honor that beautiful memory I have of them, I decided to get dove tattoos, because Peace is one of the many things that doves are recongized for. At least to me anyways.

PLAY TIME

How long have you been playing the guitar? How did you learn it?

I started learning how to play at around Christmas time in 2013. Growing up, I’ve always loved the idea of playing an instrument, and I’ve always admired those who could play the guitar, because to me, they look so cool.

So, in around November of 2013, I was sleeping over at some friends’ house, whose parents both play the guitar. They were okay with me touching one of the guitars and trying to figure things out. So I pretty much spent the night looking at the Chord Chart and trying to figure out where to place my fingers and such.

After figuring out the finger placements for the G Chord, I was determined to know more. So after a while, my friends’ parents gave me one of their guitars and said that I could use it to learn. I spent at least three hours after school, for about a month, teaching myself the basic chords.

My dad, who is also a guitar player, gave me a song with easy chords, called “You Are My Sunshine,” so I could get myself comfortable with quickly switching from chord to chord, and that is how I learned how to play.

What do you like the most about playing guitar?

I love how easy it can be to give a song a different sound to it with the guitar. You could take a country song and turn it into a pop song, or vice versa. It’s pretty neat how many things you could do with even just four chords. I enjoy just sitting down and literally repeating the same chords over and over, while  changing the sound and the beat and the rhythm. It’s kind of a relaxation mechanism.

Do you play any other instruments?

I can do chording on the piano. I don’t know how to read music, so I use chords to teach myself songs.

What other hobbies do you have?

Aside form music, I enjoy cooking, playing soccer, going for runs, going for what I call “Photography Walks,” reading, writing, and watching movies or TV shows with friends and family.

What are you currently reading? Do you have a quote to share?

I’m reading a book called “Trouble” by Non Pratt. I wouldn’t say I love the book, but it was sort of entertaining to read. A quote I would love to share is, “You cant lose someone who was never there in the first place.”

What scares you the most?

The idea of amounting to nothing in life… and snakes and heights. Snakes are very scary, I scream even when I’m shown pictures.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I would say watching a few episodes of “Friends” on Netflix before sleeping.

What’s your favourite movie?

Oh my goodness! I love movies so much, it feels like a sin to just mention one. Is it even possible to just name one?… I would have to say it’s a tie between “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Emperor’s New Groove”.

The best dancing song is…

Definitely “SexyBack” by J.T.

What’s your favourite cafe in Calgary and why?

Higher Ground in Kensington. It’s very home-y! My good friend and I started a tradition there last year on Christmas Eve. She and I decided that it’s going to be a tradition of ours: Morning Coffee Date on Christmas Eve.

What’s your fashion style?

I honestly don’t know how to describe my fashion style. It literally can go from Indie to Artsy to Classy to Romantic to Athletic and straight down to just lazy dressing, hahah. There are some days when people say that I dress pretty “Hip.”

Merci Aimée et mille bisous!

Behind The Scenes Of  Rocking Out  with Aimée

She’s got talent or 15 seconds of fame

XOXO,