By the time anyone is actually reading this I will be back in Calgary, probably banging my head against my desk trying to dislodge some form of writer’s block… oh, the joys of post secondary.

In all seriousness I love university and what I am taking, but when I came back home to the valley in May I was pretty worn out and ready for a change of pace.

I was ecstatic when I found out I would be spending my summer working at Pynelogs and while I would be lying if I said working here was any kind of relaxing leisurely break, I would also be lying if I said I didn’t love every minute of it.

I have been quite shy all of my life, so a job where I had to introduce myself and talk to strangers on a daily basis, phone up people I did not know and ask for things, or even have my writing in a newspaper every week seemed a little daunting, to say the least.

The first few phone calls I made my voice squeaked and I am sure I left several unintelligible messages on some unfortunate recipients’ answering machines (my apologies!).

As I got more comfortable in my role at Pynelogs I found I gained a sense of confidence I hadn’t had previously and became more personable and open.

My time this summer has opened my eyes to so much.  I was astounded by how much thought goes into hanging a show and found myself red-faced and exhausted by the end of the first hang day — okay, well, maybe every hang day.

I’ve had the privilege of seeing not only how much work goes into organizing an event, but have also experienced that work first hand by being a part of Mountain Mosaic Festival.

I am sure that Sarah Frazier and myself are still recovering from the hundreds of paper masks we spent our nights cutting out.

There is so much going on behind the scenes here for events like PyneStock, artist openings, and very much even on a daily basis.

I feel truly blessed to have spent my summer at Pynelogs. I grew as a person, learned many skills that will help me in my future, and must say my ability to multi task has definitely expanded.

While being a part of great events and working in such a beautiful old building in a perfect location and admiring gorgeous art on the walls was absolutely wonderful, it was the people I met this summer that made it the most enjoyable.

From the passionate CV Arts council, to the volunteers, to the upbeat Pynelogs Cafe staff, the amazing artists, and the people that have come through here, I feel very lucky to have met you all and gotten to know you.

I wish you all a lovely valley winter and provided I survive a semester full of all-night study sessions (possible only by sheer determination and downing pots of coffee) I will look for familiar faces when I come home for winter break.

Montana Cameron

Pynelogs Staff