With your help, of course, ABSOLUT Vodka will be awarding a prize of $120,000 to one promising Vancouver artist whose vision, passion, and body of work define Vancouver as the absolute home for the arts. With the BC government’s recent cuts in funding, it’s more important than ever to support the local arts community. The wining artist, who will use this prize money to build their business and profile in the Vancouver arts scene, will be chosen based on your votes.

5 QUESTIONS WITH BRADEN
I had the pleasure of sitting down with one of the finalists, Braden Hammond, a Vancouver-based flame-working glass artist, to gain an insider’s view into this unique craft.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I make glass jewelery and art at least five days a week. I have a passion for melting and blowing glass and creating beautiful things for people to wear and enjoy. My mind is usually swimming with creative thoughts. I try to burn off steam at the gym when I can.

2. Why glass?

To me, a piece of glass is like a blank canvas. The fact that glass has endless possibilities is what inspires me every day. Glass is a truly unique and delicate medium. I’m so lucky to make beautiful pieces of art every day. I truly love what I do.

3. How do you make art out of glass?

It starts with melting the glass and putting it in a kiln. The work has to stay in the kiln to anneal and I can’t fully check it until the next day when it’s cooled down. I find myself darting towards the kiln most days as I arrive at my shop. I love to see the fruits of my labour. It’s very rewarding!

4. We heard that it hasn’t always been easy for you. Tell us about your struggles along the way.

The road to success as a flame-working glass artist is paved with many challenges. Learning the basic concepts of flame-working glass took me a number of years, during which I broke lots of glass, burnt my fingers, and dropped pieces of glass on the floor (which I would later step on). But with hands-on training from the best in the industry, combined with patience, determination, and passion, I developed a strong skill set over the years.

5. How can people support the ABSOLUT Vancouver artists?

The best thing that you can do to show your support is to vote, since ABSOLUT will be choosing a winner based on your votes. You can cast your vote here.

Take a look at the video below for more thoughts from Braden and to watch some live flame-working glass action.

The History of Movember
I didn’t know the full history behind Movember, until I read @miss604 ’s very detailed blog post. I highly recommend that you give it a read. Good stuff! I’ll give you the cliff notes version.

In 2003, two Australian men thought it would be fun to grow and keep mo’s for a month. Despite getting flack from their wives and bosses, they loved the idea and wanted to make it a tradition. It turns out, two of the guy’s dads had prostate cancer at the time. After doing some digging, they noticed a gap in research and awareness. The next year they recruited 450 bros to grow mo’s and raise money for prostate cancer – Movember was born!

Have you checked your prostate lately? Will you?
19,000 Canadian men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. With proper screening, prostate cancer can be treated before it’s too late. While I’m a big fan of the mustache myself, Movember isn’t just about facial hair. It’s about shining light on a form of cancer that hasn’t received much attention in the past. Movember men, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Have you gotten your prostate checked lately? If not, will you? Ladies, will you encourage the Movember men in your life to get checked? Please answer this question by posting a comment below. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts.

Just For Fun
To commemorate Movember, I worked with Derek Strokon (@insurevancouver) , Greg Meeres and Kevin Friesen (@boldfishmedia) , and Alejandra Anderson (@beyondyouandme) to put together a video. Take a look for a good laugh. But it’s not all fun and games. Don’t die of embarrassment, Movember men. Get your prostate checked! Especially those of you who are over 40 (I’m not naming names).

Vote for  Us?
We love a good old fashioned competition, so we entered our video into the @memelabs Movember video contest. If you like it, click on “vote” in the bottom right hand corner of the video. Until next time, happy Movember!

Growth in donations has slowed dramatically, with many major charities barely keeping pace with inflation. In times like these, it’s more important than ever for companies and individuals to offer their time, talent, and resources. Helping out doesn’t have to be hard or costly. Below are a few creative ways to give back during a recession.

Take a Karma Yoga Class
Most yoga studios hold “karma” yoga classes. These classes run on a donation only basis and benefit charity. Inner Space Yoga, a lovely studio based in the heart of gas town, has kindly offered to donate the proceeds of their karma yoga classes for the next two months to the BC Children’s Hospital “Wigs for Kids” program. Inner Space Yoga is located at 100 – 247 Abbott Street in Vancouver. The Karma class is held every Sunday morning from 9:15 – 10:30 am. Be sure to call in advance to secure your spot.

Instead of Giving Presents, Give a Kiva Loan
Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend to unique entrepreneurs around the globe. Instead of getting Christmas presents from your friends, ask them to give a micro-loan to a deserving entrepreneur.

Clean Out Your Closet
Most of us are guilty of “over-consumerism,” and have more clothes than we actually need. If you look in your closet, you could likely collect a pile of items that you haven’t looked at or used in over six months. Local charities and used clothing stores always welcome clothing donations. Also, you don’t have to limit your drop-offs to clothing only. You can send shoes, household items, books and even furniture items, as long as they’re in good condition and don’t require any major repairs. There are many Vancouver charities that accept clothing donations such as the Covenant House, a charity that helps homeless and at-risk youth.