news&views Spring 2020 | Page 26

Proust Questionnaire Tony Esteves | Digital & Creative Strategist, ARTA Tony Esteves Responds to a Proust Questionnaire What is your greatest regret? When I was eleven, I had a crush on a little brown- haired girl — let’s call her ‘Lisa.’ In Grade 6, we had a classroom dance. All the boys and girls felt very awkward and would stand against the wall, leaving the dance fl oor as empty as possible. I was not as shy at dancing, so I made the fi rst move and asked one of the girls to dance. My fear, however, was demonstrating that I had a crush on Lisa. I decided that I would ask Lisa for the last dance because, with eleven-year-old logic, the last dance is much less signifi cant than the fi rst dance. The last song was a slow song for some reason, and I did indeed dance with her. After the dance, the boys came up to me and asked if I ‘liked’ Lisa. I lied and said, “No.” I regret not being more brave and admitting my true feelings. What is your idea of happiness? The happiest day of my life was when I got married. When I look back at that moment, I remember the joy of the event surrounded by family and friends — and the prime rib. Y’know, now that I mention it, the second happiest day of my life was eating at a Brazilian steakhouse. What is your most treasured possession? I don’t know if Lego counts as it’s more a collection of bricks than a single possession. I developed an affi nity for Lego in my mid-twenties when I had a disposable income and time on my hands. Lately, my passion for the toy blocks was rekindled as 26 | arta.net my eldest started playing with Lego and we work together to build playsets. What is your motto? Michael Jordan once said “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” My life may not have been the path I pictured for myself, but it’s a journey of striving for my goals. What is your favourite place in Canada? My favourite place is Stanley Park in Vancouver, BC. I was lucky enough to walk through Stanley Park before the windstorm of 2006 and be surrounded by the ancient, majestic trees. It felt so incredibly peaceful and grounding . ● “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” - Michael Jordan