Welcome to my website…
In my life (so far), the path has unfolded like an underground, personal adventure story; filled with love, loss, fear, wisdom, creativity, darkness, light, and inspiration. I was raised in a family that was both conventional and complicated; made more complicated by the legacy of a generational, family-owned business which both inspired and consumed me for over half of my life, and even now resonates in my dreams of the past, and of the future as well. Providence watched over me, guided me, chastised me, and healed me as I helped navigate the family business legacy to a successful and honourable destination. Without a doubt, the most valuable lesson that I learned during this first, long chapter of my story was that business was essentially art, that art was essentially identity, and that identity was essentially Truth.
The next chapter of my personal adventure began to write itself inside a new business opportunity; a unique music and arts café (koicalgary.com), where I began to live out the valuable lesson in a ‘reverse engineered’ sort-of-way. A mirror reflection of my former business life. This time, Truth first gave way to identity, which then gave way to art, which then gave way to this new business; a business that I nurtured for 5 challenging years. The catalyst and the fuel for this unique experience was Community. The catalytic community at Koi has continued to resonate with warm, creative energy across all ages and artistic persuasions for over 10 years now, and still counting.
The most recent chapters of my adventure have been motivated by a strong awareness of the need for a wider, true Community amongst artists and non-artists alike. “Community” means different things to different people, but my personal vision of community is really a series of contrasts; contrasts with what I believe community is not. A true community…
- Includes rather than excludes
- Inspires rather than intimidates
- Creates rather than conforms
I co-founded a philosophical community with a mission to provoke deeper questions about the nature of Truth (thequestion.ca), and most recently, I co-founded a creative “community of communities” (theindieyyc.com) committed to supporting and inspiring local artists in pursuit of independent creativity, independent thought, and independent life. True community is an invitation to belong, not a command to assimilate. Independence is actually the deepest expression of true community. Mutual respect is the connective tissue of true community.
This personal website is just a diverse expression of my ongoing interaction with community, identity, and Truth. Through my songwriting, speaking, and letters, I hope to encourage you to pursue the real truth of your own identity.
It’s totally worth it.
Contact email: ftamagi@gmail.com
