Meet Aimee & Sue: Sisters Say Stuff | Authors and Artist (Aimee)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aimee & Sue: Sisters Say Stuff and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aimee & Sue:, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Sue says: In my younger years, I was always what I like to call an “emotional risk-taker,” jumping into relationships before properly assessing the person under consideration or the circumstances. Now that I am older, the kind of risks I am taking are different, as I try to finally construct the life I want for myself. As I mention in our book, I took a significant financial risk when I quit a stable job at the end of 2019 because the level of stress and anxiety it generated was overwhelming. The financial risk was worth the psychological gain. Taking that risk gave me the mental space to build and create, and here we are! Aimee & Sue – Sisters Say Stuff!

Aimee says: As my much younger self, I was lucky enough to have a general confidence that translated into steady and positive forward motion in life and career that didn’t really require me to think much about the subject of risk. But I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older, having for many years stepped back from career after the birth of my son, the idea of risk has become particularly interesting to me, especially as I embark on this adventure with my sister. Our first project, the book Fear Is Better Dressed in Polka Dots, is very personal, but one that I believe has real relevance to many after this past year. So now, I see taking risks as challenging myself to not hide or hold back when I’m afraid of what people might think because I believe that our difficult life experiences are better shared.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
There are so many things that make us proud of this book, but most of all, from a year of hurdles, illness, and global pandemic where just surviving could feel like a coup, we’ve emerged with this incredible creative project. It was not only cathartic for us to produce, but we know it will also be relatable and helpful to others who have been through or are going through challenging times.
The story of Aimee’s and our mom’s cancer diagnoses and treatments during covid lockdown is the foundation for our book and though our experiences may be recognizable to many, the way we manage difficult subjects with a combination of art and text, with humor and rawness, and most uniquely through a very intimate sisterly exchange, is what really engages readers and sets our work apart. The back-and-forth dialogue between us as sisters is what forms the true essence of our brand as we use our distinct voices to share life’s ups and downs with the world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So, I (Sue) am going to answer this question as if Aimee were coming from Montreal to visit me here in South Florida. I confess that I don’t normally do anything that exciting, so I would have her join me in my regular activities, plus throw in a few, more interesting outings for good measure. Fortunately, I think that Aimee would be quite content with that! Just being around palm trees and a short drive from the ocean is a treat when you live up north!

I love yoga, and have been doing an outdoor class (since covid) on Saturday mornings in a parking lot at Tradewinds Park. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than bringing Aimee to class with me. Since Butterfly World is located on the grounds of that same park, I might use the opportunity to take Aimee there to see the birds and butterflies. Our parents used to go there a lot when they were snowbirds, and our dad, who is no longer with us, especially loved it.

Of course, we would hit the beach while she was here; Pompano Beach because it is the closest to where I live in Coral Springs, and Deerfield Beach if we wanted to be where there is a little more action. Restaurants in my area that we would be likely to visit are Deja Blue in Parkland, with its beautiful outdoor seating area, Falafel Bistro in Coral Springs, and definitely Kilwin’s in The Walk for some of the best ice cream around. The Promenade in Coconut Creek is also a good possibility for food and movies.

Since Aimee and I both enjoy walking for exercise I’d take her to the pretty Orchid Park nearby where there is a little bridge over water and a wooden path through a forest that gives one the impression of being off in the country somewhere more remote than it actually is. For a splash of excitement, we would visit Wynwood Walls in Miami, which as an artist herself, Aimee would definitely appreciate. I might have to bring my friend Tanya along as a tour guide since she is familiar with all the street artists and can be a lot more informative than I can!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We would like to dedicate our shoutout to our mom, Fanny Brender, a holocaust survivor whose childhood was fraught with challenges that we can’t even imagine. In spite of, or maybe because of that, she managed to become an incredibly strong woman with a career in nursing, administration, and education. She and our dad raised 3 daughters, all of whom grew up to be decent human beings (dare we say). When our father was given only 3 months to live at the age of 50, our mom researched his condition (a rare cancer, almost unknown at the time) and found the doctor in Atlanta, Georgia who would save his life. She continued to battle the Quebec healthcare system through his multiple hospitalizations, advocating for him at every turn and because of her he lived until just shy of his 80th birthday. At 81, our mom is an inspiration; she is still probably sharper, more resilient, and funnier, than the two of us! As we talk about in our book, she has just been through cancer treatment during covid, as has Aimee, and it hasn’t stopped her. We are so lucky and grateful to have her.

Website: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B092C8TN24

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