Pilimmaksarniq: Like learning piano, it's a journey of practice, patience, and beautiful growth.
Photo: Jamie Bell
Values

ᐱᓕᒻᒪᒃᓴᕐᓂᖅ – Pilimmaksarniq

By Tony Eetak
In art, Pilimmaksarniq teaches us that mastery is a dance between effort and grace. It’s not just about knowing how to play an instrument, but about the spirit that comes alive in every practice session—the intentionality, the struggle, and the joy of refining. Through observation, learning from others, and immersing yourself in the process, artists transform themselves, shaping their craft as much as they shape the world around them.
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Growing Through Practice, Mentorship, and Passion

By Tony Eetak

Pilimmaksarniq is the art of becoming, one brushstroke, one note, one lesson at a time. It’s not just about mastering a skill—it’s about becoming through observation, mentoring, and the quiet grind of practice. In the world of art, it’s about watching others, soaking in their movements, learning through their eyes, and then creating your own rhythm.

This value celebrates the journey of growth—the moments of uncertainty and triumph, the mentor who challenges you to push harder, and the late nights spent refining your craft. Every mistake is just another step, a mark on the page that shows you’re learning. It’s about resilience, not perfection.

For artists, Pilimmaksarniq is the fire that fuels their creativity. It’s in the way you shape your hands around the tools of your craft, how you mold the world around you through trial and error. The beauty is in the process—in every stroke and every note, you build something deeper than technique: you build yourself. And as you grow, so does the whole community, sharing in the evolution of art.

Filed Under: 2024-5782, Manitoba, SDG 4, Winnipeg
Picture of Tony Eetak

Tony Eetak

Tony Eetak is an emerging artist, musician and culture connector from Arviat, Nunavut, now exploring the arts in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A founding member of the Art Borups Corners, Tony has a demonstrated passion for photography, music, composition, and visual arts. With over five years of experience as a dedicated volunteer, collaborator and co-funder of several arts projects, Tony has been involved in various participatory arts events through organizations like the Arviat Film Society, Global Dignity Canada, Inclusion in Northern Research, and Our People, Our Climate. His contributions earned him recognition as a National Role Model by Global Dignity Canada in 2023. His work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Arts Council and the OpenAI Researcher Access Program.

This project was supported by:

Values

Traditional values are the quiet architecture behind our lives—the steady lines that shape how we see, speak, and care for one another. They hold the weight of generations, carried not in grand declarations, but in small, intentional acts: the way we greet our elders, the stories we pass down at the table, the silence we keep in moments of reverence. In a world that moves fast and forgets easily, traditional values ask us to pause, to remember what matters. They are not rules, but rhythms—a kind of cultural heartbeat that reminds us who we are, and who we’re responsible to. Holding onto them isn’t about staying still; it’s about moving forward with depth, connection, and meaning.