Hi, I'm Amanda Liaw!
Washington, DC / Singapore
Things I'm excited about:
Storymaking to build community and ideate new worlds
Art as critical connections
Food, gardening, and learning about the land I move on
Dancing to find magic in the body
Open Master's
The Why
I'm embarking on an Open Master's plan because I want to learn about philosophy, psychology, history, marketing, anthropology, linguistics, systems thinking, economics, political theory, religion, and how they all intertwine. I want to learn so that I can feel more confident in myself and my place in the world.The What
I'm interested in delving further into topics such as feminism, queer theory, transhumanism, rhetoric, meritocracy, colonialism, slavery, storytelling, social movements and revolutions, and inspirational leadership. This 2020-21, my curriculum is based on these four seasons –
Fall | What defines humanity?
Winter | How do stories of the past shape the way we think of ourselves?
Spring | When do systems begin to change?
Summer | Why do we believe?
I do my best to write about my learning journey on my Substack, Eryday Philosophy. I'd love to further these discussions with you!
Seeking Recommendations
If you have texts, films, and/or other multimedia resources to recommend, please reach out to me by email. At the moment, I'm looking for further resources on Buddhism and Epicureanism, in particular, but I always welcome recommendations for any topic. If you're interested, I'm also happy to share the curriculum I've collated. Thank you!
Experience
What I'm learning and doing, interested to learn and do:
Anticapitalist writing and community co-creating with After the Storm Magazine, previously with AAJIL and Temperance Alley
Communications, marketing, and community engagement with Spur Local (formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy) and media relations with YNPNdc
Democratic Socialism with Metro DC DSA
Abolition and Transformative Justice with the Defund MPD Coalition
Community-Centric Fundraising and Trust-Based Philanthropy, including as a Grants Committee member of Next Gen Giving Circle, Trustee with Awesome Foundation DC, and Steering Committee member for the We Give Summit
Worker Co-ops and Solidarity Economy Models, Public Banks, Participatory Budgeting
Food Justice
Generative Somatics
What I've done and learned, been learning and doing:
Stage Management with Trojan Event Services
Filmmaking through high school and college, including AVID and Final Cut Pro editing skills
Basic Web Management through personal and professional experiences, using Squarespace, WordPress, Shopify, and DreamHost (web hosting)
Graphic Design at PEN/Faulkner using Canva, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Procreate
Email and Social Media Management at PEN/Faulkner and the Goldhirsh Foundation through Mailchimp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and using Hootsuite and Later
CRM and Donor Management using Little Green Light and Give Lively, and including familiarity with payment processors Square, Stripe, and PayPal
Funder Research through Foundation Directory Online and GrantStation
Personal Work
Personal Histories: Abridged – a creative nonfiction piece I published in Mixed Mag.
On Actual Freedom: Examining the Revaluation of Value in Martin Hägglund's This Life – a nonfiction piece I wrote for the Washington Socialist.
The Role of Art and Communal Imagination in Our Movement Work – a nonfiction piece I wrote for the Washington Socialist.
Higo Field Food – a website I designed for Higo.
What Resilience Means to Me – an article I wrote for Wolf Tribe, a corporate culture consultancy.
Macy Grim Therapy – a website I designed for Macy Grim.
Eryday Philosophy – a newsletter I started that's currently on hiatus.
Room 048 – a short film I created about the passing significance of a single hotel room in the lives of five of its former occupants.
Bodies – a multimedia website that explores the physical and narrative self in understanding what constitutes gender identity.
Digital Asia and Activism – a Scalar book that interrogates questions about what constitutes the digital and how the digital defines "Asia" not only as a geographical place but also as a political concept.
Medium – an archive of writing.
WordPress Blog – an archive of writing.
When the Wind Blows – a short film I produced as part of Temasek's 20/20 Short Film Project.
Stories That Matter – a promotional video I created for Straits Times Schools.