Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you :
I’m Amanda Moss.
Your current job :
I’m a clothing designer. I’ve been running my eponymous brand of women’s clothing since 2013.
In which city are you located?
Montréal
A word to define what kind of worker you are :
Procrastinator ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I tend to think about things that need to be done over and over, and by the time I actually do them, I’m quite clear on where I’m going and everything actually gets done quickly and efficiently.
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
Excel and Illustrator. I love making spreadsheets!
What does your office space look like?
I work from home, which is a large loft with high ceilings and huge windows. I have a large industrial cutting table set up right in the middle that definitely wouldn’t fit in a regular apartment layout.
What kind of music do you listen when you are working ?
Most days I listen to classical music on the radio when I’m working. Some days nothing at all. If I have a full day of really monotonous work, like cutting fabric, I’ll treat myself to a day of podcasts, which are usually much too distracting for me.
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work ?
I need to write things down. Seeing it on paper makes it much harder to ignore. I have a weekly agenda open on my desk, and I enjoy planning out the week that way.
What tips would you give to improve productivity ?
I prefer doing tasks one at a time. When I work on a few things at once and nothing actually gets finished, it feels unproductive.
You’re better than your colleagues to :
Typing with a cat sitting on the keyboard. It’s not easy, but I can do it.
What is the best advice anyone has given you ?
I guess it would have to be “be yourself”. This sounds terribly simple and obvious, but in the fashion industry it’s very easy to lose track of your vision, and get caught up trying to mimic the vision of others.
What is your best tip for saving time ?
Things tend to get done a lot faster when I close Facebook for a few hours.
What is your routine start and end of the day ?
Each day starts with a cat pawing at my face. There’s no need for an alarm clock.
It can be hard to get started at the same time everyday when you don’t actually have to leave your house. Lately I’ve been trying to implement a little morning yoga to help define the start of the work day. The end of the day is never the same. I just finish when I finish.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
My electric rotary cutter. Until last summer I was cutting all the production with scissors. Cutting is so much faster now, and a lot less painful for my hand.
facebook.com/amandamossclothing, https://twitter.com/mossygrams, www.amandamoss.ca