Vic Pisani’s best life

Give us a brief insight into what you do? 

In terms of my ‘day job’, I work at the City of Charles Sturt as a Place Leader. I had no idea a gig like this existed until a few years ago but I love it. It’s a placemaking role that involves developing ideas, collaborating and delivering projects that connect people to each other and where they live. Part of the job is helping people bring their arts and culture ideas to life and expanding the landscape for live music for artists and audiences in our local government area through grants. 
So many great projects are supported by our grants every year. In the last 12 months alone, there’s been loads of brilliant projects we’ve helped, including an Alex Frayne art photography portrait series sharing the migration and settlement stories of 10 different women,  a doco about Stephen Coard (the “smile it’s free” guy on Port Road) and Coastal Sounds – a free festival in June featuring live music, visual arts and dance experiences along 13 kilometres of our western beaches from West Beach to Semaphore.

What brings you joy in life? In no order of preference: Sunny – my labradoodle named by my kids after Sunny Baudelaire in the Lemony Snickets series. Sunny is the first dog I’ve ever had in my life, and I can’t describe how happy she makes me feel every day (with the exception of when she destroys my prescription glasses and all manner of other things of value around the house).
My family – mu wife Michelle and children Bianca and Marco. I’m not just saying that to offset my declaration of love for my dog, and I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but having a family has made me a better person. The best days are when we’re all together having fun on a beach somewhere or pretty much having fun doing anything – together. With two teenagers now, these “doing fun stuff together days” are dwindling but when they pop up, they’re still the best.
Trail running – my body shape is made more “for digging holes” than “running hills” but running and running trails is my happy place. It’s part meditation, part exercise and part metaphor for life. A good hour or three on a Sunday morning running around on Adelaide Hills trails fills my cup to the brim.