Carving out a creative career: an interview with Mark Leiren-Young

Don’t want to commit to just one career path? Being flexible can lead you on some amazing adventures. On today’s episode, Katy and Emma speak with Mark Leiren-Young who was UVic's second ever double major, in Theatre and Creative Writing and who currently works as a UVic professor in the Writing department, among many other roles. We chat with Mark about:Working in creative fields as diverse as writing award-winning movies The Green Chain and the Hundred-Year-Old WhaleHosting the Skaana podcast, where he covers ocean-related environmental issuesTouring Canada as half of the comedy duo, Local AnxietyTeaching classes on the Marvel and DC universes…and much more! Resources from this episodeSkaana podcastUVic Writing ProgramThe UVic Co-op ProgramAccessing career support Connect with usSign up for our weekly e-newsletterFollow UVic Co-op and Career on social media (00:00) - Music intro (00:32) - Welcome and host intros (02:18) - All about Mark Leiren-Young (03:20) - Stumbling into a journalism job after graduating in the late 80's (05:42) - Why it's important to study something you love (06:56) - A cornucopia of all the jobs that Mark has done in the arts (09:17) - What's the common thread in careers by creative people? (11:02) - How Mark started writing tv scripts in the 90's, starting with an episode of The X Files (12:22) - How Mark landed the writing gig for the Orca Exhibit at the Royal BC Museum and became "the whale guy" (16:05) - How Mark became a podcaster focused on stories about Orcas (20:15) - How Mark helps students from all disciplines tap into their creative side in FA 101 "Creative Being" (23:43) - Mark's advice on how to translate your passion for the arts into a career you love (26:02) - Rapid fire: what's something on campus that's stayed the same since the 80s (26:51) - Rapid fire: best place to grab food on campus