Switching Stories: From PR to Audiobiography with Caroline Pearce
In today’s episode we delve into the story of how Biographer Caroline Pearce transitioned from working in PR, through a career in ghost writing to running the Audiobiographers.
Caroline Bio
After living a fairly conventional suburban north London childhood, Caroline left for New York City at the age of nineteen without a work permit, a return ticket, or a plan. For the next twenty years Caroline moved between New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and London, raising two children and acquiring dual citizenship along the way. Working in public relations gave Caroline a taste for writing about people, which led eventually to completing a bachelor’s degree in English Literature with Creative Writing in her mid-forties, and later an MA in Biography and Creative Non Fiction.
During her ghostwriting career Caroline has worked with a 1930s Barnardo’s child, a GI baby who found his father after decades of searching, an Auschwitz survivor, a Polish woman who spent her early childhood years in Siberia, an Australian gynaecologist who pioneered colposcopy, and many more. She is fascinated with stories of ordinary lives as well as the extraordinary, and recognises the enormous power of the human voice in conveying the emotions, nuances and infections of each individual believing that audio biographies can capture and preserve the very essence of a person.
Apart from working, Caroline enjoys spending time with the people she cares about, walking on expansive sandy beaches and singing her heart out.
● [02:09] – The Edge – up to date creative news and views
● [05:52] – Caroline explains what she does and her career path to this point
● [08:18] – The switching moment
● [10.57] – Returning to study creative writing as a mature student
● [14:31] – Why Caroline chose Biography
● [15:03] – Nikki and Caroline talk about writing poetry
● [18:51] – Caroline talks about writing her own life story.
● [22:50] – Creating our stories for our children
● [27:49] – All the other ways Caroline enjoys creativity
● [32:37] – Writing with a pen on paper
● [35:00] – Digital detox on holiday
● [37:47] – The process of creating an audio biography
● [42:50] – Creative Adventures – How to make time to build a side hustle
Four Creative Nuggets
Studying as an adult is a way of exploring your creative passion. “I just really enjoyed the experience of being in the classroom and being around other people who wanted to learn.” CP
If there’s something you enjoy and know you are good at start there. “Why create a challenge that's really unrealistic.” CP
“I have had to deal with not giving myself permission to do things that I enjoy.” CP
“We close doors or we see them as closed doors, when actually they're not closed doors.” CP
Links
Caroline
www.audiobiographers.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/theaudiobiographers
https://www.instagram.com/audiobiographers/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinepearceaudiobiographers/
The Edge
https://danielaparkes.com/blog/brief-history-of-storytelling/
https://ingostudio.com/storytelling/oral-storytelling/
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jan/06/storytelling-back-in-fashion
https://literacytrust.org.uk/resources/national-storytelling-week/
Creative Adventures
https://lightroom.uk/whats-on/the-moonwalkers/
Paulomi Debnath Episode
Nikki
https://nikkivallance.com/the-creative-switch-podcast/
https://www.nikkivallance.com/join-creative-switch-community/
https://www.instagram.com/nikki_vallance/
https://podchaser.com/TheCreativeSwitch/
Afflliate Links
Alitu: https://alitu.com?fp_ref=nikki-53
Captivate: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=njg4ytq
Listen in next time and hear from guest Harriet Kelsall, one of the most respected bespoke designers and business trailblazers working in the UK jewellery industry today.
