Episode #64

Using Writing to Design the Career You Want: A Behind the Scenes Interview with Cathy Mazak

I’m in the hot seat on this episode of The Academic Writing Amplified! I’m sharing an interview of yours truly by Anna Clemens of Scientists Who Write. We cover everything from how (and why) to get writing done inside your work week to changing the patriarchal culture of academia to my coaching philosophy and program offerings.

MORE DETAILS

Key points discussed:

Writing as career currency and why academics should put it at the center of their careers
Why I work with womxn and non-binary folx and systemic challenges in academia
How I started my coaching business and my coaching philosophy
What structural changes we should work toward in academia
How to move away from fear-based decision making
Driving change in a wider arena by focusing on individual career goals
How to keep writing time inside your work week and the message you send yourself when you push it to the periphery
Why waiting for big blocks of time to write doesn’t work
Soaring states, co-writing and how to be more productive in less time
The glorification of overwork and drilling down to what’s important
My writing coaching and career direction programs for academics at every level

Key Quotes:

“In the end, what has currency inside of academia is our published work.”
“Change has to happen top down and bottom up simultaneously.”
“If you’re waking up early, staying up late, or writing on the weekends, what you’re doing is you’re pushing writing to the periphery of your career.”
“Is writing less important than the things you do from let’s say 9 to 5?”
“I want people to start organizing their schedules around their writing blocks instead of trying to fit writing in.”
“If you want to create, you have to rest.”
“You can’t sustain the level of overwork that is currently being glorified inside of your institution.”

Pulled in a thousand directions and can’t seem to carve out time to write? Check out my signature program, Navigate: Your Writing Roamdap®!