Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carlyn Stewart. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Carlyn , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

The most frustrating thing growing up was being surrounded by people who knew exactly what they wanted to do with their lives (or at least had the outward confidence of such). I started in art school, worked in marketing, then ended up graduating with a degree in Archaeology and a minor in Geosciences. However, through my life there was always a strand of creativity- whether it took the form of choreographing dance, performing in a play, creating clay earrings to fund my wedding, or creating social media posts and videos to engage audience of the National Park or Historic Site I worked for. Luckily, I have found a way to combine all of my passions. Even though I am a full-time Archaeologist, I am lucky enough to work a side gig as a Creative Content manager for a social media forward business, Simply Social Media. How I learned to do this was taking all of those skills learned along the way from graphic design courses in school, to teaching myself Photoshop as a hobby, from being forced into virtual education during the pandemic, to learning business, product design and website design for my earring business. I don’t think I would change anything to speed up the process because of the valuable experiences I learned along the way and all the random skills I picked up. The most essential thing to do is to surround yourself with people who not only support your creativity but encourage and inspire it. The biggest obstacle preventing you from learning more is being unsupported, or letting negative feedback stand in your way. Take that feedback and say: “I’ll prove you wrong. “

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Carly, I am a full-time archaeologist, part-time Creative Content Manager for Simply Social Media in New Mexico and my own Content Creator for my “brand” Carly Boldly Goes.

I met my lovely bosses at Simply Social Media while working as an educator, and later manager, of a Historic Site in New Mexico. During the pandemic, all of our content went virtual and so I worked with Simply Social on a social media working group that focused on educstional video programming, taking our Instagram to the next level, and curating a captive audience on a Facebook group for the site. This work combined everything I love: education, archaeology, photography, graphic design, videography, acting, and community building. After I left that position, I knew I wanted to keep working with Simply Social so I began as an ambassador for our client Sky Railway until ultimately I was employed in 2023 as the Creative Content Manager. Now I create content for our clients as well as promote our Influencer Marketing services. I enjoy keeping up with my personal website, Tiktok, and Instagram supporting local businesses in New Mexico as well as promoting travel and living life enthusiastically. I am most proud of my work supporting tourism departments in New Mexico- this is an incredible state filled with culture, history, food and wonderful people. I love that I get to support New Mexico heritage and culture through both of my jobs in very different ways. I am set apart because I truly am one of the biggest hype women and enthusiastic people you will meet which shows through my work. I love what I do!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to inspire enthusiastic living by promoting local New Mexico businesses, cultural heritage, and outdoor adventures through curious exploration, authentic storytelling, and dynamic visuals. I support this mission through content creation on my personal pages, work with Simply Social Media, and as an Archaeologist striving to promote the careful and respectful stewarding of cultural resources. New Mexico is an often misunderstood state with so much to offer so I am motivated to do my jobs well.

Have you ever had to pivot?

During my undergraduate career at the University of Arizona, I was majoring in Art, hoping to focus in graphic design…however, after a long, grueling application and portfolio process, I missed the cut to enter the program by one point. This was devastating as I couldn’t afford an extra year of college to apply again the following year. So, I made Anthropology/Archaeology my degree path and graduated on time. However, my life is all the better for it. I found myself absolutely loving archaeology and the lifestyle that came along with it. I traveled, got paid to hike, and learned how crucial it is to be better stewards of this land. In between seasonal jobs, I did graphic design and marketing for local Tucson, AZ businesses. Even during the archaeology jobs I found myself doing social media, outreach, and education and now through my jobs as a State Trust Archaeologist and Creative Content Manager I get to do everything I am so passionate about in different ways. Sometimes, when I am lucky, my jobs even overlap!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Carlyboldlygoes.com
• Instagram: Carlyboldlygoes
• Linkedin: Carlyn Stewart
• Other: Tiktok- Carly Boldly Goes
  Content Creation found on simplysocialnm.com and the Sky Railway Instagram.

Image Credits

All images are my own