We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kastle Waserman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kastle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

As a writer, I love to tell people’s stories. I’ve done this as a journalist writing for publications including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Post and Denver Westword. I want to shine a light on people who are doing something to contribute to the world to make it better or more joyful. I’ve seen how a good story on someone’s small business or cause can bring them a lot of attention and I’m proud of being able to use my skills to do that. I also work as a marketing copywriter and I do the same by telling the story of brands that I think put out a product or service that improves people’s lives in some way. I hope my legacy will be that I used my power of writing for good.

Kastle, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I always wanted to be a writer. In my teens, I discovered interviewing bands as a way to meet my idols and get a story in the local paper. From then on, I wanted to become a journalist.

I succeeded in working my up to be an editor at the Los Angeles Times, covering music, nightclubs and fashion. But as newspapers struggled to figure out how to go digital, my team and I were laid off. I realized staff journalism jobs don’t come easy.

A friend suggested I try copywriting for brands. So I started down a different path of writing, which I still do to this day, as well as journalism. For both a journalist and copywriter, the goal is the same – tell the story. Find that thing that makes someone unique and worth knowing about.

As for my personal brand, what makes me different is my passion. The written word is so powerful, and right now I’m only working on stories about people and brands that I feel strongly about. I bring years of experience, education, curiosity and willingness to learn to relay these stories accurately and creatively.

Is there something you think non creatives struggle to understand about creativity?

Creativity isn’t like mathematics where it’s 2+2=4 and you’re done. Creativity is about ideas and the people who generate these ideas do it based on their artistry as well as knowledge and life experience. Creativity appeals to emotions and you can’t always put that in a square box. I always pride myself in coming up with a creative solution or way to tell the story. That’s where the magic is.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In journalism school, they told me I’d have to start my career at some small local paper out in the middle of nowhere. I didn’t believe that. I landed my first job at the Los Angeles Times. I was a clerk at the bottom of the ladder, doing whatever errands, research or phone calls were needed by the staff. But I worked my way up.

I became the online editor of the music, nightclubs and fashion beats of the Calendar section and also contributed to the print and magazine editions. It was my dream job. After five years, I was laid off as journalism entered the death spin of trying to make the digital format profitable. I was devastated.

I struggled for three years. A friend suggested I try marketing copywriting. I changed my resume to say “copywriter” instead of “journalist” and immediately landed a job. I didn’t know much about marketing at the time, but I knew how to write and adapt my writing. I devoured books on copywriting and learned on the job. I found I really enjoyed telling brand stories. Then blogging came along, which is similar to writing articles. I eventually went back to school and got a marketing certificate from UCLA. Now I work as both a journalist and a marketing copywriter, and I enjoy both.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kastleproductions.wordpress.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kastlestyle/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kastle/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KastleWaserman

Image Credits
Photos by Kastle Waserman