Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlee Malemute.
Carlee, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in a remote Alaskan Native village of 500, with no roads in or out, and where the only way to get there is to take an 8-seater plane, so no surprise, I grew up loving stories of fantastical worlds full of things I would never experience — dragons, superpowers, and high schools with 4000 students. Reading, writing, and television were my favorite forms of escapism, so while that might have seemed like a natural career path into screenwriting, it also meant I was super shy and introverted, and instead became a high school history teacher. And lemme tell you, there’s nothing like standing in front of rooms full of teenagers for eight years to knock the self-consciousness right out of you. I eventually went back to grad school for screenwriting, met an amazing network of people from both USC and LA’s Native writing community, and have been working in the industry for the last ten years.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have definitely been struggles along the way, both professionally and personally. Pandemics, strikes, and industry slumps meant never having a stable career, but also helped with one of my biggest personal struggles of homesickness. The transition to more virtual/remote rooms allowed me to split my time between LA and Alaska, so inspiration-wise, I get the best of both worlds — the excitement of LA and the close-knit community of Alaska. Industry slumps led me to finding other outlets for my creativity — I grew up doing traditional Native beading and sewing, so while I’m between screenwriting jobs, I have more time for that and ended up opening an Etsy shop for my beadwork.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Growing up Native is the foundation for my creativity — whether it’s writing scripts set in Alaska, being inspired by the traditional Athabascan stories I grew up with, or exploring crafts taught by the people in my hometown, everything I do is rooted in that.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Becoming comfortable with who I am has been essential to my success. Acknowledging and embracing my diverse background — allowing myself to be different — has given me the courage to share that with others, through both the writing industry and my beadwork.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://craftydaydream.etsy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carleemalemute/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8648864/
Image Credits
The Light Committee
