Hobnob 5: Omar Mouallem
This week we hobnobbed with Omar Mouallem – writer, journalist, editor, filmmaker, educator and small business owner. Asked how one actually becomes all those things, Omar had two key points to share: don’t compare yourself to anyone but yourself, and accept from the start that it’s not a linear process.
Nominated for 11 National Magazine Awards – and winner of three – Omar has written about everything from men’s mental health to international urban design to the story behind Alberta’s Burger Baron restaurants (there’s a lot more to it than you’d think, just driving by). In his chat with Justin Archer, he shares how a freelancer from High Prairie ends up writing for the likes of The New Yorker, Rolling Stone and the Globe and Mail – and what coming from a family of restauranteurs taught him about being a freelance storyteller.
You can watch Omar and Justin’s full conversation here. And if that inspires you to try some wordsmithing for yourself, you can check out the virtual writing courses from Pandemic University – Omar’s latest initiative – here.
Emily Keating is a writer at Berlin Communications