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Alex Vale

Are inclusivity, creativity, and comedy the keys to freshman life?

TL;DR: Alex Vale talks with students about queer inclusivity, the value of connection over curriculum, and the magic of career creativity during Carnegie Mellon's Summer Program. Plus, a sneak peek at their new book.

Alex Vale wearing glasses and a cute blazer, talking with their hands during presentation

Oh, heyyy!


I thought I'd write a post here reflecting on my time spent with CMU students and faculty at this year's virtual summer program.


I was super excited and honored to be a guest educator at such a fancy-schmancy institution! The students were amazing, and I got to share copies of Epic Fail Super Win, 2nd Edition (my updated collection of interviews about artists using failure to kick ass) before it hit shelves.


From the artists' life experiences shared in the book, I set out to boil down some usable concepts that could inspire students to be fearless in their creativity - no matter what major they were studying.


The result? Apparently, when you bake a whole book in the oven at 350° for several hours, you get two piping hot video courses - Failing It to Nailing It and then stARTup - Business Basics For Artists.


Plus, we had a sparky discussion about humor and humanity, where I got to talk about coming out, annnd how damn awkward it is to be a human teenager and then suddenly go to college and try to socialize. My take: People skills can be awkward, and humor is the icebreaker that can help you crush your #inclusivity #goals.


Get the Comedy Hound or Unicorn digital pass to access clips from this presentation!

XO, Alex


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