Check Out Mark Andrew Swan’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Andrew Swan.

Hi Mark, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story starts at the beginning of a cold universe devoid of stars or reason. In a flash of fusion, energy blasted from a center point in the darkness and ever-expanded into a constantly cooling macrocosm of debris and plasma. Several years later, I was born from my mother in Colorado Springs. Colorado.

In 2004, my Junior year English teacher said I was the best student writer he had read in years. That totally screwed up my ego, propelling me into a long decade of believing I was not in need of further education or world perspective. I navigated my early twenties seeking out people to validate my insatiable want for attention. I cut ties with close friends and squandered goodwill with family while I navigated the world as an insufferable man child.

In 2008, all I was good at was being audacious and singing in key. I moved to Denver to join local Ska band, The A-OKs and made a social career out of being loud and annoying. I also started my first real job as a dishwasher. It was through slogging through other peoples’ masticated and discarded food waste that I realized I was in need of a more humiliated outlook on myself and the world.

The A-OKs played for ten years, released three studio albums and one live album, and went on more national tours than I can count.

After the music stopped being my main focus, I worked my way up from washing dishes to a management role at the same kitchen. Eventually, I scored an office job with the company as an HR assistant. That totally sucked.

Around 2019, I walked by the Colorado Media School and felt inspired to educate myself in a career in TV and Radio. That way, I could be as audacious as I ever was but on a larger and more responsible level.

Covid hit the world and my HR position got eliminated. It was the best thing to ever happen.

Over the pandemic, I started writing Death and Human Resources, a fantasy/comedy book about the banality of grind culture.

I currently work for IHeart Radio and Total Traffic and Weather as a Traffic and Weather Reporter. I do occasional work for PBS12 in Denver, and am an AV associate with Lakewood’s Mile Hi Church. I have crafted several short films and music videos for local artists and musicians. I have writing credits with several major local and national outfits. I am back into music with Pretty. Loud. Alongside my best friends, Michelle Bailey and Tim Sanchez.

In August, I released Death and Human Resources in trade paperback and Ebook.

The universe will probably cool again in a few more billion years.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
How smooth is any road?

It would be a safe statement to admit that most of my challenges had and have been self-inflicted. I think anyone can take a look at their current projects and say, “what am I doing to passively sabotage myself?” I’ll often ask myself this question and listen to the answers half of the time.

Any external challenges have come from the loathsome types of folks who wish to succeed by way of others failing. I don’t intend to call anyone out but I can’t count the amount of “scenes,” “communities,” “support groups,” “cliques,” etc… that have served to be little more that groups of angry, writhing people aiming to step on each other. I was one of those people too. It’s not fun to participate and it’s not a good feeling.

Also, the Pandemic threw a wrench in some things.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in synergistic and autolinguistic self-formatting and pro-team, anti-logistic work management environments.

Just kidding. I’m a writer and producer in the world of literature, video, and audio news and entertainment. I’ve always appreciated the way my favorite media has been made rather than the media itself. Therefore, I’m always working with cameras, audio capture equipment, and editing software to make exciting media for exciting people. At the moment, my main focus is Traffic and Weather reporting for many major radio stations in Denver and Colorado Springs. On the back end, I’ve recently finished my work producing, directing, and editing Occam’s Rose’s “Losing Sleep,” a hybrid music video/short film. I am always looking for new projects.

My proudest achievement was becoming a member of the Clean Plate Club at King’s Chef diner in Colorado Springs. Second proudest achievement was publishing my first novel, Death and Human Resources.

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Carol and Brian Swan deserve most of the credit I’ve received, as it was their DNA that mixed into the being you see before you. My brothers, Sam and Tim, should also be recognized for teaching me how to be so cool and funny.

Credit for any major modern project should go to Michelle Bailey for encouraging any insane idea I have with unfettered enthusiasm.

Shoutout to Julius Ames, Chad Adams, Heather Dalton, and Richard Taylor with PBS12 for the immense amount of support. In the same vein, cheers to Will Owens and Kevin Pashayan (cutbykev.com) for your hard work and friendship.

Thanks to Ethan and Nicole Harris for dealing with my manic shenanigans in the past few years.

Aaron Saye, he just needs a shoutout for being the purest good boy this side of the Mississippi.

To Rama Newton, Nathan Marschall, and the Mile Hi Church Team for being an accepting community.

Anastasia Canfield for always looking for work for me.

Who else? This list is too long. Thanks to all of you and especially if I didn’t mention you.

And check out Tim Sanchez’s work: https://open.spotify.com/album/0i1RIjY4QztE1JgHc2B1wI?si=vBszOMuCTh-5tsK4pmzKuA

Pricing:

• Death and Human Resources – $12 Paperback, $3 EBook

Contact Info:

• Website: markandrewswan.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mark_andrew_swan/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3BLvSrLZHgW8ooOu3HlFg
• Other: DeathandHumanResources.com