Ep 40: The Art of Science with Laura Canil - The Journey

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We continue our discussion with Laura Canil to learn about her journey in becoming a scientific illustrator. Her earliest memories in science didn't exactly start in science–initially she wanted to be an inventor and then a painter. As she continued in her education, Laura started to also explore science communication. All of these interests remained in the back of her mind as she received her bachelors and masters in physics and materials science in Italy. As a graduate student in Berlin, completing her doctorate research on photovoltaic and photocells, Laura realized that she enjoyed the communications aspect of science a little bite more than the research. She would spend hours making just the right figures and animations to explain her research clearly.

As she reached the end of her graduate school journey, Laura began to think critically about what comes next. She didn’t know at this point that scientific illustration was a potential choice for a fulfilling career. By chance, she contacted someone online who was already working in the field, and as she learned more and more about his career, it all just clicked. Laura knew this was the right path for her. After receiving her doctorate, she took a gap year to develop additional skills for professional illustration–powerpoint was just not going to cut it. And as she learned and grew in her art, the company CanilVisuals developed organically as a natural next step to get her professional career off the ground.

When Laura looks back on her journey, she doesn’t recall one specific mentor who helped guide her along the way. Rather, she had tremendous support from her community–friends, Ph.D. supervisors, family, illustrators and other freelancers–encouraging her to reach for her goals. And when reflecting on the choices she has made, there isn’t anything she would do differently. “I am who I am because of the choices I’ve made,” explains Laura; that person is a brilliant scientist AND a talented artist.

Tune into this episode to hear Laura share her perspectives on:

• How she transitioned from studying languages to physics to scientific illustration
• Exploring and learning more about different career options as a student
• Ways to combine different interests and skills into one career
• Working as a freelancer
• Future plans for CanilVisuals

Reach out to Laura:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-canil-8a203819b/

X (formerly Twitter): @laura_canil

More about CanilVisuals: https://www.canilvisuals.com/

Other Great Episodes:
Ep 21: Who Should Art Represent - The Journey
Ep 31:

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