After months of looking for creative outlets to pursue while staying at home, many students are either bored with too much time on their hands between classes or in need of a break from the stress of finals. Alumna Brook Marrs, a 2016 CCPS graduate, found hers on YouTube.
Marrs uses her artistic talent as well as the technical skills she acquired at St. John’s to produce character makeup videos for her channel. Every October, while pursuing her undergraduate degree, she would record, edit and upload these tutorials to her channel, Brook Marrs, Life on Marrs. Viewership on her costume face painting videos were the most successful. Her most popular video is “Sugar Skull,” which brought her 650K views and even earned her a small revenue stream for a short time.
Marrs, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Arts, is now busy climbing the corporate ladder at La Bottega, a high end amenity company. As a key account manager, she manages a team in production and sales but also assists in the marketing of their brand with print and video materials. As busy as that keeps her, she still tries to find time to devote to her passion project, posting positive content on her YouTube channel. The Torch sat down with Marrs to learn about what inspired her to create these videos and how her college days prepared her for her current ventures.
Q: What classes most influenced your desire to start these tutorials online?
A: “I would say before enrolling at St. John’s, my need to create and connect was already growing. Once at St. John’s, I was able to take courses in marketing, graphic design, media, film and public relations. All of which helped to build my skills in being able to create meaningful and creative content online, but to also incorporate those tools I learned into my current profession. Learning about the film industry and marketing at St. John’s has helped me to see that you can take that and turn it into an expression of who you are and what you love.”
Q: What sparks your interest now in deciding what content to film and post?
A: “I think the beauty of Youtube is that you can share whatever makes you happy. It is a community of people that share similar interests and content as a genuine person as opposed to a scripted television show. Whether that is expressing myself through art, food or family time, I want people to see that it is important to find the things you are grateful for. It feels good to share those parts of yourself so you don’t feel so alone in the things you are actually experiencing.”
Q: How did your St. John’s college experience help you to excel since graduating?
A: “I am able to use my skills to continue making content on my Youtube channel, which brought me an amazing community of followers. It also taught me so much in the career I have now. I currently work as a sales operations manager for a luxury hotel amenity company, managing a team in product development, project management and customer service relationships with our large customer base. St. John’s taught me management skills, as well as how important communication is within a business. I have been able to advance in the company I started with since graduating three years ago. I wouldn’t have been able to do that without what I learned by getting my degree at St. John’s. I always feel so blessed to be able to say I graduated from St. John’s with my Bachelor of Science in Communication Arts.”
Q: Is there anything that you would have done differently while attending your alma mater?
A: “I think all that I would have done differently is everything I just mentioned. I was very hard on myself and I had a lot of doubts while I was in school. The best advice you can give someone is always the hardest to take yourself and that is exactly what happened to me. I wish while I was in school I could see where I am today because I may not have believed it.”
Q: What words of advice would you give to current students?
A: “My advice to current students is to get involved in all you can in the school because I don’t think anyone can look back on life and say they wish they did less, but will always say they wish they did more. I would also say to take care of yourself and remind yourself that you come first, so prioritize self-care. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the college experience to make sure you do well, but if you take care of your mind and body, you will find that the other things will come a lot easier to you.”
“I would recommend you do your best to get involved in internships during your time at St. John’s to allow yourself to experience different things. This can open up a lot of doors for you after you graduate and also will help guide you in the direction you may want to take.”
Although Marrs is beginning to navigate the business world as a newly minted graduate, being a content creator on YouTube is more important to her now than ever, she says.
“In the world we are in right now, with a global pandemic and a lot of negative events, what interests me the most is sharing positivity.”
