How Vancouver Island creatives balance quality of life with isolation frustration

It’s not uncommon for people in the Vancouver Island region to dabble in painting or photography or poetry, because they just can’t help being inspired by the gorgeous surroundings.

But for people working in creative industries on the Island, the complications of doing business can sometimes disrupt the peace that comes with the ocean and forests. 

LISTEN: The business of making art on the Island

For one thing, it’s expensive to get goods off the Island. 

For another thing, getting people off the Island — to go to meetings or trade shows, for example — can be both expensive and time consuming. 

But creators and business owners Aunalee Boyd-Good and Faisal Sethi say in the end, the quality of life on the Island makes it worth the trouble of basing their businesses here. 

They walk through the pros and cons with host Kathryn Marlow, in this episode of the CBC podcast This is Vancouver Island. 

Boyd-Good is co-director and designer with Ay Lelum: The Good House of Design in Nanaimo, along with her sister Sophia Good.

Faisal Sethi is founder, CEO and creative director of the game company Frosty Pop. He lives in Victoria.

Islanders — this is a podcast for you. Life on Vancouver Island isn’t all sunset strolls and forest bathing — it can be frustrating, isolating and expensive. We’re going to talk about the good, the bad and everything in between. Hosted by Kathryn Marlow, every Tuesday.

Got a question? You can reach us at thisisvi@cbc.ca.

Tune into This is Vancouver Island every Tuesday on CBC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.