About Lara

Hi! Message & Muse is from the mind of moi, Lara Drasin.

I’m a writer, marketing strategist and thought partner based in Los Angeles, California, and I’m driven by a desire to a) understand everything and b) help brilliant people share their gifts with the world, not unlike a low-key stage mom.

My expertise is born of over 15 years working in communications and marketing — including half a decade in the NYC crisis PR world — and a lifetime of writing and telling stories of all stripes.

I earned a B.A. in Journalism and Sociology from NYU, and an M.A. in Social Science from UCLA, where I studied and wrote about how values are embedded in the words we use (spoiler alert: they’re everywhere!).

I’ve been trained in a broad range of styles and forms including journalism, academic writing, creative writing, playwriting, screenwriting and sketch comedy. I’ve performed stand-up, improv and sketch comedy at storied institutions such as The Second City, UCB, and the Comedy Store, and I’ve managed

In other words: I am fluent in Customer, Storyteller, Reporter, Professor, Philosopher, Clown and other languages, and love helping people who speak these different social languages communicate with one another.

In addition to THE MUSELETTER, I also write on Substack: LED Musings and Bluesky (@LEDMusings) about whatever’s caught my interest recently.