Podcasts
I have started getting into podcasts again. Last night, I re-downloaded the default Apple app and subscribed to a few podcasts - The Accidental Creative, After the Jump, StartUp Podcast, TED Radio Hour. Initially I leaned more towards podcasts about creativity or tech but by the end of the day I had a good roundup of different fields.
I’ve been looking for creative outlets for a while now and I especially wanted to get back into writing/blogging. I listened to one episode of After the Jump on creating content and was immediately inspired to get up and write a little. It’s not that I don’t do it often; it’s just that I need to do it more regularly. But to do it regularly requires one to actually sit down and give it some thought. This is kind of where it becomes the hard part for me especially since it feels like turning a hobby into a chore. It’s why when I write occasionally I like the output a lot more than the output I’ve made when I was on a routine. In an ideal world, I’d like to have a steady stream of consumption that’s balanced by a good chunk of creation. Lately, though, that creation part of it has been stifling and to have an episode of a podcast be so immediately rewarding (and actionable) that it made you want to get up and out of bed and start writing was a great feeling. It’s been said before that perfectionism creates no output. It’s true, and it’s a hard place to get out of if you’ve spent most of your initial days of writing trying to create really good work.
Later in the day I got some more input from friends about which podcasts to follow so I’ve signed up for a few more - Planet Money, Stuff You Should Know, Historical India, Song Exploder, Tiny Desk Concerts (audio). Some of these I’ve already heard before. Either way, I plan to try out a few episodes from each of these over the next week and then write about my experience.