May 16

May 16 Podcast Love

I’ve noticed that, as the outside schedules of “normal” life recede (like a distant memory or past life – what is a workplace? A party? A vacation that involves leaving the 1km radius around your home??), my life has started to take on its own individual pace and flow in various ways. One joy that has been dialed up to 11 since this whole lockdown started is my joy of podcasts. This post is a rambling discussion of what I love about podcasts, why I love them, and my dreams of (like everyone else and their dog) starting my own. I don’t really know how you’ll benefit from reading this post, since if you don’t like podcasts I doubt this blog post will convince you, and if you do love podcasts, then you probably already know why. I suppose this article is for the one (or possibly two) people that are somewhere in-between don’t and do.

Podcast, how I love thee.

I love podcasts. SO MUCH. Like, definitely top 5 things I’d bring to a deserted island. Not every type of podcast, mind you. I’m not a fan of the popular murder-mystery or real-life-blood-and-guts crime stuff (the world is scary enough, thank-you-very-much). What I love are the longform idea podcasts. Interviews. How-tos. Histories. Educational explanatories. I also like some of the well-researched current news stuff, but that’s more of an eating-my-vegetables type situation. I listen to podcasts when I go for runs, on bike rides, while I do chores, make coffee, when I’m illustrating late at night… in other words, for a few hours every day. When a new episode airs on a favorite podcast it’s like a freaking treat.

Let me count the ways…

There are a LOT of things that I can’t explain about my life (why do I love glitter? What makes corgis the most adorable? What is it about “eggs-in-a-hole” that makes it the best breakfast in the world? THESE ARE QUESTIONS WHICH HAVE NO ANSWERS). However, I can easily explain to you what’s so appealing to me about podcasts. Simply put, I adore conversation. In-depth, meaningful, philosophical, what-is-the-meaning-of-life conversations. In a previous life (before COVID), I used to put on “Philosophical Salons” in my studio apartment, where I’d invite friends over, we’d share food and drinks (unimaginable!) and talk, present and perform on various interesting topics. The Socratic life is what I fantasize about, and a good podcast is like having an intelligent, curated Socratic dialogue happening around you whenever you want. It’s a total dream.

I realize this makes me sound like a full nerd, and yes – I am. *takes bow* I was that kid who loved school, at least when it involved learning something fascinating, and particularly if I was allowed to ask questions about it (oh dialogue… such a critical component missing from so many schools. You wonder why kids are bored? Let someone talk AT you for 90 minutes and you tell me how soon before you’re folding paper airplanes and slipping notes to your cute crush in the corner. Also, I would like to insert a rant here about watching movies, specifically that I SHOULD be able to ask questions during movies because that’s LITERALLY my favorite part about watching movies. I understand that many of you do not feel the same way, but just know that you are ruining the experience for me, as much as I’m ruining it for you.). Understanding something is just so satisfying and delightful, not in small part because there’s always another level of understanding to reach (as in, can you ever really understand something fully?). It makes me think of a Douglas Adams quote from The Salmon of Doubt: “I’d take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day.” Because the real world is often just as weird as anything you’d ever imagined it to be, but the real world is SO much better because you get to giggle about the fact that it’s real.

Why create my own podcast?

The biggest issue I’ve run up against in the podcast realm is that I’m constantly running out of episodes and new podcasts that I want to listen to. I’ve also discovered new podcasts that I’ve been really excited about, only to listen and realize it’s not what I was hoping for. So, of course a gal has gotta ask – what’s missing from the podcast environment right now?

I’m not exactly sure what sort of podcast I’d want to personally start, but I do have a list of the podcasts that I wish existed (or existed in greater quantities):

Coaching. I’ve binge-listened to the Pushkin Industries Against the Rules podcast by Michael Lewis recently and love it. All his talk about the power of coaches has made me crave a podcast that pushes you the way a coach would: checking in on you, chastising when necessary, opening you to new areas and new heights and new discoveries. A personal Olympic-quality coach would be expensive – but what if you could get the best coaches in the world to train you to be your own coach, via a podcast?
Imaginative looks at life that meld artist and scientist. Not only do we need imaginative solutions more than ever, I LOVE the idea of artists brainstorming ridiculous solutions and then having scientists discuss practically how these things could actually be created.
Douglas Adams: if we could find a handful of people who thought in the delightfully imaginative and humorous manner of Douglas Adams (writer of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, the above-mentioned The Salmon of Doubt, and more), I would listen to them converse on just about anything for an endless amount of time. I recently discovered an old 1982 BBC interview with Douglas Adams and now I can only find these bits and clips, but I find his imagination so jolly, in the true British sense of the word.

Podcasts I’m currently listening to

Are you also obsessed (or have plans to become obsessed) with podcasts and need some new ones to add to your roster? I thought I’d finish this post by offering this wide-ranging list.