Thanks to podcasts, it\u2019s officially a golden age for the spoken word. Talented and fascinating people offering their views and skills to anyone who cares to click \u2018play\u2019 or \u2018download\u2019. Usually for free.<\/p>\n
As a creative person, you owe it to yourself to fill your creative tank with a rich fuel of inspiration and knowledge from a wide range of interesting subjects – because you never know which direction your creative engine will need to take you next.<\/p>\n
So, listen to these podcasts and let them take you to new creative horizons!<\/p>\n
The Being Freelance podcast<\/a> does pretty-much what it says in the title – this podcast talks to many, many people who have made a success of\u2026 being freelance!<\/p>\n Presenter, Steve Folland, has spent the better part of five years putting together a very polished show.<\/p>\n Each episode features a creative practitioner – a freelancer – who has achieved a measure of success. Folland has talked to copywriters and bloggers, photographers and illustrators, designers, strategists and consultants of various stripes. They tell their stories, how they got where they are, and what they do to stay there. These are lessons any creative can learn from, whether you\u2019re freelance or not.<\/p>\n The episodes get straight to the point and generally clock-in at the 30-40 minutes mark, so you have no excuse to not drop in regularly.<\/p>\n Folland also manages a Being Freelance Community<\/a> on Facebook – where freelancers can meet and support each other.<\/p>\n Feel free to check out the Being Freelance podcast here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The north-south divide is a big feature of English culture. It hasn\u2019t erupted into a full-blown civil war (yet) but it is something that separates the English from each other by a few hundred miles of geography and generations of mutual disdain.<\/p>\n The North v South<\/a> podcast, which \u201cis, and isn’t about design\u201d, features Yorkshire-born illustrator Rob Turpin, who trades under the name This Northern Boy<\/a>, and Jonathan Elliman, a graphic and web designer whose studio can be found<\/a> down south, in Hampshire. Together, they demonstrate that the north-south divide doesn\u2019t really exist – it doesn\u2019t really matter where you\u2019re from, nor where you are, all that matters is what you do.<\/p>\n Like many podcasts, this is just a chat between like-minded friends. One of the bug-bears with such podcasts is they can ramble on for hours, where this one typically comes in at a tidy 50 minutes-ish.<\/p>\n What makes this podcast so useful is, yes, that they talk about the differences and the similarities in the design and illustration worlds, but they also talk about their own lives and jobs, their own problems with self-confidence and work-flow. This offers an insight that anyone working creatively can learn from and be inspired by.<\/p>\n And, if that doesn\u2019t sell you on North v South, there are always the pies!<\/p>\n Find the The North v South here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Another northern boy pumping out quality podcasts, is Ben Tallon. His Arrest All Mimics podcast<\/a> is taking a short break at the moment, but there is an archive of over 140 episodes to catch up on while he\u2019s away.<\/p>\n Tallon is a passionate and energetic advocate for the power of creativity in work, and of the importance of freelancing, and he believes that knowledge is power. When you\u2019re in business, you need help and advice on how to run a successful business. To this end, Ben shares his own knowledge and experience, as well as that of his expert interviewees, who come from many different creative fields.<\/p>\n Tallon often deals with important practical issues which any creative practitioners will appreciate; such as how to price creative work<\/a>, and how to promote yourself<\/a> and your business.<\/p>\n Lock down the Arrest All Mimics podcast here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n This podcast is run by Canadian graphic designer, Mark Des Cotes. He generally presents the show himself, and uses it as a platform to present talks on the various realities of running a small creative business. As the name suggests, Des Cotes\u2019 podcast is designed to help make creative people more resourceful.<\/p>\n His ambition, then, is to help designers spend more of their day doing the fun stuff, because the business stuff is sorted. As such, any creatives can learn valuable lessons from the inspiring stories he tells.<\/p>\n He promotes the \u2018home based\u2019 business model, the privileges and the problems associated with it, and he discusses the week-by-week running of his own business. He talks about pitching (which he still has to do) and about business partnerships, he talks about his process and the technology he uses.<\/p>\n His matter-of-fact style helps demystify the business of running a small business, and his self-confidence (which never spills over into arrogance – he\u2019s Canadian, remember) is contagious.<\/p>\n You can find the Resourceful Designer here, eh.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n This British podcast isn\u2019t nearly as niche as its name suggests. As with many of the other podcasts we\u2019re featuring here, the stories this podcasts tells can offer suggestions and inspiration to creatives in any number of disciplines.<\/p>\n Award-winning logo-designer, Ian Padget, interviews a wide range of successful creatives, business-people and entrepreneurs, and they discuss subjects that relate to any creative practice: such as networking, strategy, creating a niche and marketing your business.<\/p>\n This frank episode<\/a> features an interview with entrepreneur, Abi Lemon, about her issues with mental health. Something which many creatives deal with.<\/p>\n Geek out with the LogoGeek podcast here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The brainchild of journalist, Roman Mars, these aren\u2019t podcasts in the usual manner. They don\u2019t feature a monologue or a conversation around a microphone. Instead, these are audio documentaries, layering commentary with interviews and audio recorded on location, mixed with music and sound effects.<\/p>\n These documentaries cover architecture, history and technology, but they focus on \u201call the thought that goes into the things we don\u2019t think about \u2014 the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world\u201d.<\/p>\n Asking how and why things are the way they are, is a core skill for creatives. So, while the subjects might not directly relate to your work, these documentaries are fascinating brain-food.<\/p>\n The 99% Invisible website also offers written articles<\/a> on a similar range of subjects.<\/p>\n With the podcasts – a good starting place might be this episode<\/a> about computer loading icons and progress bars and the nature of waiting. Or this one<\/a> which explains the history of colours.<\/p>\n You can \u2018see\u2019 the 99% Invisible podcast here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Unlike the other podcasts we’ve discussed, this is a limited series – so you’ll have no problem binge-listening to the whole collection.<\/p>\n Elizabeth Gilbert wrote a book called Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear<\/em> and, following on from her exploration of creativity, she gave one of the most celebrated TEDTalks<\/a> – 18 million views and counting – and she also created this series of podcasts.<\/p>\n These interviews are heavy on supporting and inspiring creativity – Gilbert’s interest is in the creative process and the way people overcome creative obstacles. She calls up creative people from all walks of life and encourages them to share their own creative journeys. In her capacity as a successful novelist, she can offer support and advice – and, it has to be said, she’d make an excellent teacher!<\/p>\n As well as offering her own invaluable insights – as a practicing creative, struggling with keeping the creative tap flowing – Gilbert talks to other professional (not just other writers) about the magic of creativity. You’ll find dancers, photographers, comedians, and even the odd million-selling, award-winning novelist.<\/p>\n2: North v South<\/h2>\n
3: Arrest All Mimics: The Creative Innovation Podcast<\/h2>\n
4: Resourceful Designer<\/h2>\n
5: LogoGeek<\/h2>\n
6: 99% Invisible<\/h2>\n
7: Magic Lessons with Elizabeth Gilbert<\/h2>\n