If you happen to feel the need for a little extra motivation, or perhaps some “virtual” company while on the road or working on your creative project, then check out these great creative podcasts that are sure to inspire you.
Your Creative Push
Your Creative Push was created by Youngman Brown, otherwise known as Mike Young. In 2015 Mike was passionate about writing, but was demoralized that he could not find the time to devote to his creative genius. He thus began to look to podcasts for inspiration. Unable to find a podcast that would help him overcome the creative block that gripped him, he decided to create his own. Your Creative Push includes interviews with creatives working in different fields at various stages of their activity. Each creative tells their story explaining what has worked in their career. Although they come from different fields, it is easy to identify with most of them. However, if you are specifically looking for inspiration in your creative niche, Youngman has just the thing for you.
Art for All
Art for All is a podcast focused on creating art and making art accessible to anyone. Even if you currently feel you have no artistic talent, this podcast may convince you otherwise. Episodes often feature only Danny Gregory talking about a topic, for example, “The Fear of Drawing.” Danny has one of those extraordinary movie voices that can tell a great story. He also encourages you to create something as you listen to an episode. Danny Gregory has written and illustrated numerous best sellers on art and creativity and is the co-founder of Sketchbook Skool, , so he certainly knows what he’s talking about.
3 Point Perspective
If you have heard of the wildly popular Inktober art/illustration challenge, then you will already know one of the presenters of 3 Point Perspective, Jake Parker. Together with Will Terry and Lee White, the three professional illustrators tackle the topic of illustration. Whether you already work as an illustrator or aspire to be one, this podcast is for you. Topics range from ways to improve your illustration style to comics, from the life of an illustrator to the business side of the profession. One of the funniest episodes I listened to dealt with some of the mistakes presenters have made over the years. If you feel like learning something while also having a laugh, then listen: Episodio 04: Our Most Embarrassing Stories in Illustration.
The Deeply Graphic Design Cast
I remember when this podcast was first published several years ago. It answered a real need for a podcast created by graphic designers for designers. If you want to keep up to date with what’s happening in the design world and also get advice about the profession, then this is the podcast for you. If you work from home as a freelance designer, you can open this podcast and feel like you are in a small office together with other designers talking about your favorite topics. In addition to the three co-hosts talking about different topics, guests working in the design field who can help you promote your business or expertise are also interviewed. To give you an example of some of the topics covered, we find “5 Ways to Increase Your Design Rates” and “Ideas for Generating Passive Income and Tips for Designers.”
The Accidental Creative
Todd Henry, the host of Accidental Creative, talks about topics related to those habits that help you keep your creativity alive. Some of the episodes I identify with most are the ones where he talks about how we can’t expect to be productive if we don’t also nurture our creativity. If you have sometimes felt exhausted or had a creative block, you will definitely understand this. Todd also interviews creatives who can help us manage time, create creative habits, and stay inspired. This is a podcast to listen to when you need a dose of motivation. Todd Henry has also written a series of books on the topic of creativity.
Pencil Kings
Although Pencil Kings is primarily an art-focused podcast, some of the topics may also be of interest to illustrators and designers. The most recent episodes deal with artists who have decided to get serious about creating art. Earlier episodes offer advice on a variety of topics, such as how to become a comic book artist, how to become a designer, or how to become an illustrator. They also deal with the business side of art and design.
Although Pencil Kings is primarily an art-focused podcast, some of the topics may also be of interest to illustrators and designers. The most recent episodes deal with artists who have decided to get serious about creating art. Earlier episodes offer advice on a variety of topics, such as how to become a comic book artist, how to become a designer, or how to become an illustrator. They also deal with the business side of art and design.
Design Matters with Debbie Millman
This is undoubtedly one of the longest-running podcasts for designers and creatives in history. Presented by designer Debbie Millman, it has been in existence for an impressive 14 years. The show features interviews with a wide range of creatives from a variety of fields, including designers, artists, illustrators, photographers, and writers. As you would expect from a presenter who has hosted a podcast for so many years, the interviews are clear and well structured. One of my favorite episodes is with Jessica Walsh e Timothy Goodman, two designers working on some crazy projects. The project covered in this episode is called 40 Days of Dating, also existing in book form and likely to be a movie in the future.
Side Hustle Show
While this may not fit the standard definition of a creative podcast, I assure you that it does. As creatives, we are very multifaceted people. For example, a designer may learn to create videos and write regularly as part of promoting their blog. The Side Hustle Show hosted by Nick Loper can offer you many ideas on how to turn these skills into extra income. Each week Nick interviews a person who has done it: some of the interviewees may have intentionally started to generate extra income, others may have started a blog on topics they care about, which then became a part-time or full-time source of income. Nick also interviews marketing experts who can help you develop your business.
NPR TED Radio Hour
You’ve probably heard of TED Talks before, but if you’re not familiar with them yet, they are short talks by people from around the world. Speakers come from diverse fields, including technology, entertainment and design (Technology, Entertainment and Design, which is also an acronym for TED). The TED Radio Hour encapsulates clips of these talks into an audio podcast focused on a theme. For example, one episode is based on the theme of joy. Here a speaker talks about how we can design more joyful spaces around us, while an inventor creates fun but unhelpful robots. A great source of inspiration, the program also allows you to see which TED Talk you might want to listen to in full.
The Creative Penn
Joanna Penn’s The Creative Penn is a podcast devoted to entrepreneurship and creative writing. Let’s face it, we all need to write in one way or another, whether it’s a blog to promote our business or simple social media posts. Even if you are not passionate about writing, many of the topics appeal to creatives from other fields. Joanna Penn, the podcast host, is someone who really knows her stuff: since leaving her job in information technology that made her unhappy, she has changed her life to become a highly successful creative entrepreneur. She has also adopted the self-publishing model from the beginning and has a lot of advice to offer in this area. Joanna has written essays and fiction, although she did not initially believe she could give birth to such creative ideas.
Chase Jarvis Live Show
Chase Jarvis is a photographer and founder of the online creative teaching site Creative Live. On his podcast he interviews high-profile artists, celebrities, and creative entrepreneurs. It is a professional and brilliant program with some great speakers who are there to inspire you and change your mindset for the better. Here you will find many useful tips from the guests if you need them. In addition to the audio version, the podcast is also available in video format on Youtube, shot very professionally in black and white just as you would expect from a photographer.
Creative Pep Talk
Creative Pep Talk aims to offer advice and motivation to help you pursue a thriving creative career. The podcast is hosted by Andy J Miller (Andy J Pizza), originally trained as a graphic designer but currently an illustrator, podcaster and speaker. He has also produced books and products that he sells online. Andy covers topics pertinent to creatives, including how to find your own style, get noticed, and advertise yourself. In some episodes we find only Andy dispensing advice, and in others there are special guests who are experts in their respective fields. Also not to be missed are the hilarious illustrations in the episodes
So if you have some free time and want a dose of creative inspiration, feel free to listen to one of these podcasts.