The other physics of podcasting

In addition to waveforms and sound, we have this physics of podcasting – get moving, keep moving and remember all things swerve to rot.

Maybe it is not as easy as that – or maybe it is.

I know for me that I get energy and drive from moving forward. At least when I feel in control. If I take my eye off the ball and foot off the pedal (to mix my metaphors) it produces chaos – and hard work.

A definition of the second law of thermodynamics suggests that as usable energy decreases, chaos (or entropy) increases. Two things in the definition catch my attention – usable energy and chaos. Can we do something about one or both in relation to our podcasting?

Here are some suggestions we could experiment with.

1. Start a new podcast – a new project can bring energy and a willingness to push the boundaries. Inject some usable energy – build the foundations of why, what for and who for.
2. Revisit these foundations for an old podcast and make it ‘new’. Slow momentum feels a lot like inertia.
3. Create a new format for your existing podcast. Decide on the interesting question your podcast is exploring. Identify a theme for each episode – the broken thing it is aiming to fix. Try putting it in a box and sticking to the limits you set. Bring some order to what can become chaos over time. Sometimes spontaneity and free-style do not serve us or our audience well.
4. Look at your artwork. Remind yourself why it works. Or, if it doesn’t anymore, figure out what would. Identify the current trends in colour, style and detail – learn from them and then try to be different. Can you get ahead of the next curve?

The challenge

Get moving to overcome inertia – step beyond talk.

What is that step you need to take?

Keep moving to maintain momentum – that promise you made to yourself and your audience – how can you be better at living up to it?

That change you could make to keep you both interested and passionate about your podcast – do it!

Keep doing it. Stay curious. Love learning. Don’t settle. Keep the momentum.

Something to see

Emergency measures when you have to record away from home. Watch Mike DelGaudio of Both Junkie fame create a booth for a voice-over audition in about 10 minutes.

Something to hear

We have all heard and probably experienced imposter syndrome. Jay Acunzo, in one of his One-Shot episodes from Unthinkable with Jay Acunzo, explores the topic and gives some fresh and practical advice for stepping past, through or over this irritation. “So the best way to defeat imposter syndrome is to create, to get to the next rep, to show up again and again, to keep foraging.”

Something to read

Practical thoughts about being in contact with guests ahead of an interview by
Aparita Bhandari of Pacific Content

And finally

“If you’re taking action, then you’re not a fraud.”

“If you create, then you’re a creator – just as worthy of doing this work as anybody.”

Jay Acunzo