Podcasting Madness, Redux

Today I was sitting at work listening to podcasts (which is usual for me, as I have a job where I can do that) and assembling bodices for an upcoming production of La Traviata at the San Diego Opera.  I listen to a lot of different podcasts, but my favorites right now are CraftSanity by Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood, CraftyPod by Sister Diane (aka Diane Gilleland), and Craftcast by Alison Lee.  I really enjoy listening to their interviews with crafty-folks and I have learned a lot from their guests.  It helps my day go by faster, and I get more done!  I've listened to them for a couple years now, and they just keep getting more and more interesting!

Craftcast is more oriented toward the jewelry-maker, but many of her episodes feature crafters that do much more than jewelry.  The discussions are less technically-oriented and more inspirationally stirring, and while they sometimes delve into terms that I don't understand it happens very rarely.  Ms. Lee also does online classes with some of her guests, and while I haven't signed up for any of them the descriptions are incredibly interesting!  She's starting to get into video, so we'll see how long it takes before she's doing her show with video!  She always features a new product or two as well as a book and a song on her podcast.  I listen to Craftcast because it touches a lot on artistic inspiration topics, and reminds me what wonderful options are out there to explore!

CraftSanity contains a little more about the personal journey of Ms. Ackerman-Heywood as a crafter/maker but that's far from boring, and her guests are no less intriguing.  She finds a wide variety of guests that speak toward the crafting community in general from a wide variety of fields.  Craftsanity is more about heart, and the "why" behind crafting.  Having just started a crafty business herself making looms, we get to hear how she's progressing and what's happening in her community in Michigan.  She also does a craft segment for her local TV station.   Her podcast is about being "real", and keeping it that way.  It's artistic and grounding.

CraftyPod is about the doing of crafting and business.  It's been chock full of interviews regarding how to best market your business, how to write blogs, and lately about the ethics of crafting.  And lemme tell ya--there's a lot more to crafting and making than project tutorials and how-to's. A quick look at her recent episode topics indicate that her podcast is about how to sort out the tangle of actually doing a craft business and helping it all make sense.  Her guests include successful crafters that tell us how they did it, and other experts that help us do it ourselves.  She also writes for a group blog called Make & Meaning.  In short, Craftypod is about both soul and practicality.

I listen to other podcasts, too, but they aren't specifically "craft-oriented."  One of my favorites lately is Creative Independence.  This is done by two graphic designers that have started their own businesses and are trying to help other creative people start and maintain theirs.  Their personalities are endearing, and it's odd to say but sometimes it's nice to hear a masculine side of things.  They're information is helpful--so much so that I have to listen to it with a notepad next to me to catch everything!  There are indeed "manly/burly" blogs out there, but Creative Independence isn't like that. It's just that there aren't many artistic/crafty podcasts by men that really contain information I can use as a Wearable Art maker.  And while these guys aren't even in my field, their podcast is useful for anyone in a creative business.

To be honest, over time I've learned I'm never gonna find exactly what I'm looking for.  There are Fashion podcasts but they're mostly from magazines or runway shows.  There are Crafting and Sewing podcasts but mostly deal with knitting or quilting.  There are Creativity podcasts but they lean toward interior and graphic design, and the Art podcasts mostly discuss illustration, art communities, creating work and struggling to get your work seen.  Even Threadbanger, my favorite video-podcast, is mostly quick-n-dirty project oriented (fascinating and hypnotic as it is!).

Finding one that speaks specifically to my field isn't going to happen, so I cull a lot of different ones together and come up with results that would undoubtedly beat any singular blog's content anyway!  So I'm happy, regardless!

Do you have any favorite podcasts you want to rave about?  I'm sure I'm missing some!  Lemme know!

Until then, Live Life with Relish!