Podcasts have kept me company during lockdown and have provided me with so much entertainment, knowledge and solidarity. I thought a recommends list might come in useful for likeminded creative folx :
Poor Lass Podcast. I didn't realise how much I missed hearing working class voices and experiences until I listened to this. Not being able to hang out with anyone at gigs etc means that the people I'm listening to online were starting to feel very other to me and this is mostly to do with class and also being Northern. Hosted by Em Ledger and Seleena Laverne who both just seem like proper good eggs. The latest episode on Black Lives Matter was particularly brilliant but I've enjoyed having a back cataloge to dive into too. Full of real practical advice about how spaces can feel alien to working class creatives, and chat about crisps. And if this is your cup of tea I'd massively recommend Survivin' and Thrivin' also hosted by Em.
Indie Roller Podcast. I've learnt loads from the interviews with creatives on this podcast. Leona is very honest and so are her guests, and the huge range of stories are really inspiring, giving a good picture of how different the experiences of running a business or being an artist can be. I love that both Leona and her guests talk about how much of a rollercoaster lockdown is, but also running a business more generally, and there's huge value in not feeling along in this. It's also mega useful to have this as a resource for practical tips for a creative in the UK. I'll also chuck in a recommendation here for Holly Tucker's Conversations of Inspiration, which is more corporate but is full of amazing free advice especially in regards to working during lockdown/post-lockdown, and is focussed on women in business.
Made of Human. If you haven't listened to this podcast by Sofie Hagan I'm incredibly jealous of how much listening you've got ahead of you. I feel like I'm a better person for having listened to it and it's no exaggeration to say that the way I think about the world have been forever changed by spending time questioning my predjuces and assumptions.
Growing up with Gal-dem. This podcast from gal-dem magazine is ace. Gal-dem amplify the voices of women and non-binary people of colour, and the platform really highlights how far behind other media outlets are at doing this. Pretty short episodes with guests reading back on diary entries or other pieces of writing from their past, which is such a good way in to talking about ways they've grown/what was going on for them.
Creative Pep Talk - if you haven't listened to this podcast from Andy J Pizza I'd recommend starting by dipping into past episodes with special guests, because these interviews have been the most inspiring to me. Andy has an incredible amount of advice for creatives about using your energy wisely, getting into positive mindsets, planning ahead, and tonnes more. His content during the pandemic has all been so useful too, and it's the first podcast I ever listened to where I came away with pages of notes and a real sense of how I could apply advice to my own practice.
The other stuff I've been listening to is all pretty mainstream but if you're new to podcasts might be worth a listen - All Killa No Filla, Adam Buxton, This American Life.