I listen to podcasts all the time. Not only are they a great way to learn something new during “dead time”, ie, making good use of the time when you can do nothing else (eg: while cooking, working out, driving, etc.), there’s something about the spoken word format that’s unique to the medium. Being able to hear someone talk about something, complete with their tones and inflections and emotions, can be quite powerful, and has a different impact compared to reading something. Both media have their place.

There are lots of podcasts out there. In this post, I’m listing a few that I think do a great job of introducing you to new ideas, especially if you’re the artsy creative type. All of these podcasts are interview style podcasts, exposing you to ideas from a wide range of people. Note – there are lots of other great podcasts around news, events, society, etc. Those are great too but they serve a different purpose. The ones below are a bit more free flowing and great for getting new ideas (note – none of these podcasts have paid me to write about them!)

Art Juice: I stumbled upon this podcast when searching for something on iTunes. And I’m glad that I did. The podcast is hosted by two British ladies, both painters, where they discuss their journey as artists as well as talk about a variety of topics that could be relevant to artists. How do you deal with the fear of sharing your art? Should you try and sell your art? What should you do when you feel a sense of creative block? What inspiring stuff have they come across that week? I enjoy their meandering discussions – it feels very honest, although it can definitely be truly meandering at times 🙂 Perhaps that makes me like this podcast even more!

The Tim Ferriss show: I’ve been listening to The Tim Ferriss show for quite a few years now. Tim interviews people from a variety of fields – Technology, Business, Art, Investing, Sports, etc. He invites people who are world class at what they do, and really digs into what helps them do what they do so well. There are plenty of nuggets you can pick up from his interviews – from what books people are reading, to what habits have served them well, to what new thing has caught their attention. I always learn something new when I listen to this podcast.

The Side Hustle show: This is a new find, but so far it’s been pretty interesting. This podcast is focused on talking to people who are engaging in some form of side hustle or another – blogging, kickstarter, small businesses, etc., and trying to understand the nitty-gritties of how they are doing it. There are again lots of little ideas that you can pick up as you listen to this show – what platform to use for your blog, how people have built up a mailing list, what kind of niche ideas are people working on. You never know what new thing you might hear about that sparks ideas for you also.

The Art of Manliness: This is a strange one. I found this podcast when searching for “Art”, and the title of the podcast wasn’t quite intuitive for me 🙂 Yet, quite a few of their episodes seem to be well produced and focused on topics that are wide ranging, and about how you can become a better version of yourself – from how you can better at talking to strangers, to how exercise is critical for both physical and mental health, to becoming better at setting priorities and decision making.

Exponent: This one is only for hard-core techies or tech enthusiasts. The hosts do a deep and engaging analysis on the latest in the Tech industry – from the rise of platforms that help creators, to what to make of the impact of social media, to how certain acquisitions might make sense in Tech. This is a great listen for anyone interested in Tech.

[Bonus] The Knowledge Project: I’m not a regular listener of this podcast, but the host Shane Parrish has a wonderful blog (Farnam Street) and associated podcast, where again he interviews people from various fields on a variety of topics – from reading, to managing, to decision making, to optimizing for long term happiness.

[Bonus] On Being: This one is a great listen on slow days, when you’re feeling a bit more introspective and philosophical. The host, Krista Tippett, has long conversations with guests on life, meaning, art, healing, science, etc. They publish both the unedited and edited versions of the discussions, and I always prefer the unedited ones!