Tag: podcast

Living a Life on Fire

2 Comments

When you describe something as being ‘on fire’, that can either be really good or really bad. It all depends on the context and the amount of exasperation or sarcasm packed into the sentence.

This is especially true when it comes to life.

I noticed a few weeks ago that I was constantly referring to my life as being “on fire”. What I meant was there are so many things going on all at once that I often feel completely at a loss when it comes to what I should do. The past few months I have felt like I am being pulled in a thousand different directions.

You have experienced that, right? Being torn between who the world tells you that you should be, the person the people around you need you to be, and the person that you want to be? That constant friction between desire in duty? It is a tough place to be.

If you leave your ‘duty’ to follow your dream you face the disappointment and disapproval of those you care about, but if you never allow your dreams to flourish you run the risk of living the rest of your life in regret, wondering what would have happened if you did.

So many people choose to play it safe, sticking with what they know because it is certain. And they spend the rest of their life ignoring that burning desire to do something different, the call to become who they were created to be.

This is something I have been struggling with for a while. The voice in my head tells me that I can never make it on my own, that I need to stick with what I know. Yet the voice in my heart is crying out that I can do this. It may take some time and it will not be glorious at first, but I may just be able to live the life I want.

I don’t want to live my life silently, suppressing that fire inside of me until it eats me alive. I don’t want to be that perfect girl who lives the way the world tells her too.

I want to let that fire loose. I want to live loud. I want to be so unapologetically myself that when people look at me they think “if she did it, maybe I can too.” I know that I was born to create. To craft stories that hold a mirror to the world to show people how things could be. I am done living my life with the thought that I could never make a living doing so. I am going to find my way and I am not going to let anybody stop me.

I know it is not going to be easy, but I am willing to try. This is the kind of ‘on fire’ I want my life to be. I want to live my dream while showing others that they too can live theirs. Too often have I seen other creators struggling with their insecurities, trapped by the thought that they will never be able to live that dream.

The fear that they will never be good enough.

The fear that all of their work is inferior, not worthy of attention.

The crippling pain of knowing their gift will never amount to anything. (which is a lie)

Everyone has a dream. Everyone has a desire to create something to make the world better. And I could geek out about this for HOURS.

That is why I want to create a podcast so I can share my passion and knowledge. I also want to help others share their passion and knowledge.  And I do plan on creating this podcast. I have some work to do to get things ready, but it will be happening sometime this year.

Because I am tired of waiting. I am ready to live my life.

Are you with me?

So You Want to Make a Podcast

Leave a comment
Podcasts as a medium are exploding, and I mean exploding. People all over the world are making a living off of their voices. It’s kind of amazing.
I got into a discussion earlier with some friend on Discord about podcasting and what it takes to make one. There were a lot of us who always wanted to make one, but most people don’t know where to begin. It seems scary, complicated.
It doesn’t have to be, though. I have been thinking about podcasting myself. I want to share my love for storytelling and encourage others. I also want to tell stories. For a while, I didn’t know where to begin. Then I started doing research. I asked questions. I learned a lot.
Here is what I have done and learned so far in my journey to becoming a podcaster.
Hopefully, this will help you on your journey.

Step 1: Pick a subject

This can be the hardest part. Picking what you want to talk about. If you are doing a story focused podcast, then this is a little easier. But if you aren’t, never fear.
What are your interests, your hobbies? What are you passionate about? What is something you could talk about indefinitely and still have more to say?
Whatever popped into your mind when I asked those questions, you can make a podcast about that. I don’t care if you think it is silly, because it isn’t. There is an audience who shares the same interest as you.

Step 2: Start planning

Now that you have a subject, it is time to start planning out content. Start brainstorming a list of topics you can cover. Remember, if it is a bigger topic you can break it up into segments. You can do a series of episodes on a topic. There are so many options.
If you are covering a show, you can go episode by episode. If you are doing a more long-form story, like a movie or a book series, do a series of episodes on it.
You also need to start considering a name. When figuring this out, make sure it doesn’t already exist. That way you don’t get emotionally attached to a name you cannot use. Your name can be funny, clever, or simple as long as it is easy to remember.

Step 3: Get your equipment

Before you start worrying about how much this is going to hurt your wallet, take a deep breath. This doesn’t have to break the bank. Audacity is an excellent resource for recording and editing audio and it is completely free. Some people start a podcast using the voice recorder on their phones. Also free.
Buying a good quality microphone doesn’t have to cost a lot either. I bought mine for probably around $50 on Amazon. It may not be the nicest on the market, but it does an excellent job.

Step 4: Just do it

Don’t overthink it. Just do it. Start drafting. Start recording. Have questions? Ask them. Ask Google. Find other podcasters and ask them.
Teach yourself how to edit audio. Pre-record segments you plan on using a lot. Check out what resources are available online.
Don’t forget the music. A 30-second intro jingle can make a big difference. There are plenty of people out there who make music that you can ask to create one for you. You may have to pay for this, but some of them will be flexible for your budget.
Sometimes you need to get out of your own way, stop being afraid of what could go wrong and just go for it. Who knows, it might be a hit.
I am going to do it. Who is with me?