The creator’s podcast playlist: 8 shows to unlock your creative potential
You know what they say about creativity: if you have too many ideas, write. If you don’t have any ideas, read.
And if you can’t read right now, then, well, listen to podcasts.
People don’t usually say the last thing… But I did.
Podcast inspiration can come in many forms. The world of podcasts is so wide that you can search for any curiosity and find a podcast related to the topic.
But sometimes, podcasts about the nature of creativity can be a powerful driver of your creative habits. But how do you know you’re going to get a quality podcast on creativity?
I’ve gathered together eight motivating podcasts that have fueled my creative fire over the years. From interviews with successful artists and entrepreneurs to tips and tricks on how to overcome creative blocks, these podcasts offer a wealth of inspiration for any creative person.
Creative Pep Talk
Andy J. Pizza is an artist who’s worked with brands like YouTube, Nickelodeon, and LEGO.
With over 380 episodes of the Creative Pep Talk, there’s something for everyone here: writers, illustrators, designers, architects, podcasts, tattooists, you name it!
Whatever creative problem you have, Andy has some words of wisdom (delivered with a firehose of passion) to get you creating with confidence.
Inspiring episodes:
If You Only Listen to One Episode of This Show Make It This One
How to Find Your Story and Unlock New Profound Depths in Your Work
Creative Codex
Creative Codex is a journey into the creative world, with stories of the greatest creative minds.
The podcast doesn’t just dive deep into art history and biographies behind great creators, but also how creativity works - and how you can get the most from it.
The tips are worth exploring if you want something actionable from the podcast. Otherwise, you will get lost in the creative stories of the great minds of all time like Bosch, Carl Jung, Jimi Hendrix and many more.
Inspiring episodes:
The Unmistakable Creative Podcast
Host, writer, and unmistakable creative Srinivas Rao digs deep for wisdom through candid conversations with an array of successful guests in art and business.
Srinivas Rao has interviewed over 1000 people. So whatever creative challenge you have, you’ll be sure to find the key to unlock it within these conversations.
Learn from the experiences of others. You can’t possibly live long enough to learn everything yourself.
Inspiring episodes:
How I Built This
There’s not much more inspirational than to hear the A-Z story of someone who built something remarkable from the ground up.
How I Built This with Guy Raz shares stories from the entrepreneurs who brought the most well-known brands to our lives: from Airbnb to Wikipedia.
Want to learn from the growing pains and successes of those who made it? You won’t get deeper insights than here.
Inspiring episodes:
Hidden Brain
Psychology, stories, history and the hidden side of everything. Hidden Brain will get you to explore new sides of what it is to be human.
Learn about how our mind works, and the patterns that work themselves into our societies and unconscious.
This podcast will add fuel to your critical thinking and creative work.
Inspiring episodes:
Design Matters by Debbie Millman
Debbie Millman is a writer, designer, educator, artist, and brand consultant with a wealth of experience. We’re lucky she can share some of that with us (and has done for over 15 years)!
The show is about how high-performing creatives have designed their lives... and how you can too.
Recommended listens:
Accidental Creative Podcast
Todd Henry dives deep into the processes and stories of creatives who turned their ideas into successes.
The podcast includes bite-sized solo episodes where Todd shares ideas to become a prolific, brilliant, and healthy creative.
Recommended listens:
Idea Shots
Well, I couldn’t resist adding my own podcast here, could I?
Idea Shots is a podcast to take a deep look into the processes, thoughts, and inspiration of top creators and marketers.
How do I get them to open up? By making them take some shots with me.
What follows is laughter, great stories, and systems to build a creative life and market your ideas.
Recommended listens:
A rapper’s view on writing songs, shooting videos, and finding uniqueness
Before starting your marketing business, here's what you need to know
Now take action
Got these podcasts in your queue?
Great.
Use them in combination with a walk or commute to inspire your creative work. But don’t mistake listening to podcasts with actually putting in the time and discipline to deliver on your ideas.
Resolve to take one thing from each episode. Experiment, and see if these methods or mindsets work to make you a more productive creative.
That’s what will ultimately turn you from consumer to creator.
