Ten Creative Podcasts to Inspire You in The New Year
Podcasts have exploded over the past few years. Now, the once-niche audio format has become mainstream. You can find everything from enthralling true stories to fantastical fiction to hilarious comedy. With such a wide range of topics, there is truly something for everyone—especially if you’re in a field like photography, art, and design. We’ve selected some of the best creative podcasts to educate and inspire you.
Many of the podcasts on this list are in an interview format. The benefit of this is two-fold; first, you get to hear advice from some of the top creatives in their field; and second, it’s a nice reminder that these industry giants are human. They’ve gone through their fair share of struggles and feelings of doubt. But instead of letting these negative feelings overcome them, they rose to the challenge to create a spectacular career. Regardless if the interviewee is a writer, entertainer, or woodworker, you can find something that applies to you. After all, you never know where your next great piece of wisdom will come from—maybe it will be one of these podcasts.
Looking for inspiration? Check out some of the best creative podcasts to get your creative juices flowing!
Ted Radio Hour: Based on the wildly successful Ted Talks, the Ted Radio Hour features “fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, and new ways to think and create.” One of the most recent shows is about success and how we can define it beyond wealth and status.
How I Built This: Guy Raz speaks to innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists about the “movements they built.” The interviews reflect positive as well as negative moments, from triumphs to failures. If you’re interested in the ins-and-outs of starting and growing a business, this is the podcast for you.
The Moment: Hosted by Brian Koppelman, this Slate-produced podcast talks to famous folks about the defining moments of their creative careers.
Art For Your Ear: Danielle Krysa of the contemporary art blog Jealous Curator started Art For Your Ear in 2015. “When I studied art history in university,” she explains, “my favorite part was, well, basically the gossip. I loved hearing why artists did certain things.” Over 100 episodes later, she’s heard touching and hilarious stories from My Modern Met favorites like Zemer Peled and Rebecca Louise Law.
Creative Pep Talk: Designer and illustrator Andy J. Miller wants to help creative entrepreneurs make a good living while producing work they’re proud of. Through artist interviews and his own stories, Miller shows how you can strike a balance between art and business to achieve success in your career.
Clever: Clever is hosted by Jaime Derringer, the Founder and Executive Director of Design Milk, and Amy Devers, a designer and Emmy-winning television personality. Together, they have conversations with designers who are responsible for the “objects and environments that shape our lives.”
Design Matters: Design Matters is the world’s first design podcast. Started in 2005 by Debbie Millman, it prides itself on wide-ranging conversations from designers, writers, artists, and other contemporary thinkers.
The Accidental Creative: For over 10 years, The Accidental Creative has helped people push themselves in their professional lives. Part advice and part interview, the podcast topics include fighting perfectionism, dealing with uncertainty, and “strategic slacking.”
99% Invisible: 99% Invisible originally started as a collaborative project between San Francisco-based public radio station KALW and the American Institute of Architects. Focusing on the “unseen and overlooked” elements of design and architecture, each episode is on a single topic. It offers a powerful reminder to not ignore the small things—often, they make a huge impact.
Adventures In Design: Marketing itself as a “daily talk show,” host Mark Brickey speaks with creatives about how they design happiness into their professional lives. In addition to the podcast, Adventures In Design hosts workshops that will help your business grow.