Dear Reader,

A whirlwind week! That is how I would describe this past week. Between grading, teaching, coaching, writing, and podcasting, I’ve been running in a large circle.

In case you missed it, I started my podcast as part of National Podcast Post Month. It’s similar to National Novel Writing Month except it’s with, you know, podcasts.

Going into the month, I knew I wouldn’t be posting everyday. That wasn’t going to happen. My schedule doesn’t work that way, as you well know.

So I decided to post twice a week for the month and then see what to do for the rest of the year.

That little lesson is one of many that I’ve learned so far. Yes, even this late in my creative game there are so many lessons and I find that exhilarating.

So, in the spirit of sharing, here are some lessons learned.

Don’t wait for perfection, just start

This is a re-learned lesson. I had started planning this podcast in the summer. I thought it’d be out just as the summer ended. However, I was in the middle of a manuscript and I knew better than to start a project before I was done with another. And yet that’s what I did.

Just an aside, I’m still working on the manuscript but it’s nearer to completion.

It wasn’t until last week that I uploaded the first episode. I wasn’t ready to go. There are still people I wanted to pitch to that I hadn’t done yet but here’s where I am with things like this…

I can plan everything or I can just do it and fix along the way.

So I decided that was the best for me and it was the complete right decision.

I REALLY LIKE doing it all myself

Okay, so I guess I’m a control freak. Sue me.

I like thinking of the concept, writing the script, recording, editing, uploading, and distributing the podcast. I mean I LOVE IT! It’s a lot of work but I enjoy it.

There’s something about not having anyone or any gatekeepers and being responsible for your own work that makes me happy.

After 12 years of being a reporter and being told what to do, it’s nice to be able to do my own thing and rely of my storytelling and interviewing skills.

I am so really lucky as I have an amazing friend who I can go to for technical questions. I know that I’ll be taught how to fix an issue. That way, I’ll have that knowledge forever.

This reminds me of Joanna Penn and her Creative Penn podcast. She writes and distributes her own podcast, books, and content. As you know, I’ve played with the idea of self-publishing and I haven’t done it (for several reasons). But podcasting has helped me understand what Joanna has been talking about this entire time — freedom, intellectual property, etc.

Using all your skills is fun…usually

Okay, let’s get this straight. I know how to do a lot of things. Like a lot. It’s a weird thing.

And with podcasting, I’ve had to use so many of them. So far I’ve used:

• Writing
• Voice performance
• Audio editing
• Presentation skills
• Social media
• Marketing (I need to learn more about this)
• Interviewing
• Storytelling
• Research
• Pitching
• Every inch of critical thinking

And these are just the ones I’m remembering for this blog post. I’m sure there are more that I’m missing. Yes, a lot of skills to put together an episode.

Tell stories. Always.

Bottom line, creating an episode of a podcast is about storytelling and I am a storyteller. I aim to be a master storyteller.

I want to tell stories across several mediums. From the written word to the spoken word to visual, I have something to say and I want to say it all.

I want to tell stories across several mediums. From the written word to the spoken word to visual, I have something to say and I want to say it all.

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I think this is what I most like about this entire process. Storytelling, I am in love.

Alright! I’m getting ready to start my weekend and plan Monday’s episode! Keep listening!

Finding her groove,

~Icess