We all know that person who is always embarking on new adventures and taking risks. It seems like they were born with an innate sense of courage – but the truth is, everyone has the potential for courage. Doubt is part of the podcasting process. Today I'm back from the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop with some insights to help you get started and keep going.
I also made some mistakes that I will share and some insights on some tools and strategies.
Doubt is Part of the Process: Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop
The Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop is one of my favorite places to speak. It is so well organized and “Erma Nation” is one of the most supportive groups I've ever mingled with. They pull in amazing speakers, everything you need is within walking distance, and they feed you. I so hope I get to come back again.
At the Keynote of Katrina Little she had four things she had four tips for content creators:
Put Yourself First
Mark your appointment with yourself and keep the appointment. We don't create because we want to, we create because we have to. Creating content is part of what makes us who we are.
We Have to change “The Story” about Time
So many times we say we are “too busy” but who is in charge of your schedule?
Doubt is Part of the Process.
Remember that doubt is part of the process. Nearly every single creator you will ever meet has doubt and hears those voices in their heads that tell those toxic self-sabotaging stories. Anyone who doesn't have those voices are kind of an asshole, and nobody likes them.
Robert Hughes says, “the greater the artists, the greater the doubt, perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.”
You do not have to try to permanently banish that critical voice in your head or those stories you tell. That's kind of a wasted effort, it will be a losing battle. That voice is always going to be there. You have to learn how to hear that voice to kind of live with it but do not take direction from that voice.
Call it What It Is: FEAR
So that inner critic or the voice, whatever you want to call it. It's really just fear. The voice is trying to protect us from rejection if our content sucks, from failure, from criticism, or any of those things.
In the book from Elizabeth Gilbert Big Magic , she describes fear as this really annoying, but familiar friend who always wants to go on the road trip with you. And you can't say no. It has to come.
You're trying to take a trip with creativity, and fear wants to crash and ride along. And so she says you have to give fear a seat. But you have to tell fear you always have a seat, but you're not allowed to touch the roadmaps. You are not allowed to suggest detours, you're not allowed to fiddle with a temperature. Dude, you're not even allowed to touch the radio. But above all else, my dear old familiar friend (Fear), you are absolutely forbidden to drive. When you let fear drive you, fear will lead you to those self-sabotaging stories.
Treat Yourself Kindly – Don't Beat Yourself Up
When we prove we are not perfect, don't beat yourself up and shower in shame. Shame and guilt will only lead to more negative talk. Forgive yourself, and inspect why something didn't work like you are a scientist in a lab.
Tools and Strategies
While I spoke twice at the event, I also got to attend a few workshops. In a workshop on TikTok,
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Are You a “Have Podcasted?”
In the book, Someday Is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel Your Creative Life
author Mathew Dicks has someone “pick his brain” about the publishing industry. They feel they need the perfect spot, perfect music, and perfect coffee to be able to create. Creating good content is not easy. It takes a lot of time and patience. Consequently, when faced with the reality of creating content many people are fond of what they imagine is the life of a creator-to-be. In the example of an author, this might be midmorning visits to the coffee shop to splash a few hundred words on the page before enjoying a late lunch with friends. That author is not prepared to do the actual work required to produce something worthy of people’s time and money, nor are they passionate enough to engage in the craft in those less-than-ideal moments.
Creators Can't Help But Create.
At the workshop W. Bruce Cameron explained how his first 8 books were not published, and yet he still wrote books – he is a writer – that is what they do. In his ninth book, he decided to write “for himself instead of the market” and it was a hit ( 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter). He has gone on to write a boatload of books about Dogs and has had a Dog's Journey turned into a movie (and much more..).
Lots of “Old” People Started “Late” and Have Done Marvelous Things
- Vera Wang famous designer did not even begin designing clothes professionally until the age of 39? Before that age, Wang was a fashion journalist.
- Colonel Sanders (KFC) ddn't start selling chicken until he was 40-year-old.
- Bob Ross started his hit TV program ‘The Joy of Painting’ when he was 41 years old.
- Rodney Dangerfield was 46 when he took his second stab at being a comedian.
- Stan Lee didn’t catch his first break with his comic books until he was 40
- Donald Fisher was 40 when he opened the first Gap store in San Francisco in 1969 with his wife Doris.
- Mark Twain (original name Samuel Clemens), the American literature legend, published ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ when he was 41 years old.
- John Warnock founded Adobe when he was 42 years old. And at 50, Warnock came up with the ubiquitous Portable Document Format, or PDF
- Sam Walton founded the first Wal-Mart in Rogers, Arkansas, in 1962 at age 44.
- J. R. R. Tolkien didn’t publish his first novel, The Hobbit, until he was 45 years old. He completed The Lord of the Rings when he was 56.
- Suzanne Collins was 46 years old in 2008 when the first of the trilogy, Hunger Games, hit the shelves
- Julia Child published her first cookbook at 50 years old.
- Jack Cover invented the Taser stun gun in 1970 when he was 50 years old.
- Leo Goodwin, 50 years of age, decided to start his own insurance business GEICO with lower premiums.
- Bram Stoker wrote his most successful novel, Dracula, when he was 50 years old.
- Charles Darwin was 50 in 1859 when his “On the Origin of Species”
- Ray Kroc did start McDonald’s until he was 52
- John Pemberton was a pharmacist until he was 55 years old. He came up with the famous recipe for Coca-Cola in 1886
- Novelist Toni Morrison the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature She was 62.
- Laura Ingalls Wilder published the first in the “Little House” books at age 65 in 1932.
- Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses, began her prolific painting career at 78. In 2006, one of her paintings sold for $1.2 million.
When I first launched the School of Podcasting I thought the majority of my students would be entrepreneurs in their 30s who wanted to promote their businesses (and I do have some of them), but I was surprised by how many “Boomers” who found themselves with an empty nest, lots of life's experiences to share, and the goal to earn some additional income.
Question of the Month
This month the question is from Patrick from the Big Seance www.bigseance.com and he wants to know:
What standard or tradition in podcasting do you tend to ignore and why do you do it differently?
Don't forget to say the name of your show and website, and a little bit about your show.
I need your answer by 10/28/22
Leave Your Answer at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/question
Because of My Podcast – I'm Going to Dubai
Harry Durran of Podcast Junkies was on episode 767 talking about his hyper-niche Vertical Farming Podcast, and Because of that Podcast, her is going to Dubai. How cool is that? Learn more about that show at schoolofpodcasting.com/767
Where Will I Be?
I look forward to seeing you all, please come up and say hi. To see my full itinerary, go to schoolofpodcasting.com/where
Mentioned In This Episode
Zoom Podtrak Recorder/Interface
Substack Email List Tool
Leighann Lord (Very Funny Lady)
Erma Bombeck on Amazon (aff)
Elizabeth Gilbert Big Magic book (aff)
Someday Is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel Your Creative Life and Storyworthy by Matthew Dicks
Time Table
00-00:55 Opening
56:00 Introduction
01:43:00 Because of My Podcast
03:50 Age is a Number
11:13 Join the School of Podcasting
12:36 Follow the Show
12:55 I'll start podcasting as soon as ….
16:18 Not Everyone Will “Get you”
18:00 Creepy Dudes ENOUGH!
19:42 Book Titles
20:15 Make the Podcast You Want to Hear
20:55 Someday is Today Snippet
24:45 Creators Create
25:54 Start where you are…
26:40 What is the worst thing that could happen?
27:06 What is Stopping You?
28:38 Getting Unstuck with Katrina Kittle
35:50 Notes on My Presentation
39:48 Tools and Strategies from The Event
46:13 Question of the Month
47:42 Where will I be?
48:25 Three Magic Words
50:12 Join the School of Podcasting
51:08 Bloopers
This podcast is value-for-value enabled which means you can send boosts and boostagrams using a new modern app. You can also Buy Me a Coffee (or 5…). This podcast took 9 hours to research, record, edit, document, and publish.
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