Since listing our 50 favorite creative and inspiring movies, we have already burned through our own list re-watching them all. As we get closer to the light at the end of the social distancing tunnel, we are feeling the urge to sink back into our “normal” (what is the norm anymore?) habits and prep for days back in the office and ~the real world~
Do you miss witty conversation? Eavesdropping on coworkers? Chatting with people in the supermarket? If you need a little more engaging discussion in your life, try podcasts! Yeah, they’re one-sided, but I want someone else to carry the conversation with pithy remarks and fascinating stories. While you’re busy at whatever you’re up to, put on a podcast and allow another voice to fill your mind for a minute. Or forty-five.
Keep reading for our list of podcasts for creatives. After some crowdsourcing around the studio and social media we compiled a list organized by topic. Quite a few of these podcasts should tickle your fancy!
Career/Finance/Business Podcasts for Creatives
How I Built This (business): Guy Raz of NPR chats with “innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists” about how they got to where they are, and trust me, where they are is pretty impressive. The most recent episodes feature Christina Tosi (founder of the incredibly popular Milk Bar bakery), Cotopaxi founder Davis Smith, Michelin-star chef José Andrés, and more. If you are just curious, looking to start your own thing, or looking to put some pep into a project of yours, take a listen!
Creative Pep Talk (creative): These guys talk about how to build a creative career, and they cover issues such as: tapping into your creativity when it feels dried up, creating a brand that won’t make you want to roll your eyes, Instagram tips, and more. After that, you’ll feel ready to take on whatever challenges working from home throws you way.
The Goop Podcast: How to manage money through a crisis (episode). You know Gwyneth Paltrow – she needs no introduction. Goop’s podcast on personal finance tips is incredibly relevant, especially right now. The full team at Lars listened to this episode a little while ago, so it comes with an additional stamp of approval!
Proof to Product: If you are a creative type in a creative industry trying to figure out how to make the business side more functional and less nightmarish, take tips from Proof to Product! The hosts are small business owners and have first hand experience grappling with the challenges no one tells you about.
Star-studded podcasts to inspire you
Off Camera with Sam Jones: interviews with interesting people, such as, hit-comedian Jenny Slate (you might know her as Mona Lisa in Parks and Rec), pulitzer-prize winner Tracy Letts (writer for Ladybird, Ford vs Ferrari), Broadway-phenom Josh Gad (Olaf of Frozen), Hollywood-hero Jeff Bridges, funny-man Jake Johnson (Nick from New Girl) and more. I don’t feel like I need to sell this one – just looking at the list of interviewees makes me want to tune in!
Awards Chatter: is alllll about Hollywood. Listen to interviews with big big names like Zoey Deutch, Mark Cuban, and Jewel.
UnStyled: by Refinery29 is such a fantastic listen. Fashion-fiends, look no further. Editor-in-Chief and Co-founder Christene Barberich interviews icons like Jane Fonda and Molly Ringwald and Priyanka Chopra about everything from finding a personal style, to feminism in a changing world. Dive in!
Podcasts about creativity
Creative Processing with Joseph Gordon-Leavitt: You know him, you love him. In fact, we love him so much he become one of our embroidered Celebrity Crush pillows last Valentine’s Day. Ha! Yes, I have had a crush on good ol’ Joe since I saw 10 Things I Hate About You decades ago. However, I promise, there is more to this podcast than a fantastically exciting, witty, and hunky host. Joseph gets down to business with the best creative professionals as they discuss everything from creativity, attention, to folk music.
A Beautiful Mess: is my podcasting dream come true. Crafts, design, DIY, style tips, recipes – they’ve got it all! Adorable sisters Emma Chapman and Elsie Larson have some great repartee that makes me miss my sister! Their most recent episode is all about how to #WFH (work from home), which these girls have been doing for years now with huge success.
Clever: Ahhhh. You know how good design makes you feel relaxed, engaged, and elevated all at the same time? Amy and Jaime at Clever talk about design in a way that makes you feel that same way. Both ladies work in design and are pros in their own right. They chat with other industry greats and together, excite all the most curious parts of creative minds! They have even interviewed one of our Lars Print Shop artists – Lisa Congdon! (Episode 108)
The Design Files: is a creative podcast channel from Australia, and they cover everything from textile design to contemporary architecture to reality TV interior design. If you feel intimidated by the Design Big Leagues, The Design Files is a great and comfortable place to join the conversation! You can hear them interview another one of our Print Shop artists – Beci Orpin, in this episode!
More podcasts for right-brained people
Revisionist History: Confession – I love Malcolm Gladwell, NYT best-selling author and all around cool person. In his podcast, Gladwell covers topics you think you know about, like french fries, the Vietnam War, why country music makes you cry, stuff like that. However random the topics, his work is presented in startlingly vivid, honest, and clever tones.
99% Invisible: consider this podcast your virtual newsletter about, well, everything. Their schtick is that most people know next to nothing about everyday things, like the origin of those inflatable flappy guys at car lots, why concrete has a certain smell after rain, homelessness during a pandemic, and more. Their categorization makes finding something you’ll like easy.
Ologies: You might know the host Allie Ward from the Netflix show 100 Humans. She does deep research and interviews real experts, then arranges her findings in a really funny way. On a road trip I listened to her talk about quantum physics for an hour and I actually: 1) stayed awake 2) laughed till I cried, and 3) understood the material. I’m just as shocked as you are. She covers everything from the study (ology) of bread baking to marriage to scat to (you get the idea).
Stuff You Should Know: Hosts Josh and Chuck are a real pair of lads! They break down topics as big as the chaos theory and expand your knowledge of little things too. (They made an episode on zippers that is actually entertaining – who’d have thought? Zippers).
Jen Gotch is OK..Sometimes: in the “about” section on this podcast, Jen says part of her goal here is to help people “feel less alone.” If you’re in need of a new virtual-friend, check her out. Jen is the founder of Ban.do, a brand we love so much! Her book The Upside of Being Down is a prefect read for Mental Health Awareness Month. Above all, from her awesome podcast you can learn about developing emotional intelligence. In addition, you’ll get other good book recommendations, and hear some great business tips, too.
I hope that you have oodles of fun listening – I have! Afterwards, for even more podcast ideas you can find our original post here. In addition, if you love any other podcasts we should add to our list, comment them below!
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