First a hat tip to Austin Kleon. His most-recent post, Do you have a nemesis? included a mind map, which is the most-recent of the countless times I’ve encountered mind mapping. I’m a fan of Kleon for many reasons, not least of which is that he, like me, flouts the usual guidelines for the capitalization of one’s titles.
I’ve tried mind mapping a few times. (What’s that? Did I overdo it with software and processes? …yes, of course!) Today, I was feeling unmotivated to write for Open + Curious. I thought, “Just start. JUST START!” But I simply didn’t want to face the blank screen of the digital document.
Instead, I opened my idea garden wherein I capture interesting nuggets to be seeds for future writing. In my garden, I rarely (I first wrote “never,” but I don’t want to jinx myself) have trouble finding a nugget to write about. I grabbed my favorite pen, and flipped to a blank sheet in the little binder I keep. So much action! I felt like I was already writing. /s
On that mind map I wrote the “something new” at the center. It’s not a meaningless bit of meta; it’s the central idea from a captured nugget. At this point, staring at the paper with my pen in hand felt great, versus facing a digital document which always feels too structured for me to think in. (ref. Sönke Ahrens.) In just a few minutes of thinking and scribbling I had all those bubbles. Then I had a title. …then a route. …an outline. And from there the writing felt doable.
Of late there’s been a marked reduction in the ‘ol mental chatter. I don’t know from where the chatter originates. Sometimes I notice there is chatter; sometimes I notice there is not. When there is chatter, I find it’s usually impossible to stop it in the moment, or even with hours of concerted effort.
If you’re ever able to step back from your own mental chatter, and listen to it with some critical distance, perhaps after a long meditation, or in one of those tired but insightful moments near the end of the day, you might find it indeed exhibits many of the characteristics of an extremely boring and self-absorbed person. It’s not that you yourself are this way — surely you don’t say everything that comes to mind. But the mind does.
The only thing that works for me, to keep the chatter at bay, is to bite off far less than I think I can chew. Then spit half of it out the moment I realize I didn’t actually want it in the first place. My chatter is [I think?] always about something (or some things) specific. The only way to stop the chatter is to realize the thing is not worth doing, or to just do it. With finite time and energy there’s a limit to the “just do it” solution. In recent months I’ve been spending huge amounts of time talking myself into realizing many things are not worth doing. This too is a Sisyphean task, but I think it’s been working— at least if I judge by my perception of recent chatter.
There are particular features of programming which suck me in. Edge cases and error handling and making it as functional as possible… I can become engrossed for hours. Not one thought beyond the task at hand. Not one sound heard. Not one visual noticed beyond the edges of the screen. If it’s imperfect, it’s not done. It’s not useful until it’s done. The real world is fuzzy, programming and computers are not, and thus all the remainders stay in my head. None of that is good.
Programming, like architecture, is both art and science. Code must run, as buildings must stand, without crumbling. Alexander wrote about things which make us feel more whole in their presence, like the peach growing against the wall. In San Jose, he referred to that quality as “living structure.”
But sometimes I can build something for my own use which elegantly solves a problem. (Imagine here an Ionic column, for example.) But most of the time, software is just the machinations “behind” the screen. Alexander was (in my opinion) asking us to aim a little high.
How do creative professionals refine their craft and maintain energy and perspective while balancing preparation, performance, and feedback in their work?
Explore the need for creative breaks and stepping away from a project, as Karen Morgan and Craig Constantine discuss the value of gaining fresh perspectives and reevaluating their work. They explore the world of stand-up comedy and beyond. Encouraging others to take the plunge, they emphasize the significance of initiating creative projects and letting go of technical worries.
In their engaging conversation, Karen and Craig explore various aspects of the stand-up comedy world. Touching on performance styles, Karen discusses her personal approach, revealing her preference for leaving the microphone in the stand. By doing so, she frees up her hands to incorporate gestures and act out certain elements of her stories, adding a visual component to her comedic performance.
You just have to talk into the microphone. You know, the rest of it is logistics and technology which you can figure out, but the part about talking in the microphone or interviewing people, you just gotta do it and then the technology kind of goes away.
~ Karen Morgan ~21’40”
They also discuss some of the challenges faced by new comics. Karen reflects on her own beginnings in stand-up comedy, recounting her participation in a comedy workshop twenty years ago. She fondly recalls how the instructor immediately pushed the students to stand up and talk into the microphone on the first night, instilling a sense of courage and determination. Drawing parallels to her own podcasting journey, Karen highlights the initial intimidation she felt towards the equipment and technical aspects. However, she emphasizes that ultimately, the most important part is simply talking into the microphone or conducting interviews, and the rest can be figured out along the way.
At some point, you need to take a little break, go for a walk, get some fresh air, then come back and you’ll see it differently or you’ll hear it differently. Sometimes after a show, I won’t listen to my stuff until the next day because I need a break from it. Like, ‘Oh, I can’t physically listen to this with a studious mind. Clearly, right now I’m too tired.’
~ Karen Morgan, ~23’15”
The conversation gets into the importance of taking breaks and gaining fresh perspectives. Karen draws parallels between her experiences in graphic design and comedy writing, explaining how stepping away from a creative project can bring new clarity. She emphasizes the importance of physically removing oneself from the work environment, taking a walk, or engaging in other activities before returning with a fresh mindset.
Craig adds to this notion by sharing his tendency to postpone listening to his recordings, recognizing that exhaustion can hinder the ability to evaluate and appreciate one’s own work objectively. This discussion highlights the importance of self-care and allowing oneself time and space to recharge, ensuring a more effective and insightful creative process.
Take-aways
Individuality in performance — The conversation highlights the diverse approaches that comedians take when performing stand-up comedy. This reminds us that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to comedy (or podcasting!), and performers have the freedom to develop their unique styles and methods to engage the audience.
The importance of mentorship — Karen mentions how she mentors a new comic who is just starting out in stand-up comedy. This emphasizes the value of mentorship and guidance in the comedy industry. Having an experienced comedian to offer advice, share insights, and provide support can be incredibly beneficial for newcomers, helping them navigate the challenges and refine their craft.
Taking breaks for a fresh perspective — Both Karen and Craig discuss the need to step away from their creative projects at times. They mention the importance of taking breaks, going for walks, or engaging in other activities to gain a fresh perspective and avoid getting too immersed in the details. This highlights the creative process and the significance of giving oneself space and time to recharge, allowing for new ideas and perspectives to emerge.
What is the impact of physical injuries and personal loss on an individual’s identity, community engagement, and resilience, particularly within the context of parkour and movement practice?
Join Eric Rubin and Craig Constantine as they reflect on the role of uncertainty in recovery and the need to accept and adapt to life-altering injuries, offering a glimpse into the emotional struggle of finding a new sense of self and purpose amidst uncertainty.
Parkour, and being part of the parkour community… was one of the few times where I felt this solace from the grief and a connection to people.
~ Eric Rubin, ~20’10”
Eric shares his personal journey of how parkour has played a significant role in his life, teaching him valuable lessons in persistence, adaptation, and creativity. He recounts how parkour became a source of solace and connection during a challenging time marked by the loss of his brother to suicide and a debilitating Achilles tendon injury.
The conversation dives into the emotional impact of personal loss and how it can affect one’s physical and mental well-being. Eric and Craig discuss the potential connections between emotional upheaval, such as grief, and the tendency to push oneself too hard in an effort to overcome challenges.
Finally, Eric expresses his struggle with uncertainty regarding his nerve injury and its long-term effects on his physical abilities. He shares his journey of acceptance, resilience, and finding ways to be a fulfilled individual regardless of the outcome, while still striving to give his best.
Throughout the conversation, the power of shared experiences, seeking inspiration from others who have faced similar challenges, and the importance of emotional support are emphasized. The transformative impact of parkour and the resilience it instills in individuals are central themes that emerge from Eric’s story.
Takeaways
The transformative power of parkour — Parkour is portrayed as a practice that instills perseverance, adaptability, and creativity, offering valuable life lessons beyond physical skills.
The interconnectedness of emotional and physical challenges — Eric’s experience with grief and his subsequent injury raises intriguing questions about the relationship between mental state, motivation, and the ability to overcome physical obstacles.
Embracing uncertainty and seeking new possibilities — Eric’s acceptance of uncertainty regarding his recovery emphasizes the importance of resilience and finding alternative paths to fulfillment, even in the face of unforeseen challenges.
Back at the start of January I mentioned, “Indeed. If it is to my advantage tomorrow, it is much more so today.” My touch phrase, “choose today” for 2023 continues to be a poignant reminder. I’ve now written it at the bottom of every journal entry this year, it often comes to mind in moments when I most need it, and it always reminds me of this:
Stick to what’s in front of you—idea, action, utterance. This is what you deserve. You could be good today. But instead you choose tomorrow.
“If it is to my advantage tomorrow, it is much more so today.” is a direct quote of Epictetus. Aurelius was born shortly after Epictetus’s death. But Aurelius makes a point of thanking one of his teachers, Rusticus saying in part, “[…] And for introducing me to Epictetus’s lectures–and loaning me his own copy.”
Which leads me to the first thing “choose today” reminds me of each day: Knowledge, and in particular wisdom, are gained through others by seeking out those who have something you wish to learn. These people which I’m mentioning lived thousands of years ago. Others (in other traditions from other regions of the world in other centuries) have separately discovered these same ideas, which makes it clear to me that these ideas are worth considering.
The second thing “choose today” reminds me of is to be forward-looking. Certainly I want to observe and consider my past (and the past of others!) but I should be looking towards the future. If something feels urgent, then where exactly is that sense of urgency coming from, and is the urgency real? If something feels important— same questions. If something feels _insert_whatever_here_— same questions. And then, what can I choose today?
What are the challenges and approaches to developing oneself as an effective and compassionate Parkour coach?
Insights into balancing personal growth and teaching are shared by an experienced Parkour coach.
I like to say that not all athletes are good coaches, and not all good coaches are good athletes. And one of the things you run into, and this is also a huge part of what my talk was about is the ego. And these high skilled athletes oftentimes can run into this perspective of working with people who maybe aren’t as like, super interested in learning Parkour… If you’re trying to help people, and if you’re trying to help people grow, which is kind of the role that a coach plays, then you really got to step aside from that ego.
~ Niko Pal (2:16)
The conversation centers on the experiences and philosophies of an experienced Parkour coach. It explores the significance of self-awareness, ego, and intention in coaching, emphasizing that coaches must align their methods with their students’ goals rather than imposing their own perspectives. Niko discusses the theoretical aspects of coaching, particularly the importance of understanding why one coaches and what outcomes are desired for students. The pitfalls of ego in coaching are highlighted, particularly among high-skilled athletes transitioning to coaching.
Challenges like burnout, injury, and the loss of passion due to overcommitment are discussed as common obstacles for coaches. Niko advocates for developing support systems, setting boundaries, and maintaining a balance between coaching and personal training. The value of mentorship is also emphasized, with the speaker reflecting on their own lack of a mentor and their desire to support others in avoiding similar struggles. Ultimately, the conversation underscores the need for coaches to connect authentically with their students and community.
Takeaways
Not all skilled athletes make good coaches — coaching requires distinct skills like compassion and adaptability.
Ego management in coaching — stepping aside from personal pride to meet students where they are.
Burnout prevention — the importance of setting boundaries and maintaining a balance between coaching and personal goals.
Mentorship value — having a mentor can help navigate the challenges of coaching and accelerate growth.
Impact of injury — physical limitations can affect both personal training and coaching effectiveness.
Authentic connection with students — aligning coaching goals with students’ aspirations fosters genuine growth.
Support systems — having peers or mentors helps coaches recover from setbacks like burnout or injury.
Resources
Parkour Visions — Organization focused on Parkour training and coaching.
One reason I write here, is because I think it’s healthy for me to work with the garage door up. My choice of the guideline that herein I write about myself and things I find lying about reminds me to stick with sharing my subjective experience. Long ago I began suppressing my urge to share my opinions, and gosh, that turns out to be liberating.
This is the birth of “epistemic humility” in Western philosophy: the acknowledgment that one’s blind spots and shortcomings are an invitation for ongoing intellectual investigation and growth.
The confetti gun of opinions seems always to be spewing. For a while I was concerned that my expanding humility would create a sort of power vacuum into which even more opinions of others would drift and settle. But, nope. Removing my contribution has made no difference in the fluttering mess. None the less, it’s simply nice not to feel urgency to contribute to the mess.
Is there a term for applying the Socratic method on oneself? Maybe, autosocraticism? Not simply self-examination or self-inquiry, but rather when you find yourself speaking with someone and realize you’ve just deployed the Socratic Method on yourself? Because this happens to me. I’m explaining something I’m thinking about, and I realize I actually don’t understand what I’m thinking about. (This is very close to “rubber duck debugging” where you can sometimes find the source of a problem by explaining it to a rubber duck. Yes, really.)
Also, a pull-quote is a self-quotation; a selection from the thing itself, presented earlier to suggest reading on is worthwhile.
And of course, I also need the past tense verb-form of that noun, just so I can write the sentence I really want to start with:
The other day I autosocratisized myself into realizing I had no freakin’ clue what the difference is between a pull-quote and a blockquote.
All of which confirms the (usually unspoken) truism about humans – we’re often wrong but never in doubt. We’re as sure of the future of our relationships as we are that 2+2=4.
Never say never. I’m often wrong and frequently in doubt.
Also, a pull-quote is a self-quotation; a selection from the thing itself, presented earlier to suggest reading on is worthwhile. Versus a blockquote; something quoted from another source, but which is too large to be just dropped inline wrapped in quotation marks.
I spend large amounts of time just thinking. That’s not so terrible, all things considered since there’s lots of actively anti-useful stuff I could be doing.
People have different personalities, goals, experiences, and levels of chance and serendipity, all of which make universal truths hard to find and difficult to teach. No matter how smart the world becomes, the best answer will always be, “You’ve got to figure it out for yourself.”
A lot of things work like that. Some of the most important topics are the hardest to teach, and real world experience is the only school.
There are certain traps for my mind. One insidious example is when I notice I’ve been doing prolonged thinking. …and then I start thinking about how I was thinking about whatever-it-was. …and might there be some underlying principle or knowledge that I don’t understand? …and maybe I should read more about that? …and maybe I should seek out others who know more about that?
Sometimes, I can manage to shake myself out of that. But usually, I have to simply lean into it for another hour, sometimes even the rest of the day (or week!) “Okay, I’m hung-up on this” and I have to try to go all in. After a real attempt at figuring it out, when I can apprehend just how bonkers-complex it would be, my mind simply let’s go of it.
An eternal question which I find myself frequently pondering: When to stick with something and when to dramatically pivot (or outright quit)? Pondering this problem is not a recent development. I have countless stories going back as far as I can remember—all the way back to little-kid baseball at, perhaps, age 10.
[…] there’s not a lot of readily available answers to the question of what the meaning of life is. The only answer I’ve been able to come up with for myself is this: to ensure that my presence on this earth makes it better than if I hadn’t lived at all. Whether or not I’ll have managed to achieve that is an unknowable calculation. All I can do is try to love this stupid, cruel, wonderful, gorgeous world I’ve been given through an accident of entropy, and hope that I can give it a better than equivalent exchange.
When I find I’m staring into space, pondering the stick-or-pivot question, a two-part test has been getting me moving again: If I keep doing the thing (upon which I’m pondering sticking or pivoting) are my efforts making the world a better place, and does what I’m doing have a clear end-goal?
The perhaps counter-intuitive part is that while I want a ‘yes’ (obviously!) for the first part of that test, I want a ‘no‘ for the second part. When I have a clear end-goal things don’t work out well. I find I generally misunderstand in the beginning of a thing what would be a good end goal, and worse, I lose interest once I understand what done looks like for the long-arc of the thing. Far better it seems to point myself in a makes the world better direction, and wonder onward.
How can coaches effectively bridge the gap between the benefits of Parkour and the reluctance or resistance of individuals to participate?
The discussion challenges the assumption that Parkour is universally appealing and explores why some people resist trying it.
When we stop trying to match their defense and the generalization, and try to encourage and give information, we give them space to start to think about other things, like what’s possible.
~ Molly Courtney (3:00)
The conversation addresses the challenge of making Parkour more accessible and appealing, particularly to those who resist it due to defensiveness, lack of confidence, or demoralization. It draws on psychological models like the Stages of Change to highlight why premature encouragement often backfires. Recognizing participants’ emotional states is crucial for building their readiness to engage in new activities.
Another key topic is the balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Molly emphasizes that early learners benefit more from intrinsic motivators like verbal affirmations than external rewards, which can undermine their self-driven desire to improve. Techniques for fostering play and exploration are discussed, providing coaches with strategies for facilitating growth without overwhelming participants.
Takeaways
Stages of Change — Understanding where someone is emotionally helps tailor the approach to introducing Parkour.
Defensiveness and Demoralization — Recognizing these barriers and validating participants’ concerns can create space for progress.
Role of Play — Structured play fosters exploration and autonomy in early learners.
Motivation Theories — Intrinsic motivators are more effective than extrinsic ones for beginners.
Feedback Timing — Interjecting too early can harm engagement, while timely affirmation builds confidence.
Coaching Techniques — Setting clear boundaries and expectations facilitates safe and productive learning environments.
Psychological Models — Applying theories like self-determination and Stages of Change provides a scientific basis for coaching methods.
Resources
Stages of Change — A psychological model describing readiness for change in individuals.
Lately I’ve been struggling with setting. As many people have noted, excessive fiddling with getting things ready, or “just so”, before feeling one can begin to do something is simply a form of procrastination. It’s a form of hiding from doing the work. Steven Pressfield describes this as the “resistance” which shows up just when you are finally facing the real work that you are called to do.
I tell this story not because I think a method approach, in which you inhabit your characters and their behaviors, is the best way to write fiction. (If this were true, a lot more authors would take a swing at romance novels.) But instead because it’s an extreme example of a more general point that I’ve been emphasizing recently: when it comes to cognitive work, setting makes a difference.
Setting is real, and it is important. But there’s a second part to finding (or creating) the optimal environment: Scene. Where are the others who are also doing the same work? It could be the other painters or authors like you, and you’re all living in a neighborhood and regularly gathering and conversing at the local cafes. (The archetypical writers scene of the 1900s was in Paris.) If I’ve imagineered a certain niche of work that I want to do, how do I find (or create) the scene?
Over in my Open + Curious project, I’ve been working intentionally to improve my writing. For Open + Curious the more recent articles all begin with a clear posit (a statement which is made on the assumption that it will prove to be true) and then go on to explain why I believe that to be true; that’s their finished form. I was generally writing each piece, editing it to find and hone a single line of thinking, and then finishing up by crafting the leading posit. Yes, I know, “Craig discovers the essay.”
I’m reading I. Asimov and this advice leapt off the page:
What I do now is think up a problem and a resolution to that problem. I then begin the story, making it up as I go along, having all the excitement of finding out what will happen to the characters and how they will get out of their scrapes, but working steadily toward the known resolution so that I don’t get lost en route.
When asked for advice by beginners, I always stress that. Know your ending, I say, or the river of your story may finally sink into the desert sands and never reach the sea.
I’ve now written thousands of posts where I’ve led with a quotation from something. I’m forever writing some observation about what I’ve quoted, and then trying to pivot to what I actually want to say. Unfortunately, this style has begun to feel constraining.
Going forward, I’m going to see what happens if I think of what I’m quoting as giving me a direction. This piece starts with my thoughts about my writing for Open + Curious, and then looking “in the direction” of Asimov’s quoted contribution, beyond that I “see” this gibberish about my writing process. Sorry, maybe that’s all too meta? It’s noisy in my head.
And I typed that title with trepidation. I’ve been saying forever, “You know what you call an optimist with experience? A realist.” I suppose at some point in the past, I must have had the rosy-eyed optimism of youth— but I don’t really recall that. Also at some point, I realized I had a solidly pessimistic position. I simply spent too much time dealing with broken technology; technology is always broken. I always seemed to end up having to fix it. But lately, my mood has certainly shifted. Is that because my “outlook” shifted, or is it vice versa?
The first time I saw speculative futures used to shape cities, I was standing on the work. It was an April evening years ago, and I was headed to a client meeting. I hustled from my car toward the building in question, my arms full of rolled paper, when I noticed a series of questions chalked in block letters on the sidewalk below my feet.
I once QM’d 2km across the Williamsburg bridge. A fellow adventurer had started the morning by buying a croissant with the express intent of not eating it. (Aside: In the French origins or Parkour, they used to say [but in French of course] “…it’s okay, head home, put your feet up, and have a croissant.” As a way of hazing each other into pushing themselves a little harder.)
We had each taken a piece of sidewalk chalk with us. When we were ready to quit (ie, stand up and walk) we planned to write our “excuse” for stopping on the bridge pathway… and then continue on in QM, moving over and beyond our excuse.
I was over the middle of the river, pretty alone, in the chilly October drizzle. And thinking about quitting. And thinking about getting out my chalk… when I crawled—inconceivably! since the pathway is like 12 feet wide—directly over a freshly chalked hashtag… I was so tired I didn’t look up to read, I just stared straight down and read it as I crawled along what had been written…
# I D I D N T E A T T H E C R O I S S A N T
It made me laugh. It reminded me that my friends were there too. It reminded me why we were doing the challenge. Thank you Kristen. I hope you read this.
What strategies and practices can be employed to effectively balance physical, emotional, and mental well-being in personal and professional life?
Craig Constantine and Alex Lukens discuss movement practices and personal growth as they explore the notions of finding balance, and the importance of doing less in order to achieve more.
Doing less is okay and it’s still effective… There’s an identity attached to overdoing, overachieving, and winning.
~ Alex Lukens
Craig and Alex explore the realm of movement practices and the quest for balance. They discuss the challenges of adopting a heart-centered approach and the fear attached to doing less in personal pursuits. Alex introduces the idea of developing a maximally efficient and minimally effortful movement practice by combining the philosophies of Chinese kung fu and Judo.
Your movement practice can be maximally efficient and minimally with minimal effort as long as you put the work in and the discipline up front.
~ Alex Lukens
He draws parallels between movement practices and other disciplines, such as music, emphasizing the role of repetition, simplicity, and discipline in achieving profound results.
Takeaways
Discussing different approaches to journaling — Journaling can be used for various purposes, such as personal reflection, organizing thoughts, planning, and emotional processing.
Balancing ideas in journaling — It’s important to balance the flow of ideas coming into and out of the journal, ensuring a productive use of journaling.
The role of intuition in journaling — Journaling based on how one feels at the moment can lead to more authentic and effective entries.
Emptying the mind through journaling — Journaling can create a negative space, allowing for a clearer and more focused mindset.
Morning anxiety and rewiring thoughts — Addressing and changing the initial thoughts upon waking can significantly impact the rest of the day.
The connection between movement and thinking — Movement can be a tool to process and organize thoughts, leading to a clearer mental state.
Impact of journaling on daily interactions — A clearer mind from journaling can lead to more engaging and enjoyable interactions throughout the day.
Creating a personal style in coaching — Developing a unique approach to coaching that balances the heart and mind, influenced by martial arts philosophies.
Working with high achievers — Helping overachievers find balance and avoid burnout by addressing both physical and mental aspects of their lives.
The misconception of physical exertion — Understanding that exertion is optional and not always necessary for effective movement or exercise.
Fidgeting and natural movement — Incorporating small, natural movements throughout the day can maintain mobility and physical health without structured exercise.
Integrating martial arts philosophies into coaching — Using principles from kung fu and judo, such as hard work over time and maximum efficiency with minimal effort, to guide clients.
Simplicity through repetition — Achieving simplicity in movement and practice through consistent, disciplined effort.
The importance of lessening mental exertion — Recognizing that reducing mental strain can be as important as physical practice for overall balance.
Developing a movement practice — Encouraging clients to create personalized movement practices that are efficient and effective with minimal effort.
Curiosity about others’ movement practices — An interest in learning about different approaches to movement and how others develop their practices.
Challenges of guest outreach in podcasting — Identifying the logistical and relational challenges involved in scheduling and conducting podcast interviews.
Exploring themes through podcasting — Using podcasting as a method to explore and understand various themes and ideas from different perspectives.
The concept of minimal effective dose — Applying the principle of minimal effective dose to various aspects of life, including movement and journaling.
In-person training and connection — The value of meeting and training in person to enhance understanding and connection in coaching relationships.
What are the primary creative and technical challenges faced in podcast production, as discussed by experienced podcasters in terms of editing, scheduling, client management, and creative mindset?
Explore the interaction of audio and video, as Craig and Jason discuss the crucial importance of nonverbal cues, the frustrations of unreliable Wi-Fi, and the irreplaceable value of face-to-face interactions in the world of podcasting.
I had that [imposter syndrome] with my clients too… They can’t start their first episode because they don’t like the sound of their voice.
~ Jason Tieri
In a captivating conversation, hosts Craig and Jason dive deep into the realm of podcasting, sharing their personal reflections and experiences. They explore the reasons behind their aversion to listening to their own work, discovering the mix of imposter syndrome and the fear of uncovering mistakes.
I’m always surprised at actually how good [my episodes] are.
~ Craig Constantine
I think I just don’t want to listen to [my own work] for a third time.
~ Jason Tieri
With a humorous touch, they discuss the perils of vocal quirks and mouth noises, shedding light on how some hosts may unintentionally overlook these aspects. They also touch upon the significance of video in podcasting, highlighting the benefits of nonverbal cues and the challenges of unreliable Wi-Fi. Ultimately, their discussion serves as a reminder of the constant learning and growth that podcasting entails.
Takeaways
Imposter Syndrome — Both Craig and Jason discuss experiencing imposter syndrome, highlighting a common struggle among podcasters and content creators. This psychological phenomenon adds a layer of relatability and vulnerability to their conversation.
Importance of Video — Jason emphasizes the importance of video in podcasting, not only for visual cues but also for better communication and understanding between hosts and guests. This insight sheds light on the multifaceted nature of podcasting and the role that different mediums can play in enhancing the overall experience.
Personal Growth — Jason mentions going through therapy during the course of his podcast, “Threads Podcast: Life Unfiltered.” This indicates that podcasting can be a transformative journey, leading to personal growth and self-reflection for hosts and guests alike.
Balancing Self-Criticism and Appreciation — Craig expresses both surprise at the quality of his podcast episodes and a persistent self-critical mindset. This internal struggle highlights the delicate balance between recognizing one’s accomplishments and constantly striving for improvement, which many podcasters can relate to.
Technical Challenges — The conversation briefly touches upon the challenges of internet connectivity and bandwidth, particularly when recording interviews with guests from different locations. This showcases the practical difficulties that podcasters face and the importance of stable internet connections for a seamless recording experience.
https://gigeconomyshow.com: This is The Gig Economy Podcast, which focuses on gig work and covers topics related to platforms like Uber, DoorDash, Lyft, and Instacart.
