10 podcasts to tune into for creative career advice and insight
Who doesn’t love a good podcast? What could be better than sticking some earphones in, learning about the vast world of the creative industry and how you could fit into it? With a wealth of audio advice, interviews, and inspirational stories circulating on the airwaves, we’ve handpicked some of our favourite creative career podcasts for you. These 10 podcasts are just the tip of the iceberg, so we’d love to hear your suggestions! What are you listening to? Let us know at the bottom of the article.
1. The Creative Boom Podcast
Launched in 2020, The Creative Boom Podcast features interviews and conversations with leading names in the creative industry, including Paula Scher, Jon Burgerman, and Rankin. What better way to make decisions and learn more about possible creative paths than to listen to those who’ve taken them?
Listen here.
2. Creative Pep Talk
This podcast exists to help listeners build a thriving creative practice. Hosted by creator Andy J. Pizza, each episode seeks to tackle an issue you may be facing in your own creative journey – from portfolio slumps to imposter syndrome.
Listen here.
3. Ctrl Alt Delete
Ctrl Alt Delete is a careers podcast that shifts the focus to how our interests and hobbies shape what we do. It’s hosted by Emma Gannon, a Sunday Times bestselling author, speaker, and novelist, who touches on the themes of wellbeing and creativity. She asks the big questions: how is big tech affecting us? How do you marry activism with being a magazine editor?
Listen here.
4. Creative Champs
Hosted by Kei Maye, a digital content creator and creative coach, the Creative Champs podcast is an informal but straight-talking resource to help you kickstart a creative career and stay sane maintaining it. It’s a treasure trove of tips relevant for any specialisation – from protecting your work and dealing with chronic pain, to navigating the industry as an introvert. While the podcast is currently on hiatus, Maye’s advice is evergreen, so it’s well worth digging into the archives.
Listen here.
5. Never Not Creative Podcast
In the Never Not Creative podcast, hosts Rachel Zhang and Andy Wright share insights and advice from industry leaders and psychologists on tackling key topics from talking about mental health at work, to burnout, career progression, imposter syndrome and fair pay.
Listen here.
6. Being Freelance
Freelance video and audio creator Steve Folland chats to a different creative freelancer from around the world every week, exploring their experience of life and work in the freelance industry. Through these conversations, Steve discusses the different ways freelancers build successful careers, offering valuable tips, lessons and inspiration along the way.
Listen here.
7. ART FOR YOUR EAR: The Jealous Curator
ART FOR YOUR EAR offers listeners an insider’s look into the personal lives and creative journeys of contemporary artists. Hosted by writer and artist Danielle Krysa, the podcast, which is currently on hiatus, shares behind-the-scenes stories, artist gossip and unexpected anecdotes that reveal the human side of the art world.
Listen here.
8. Make It Then Tell Everybody
From 2012-2023, freelance comic artist and illustrator Dan Berry hosted Make It Then Tell Everybody, a podcast that explores the creative processes of comic artists. Dan spoke to artists about how they approach their work, rationalise their craft and fit into the wider world of comics. While Dan is no longer producing new episodes, the 11-year archive is plenty to get inspired by.
Listen here.
9. Design Matters
Design Matters was the world’s first podcast about design. Since 2005, it has covered creative culture through in-depth conversations with an array of visionaries: from designers and writers to artists, curators, musicians and other leading thinkers.
Listen here.
10. The Collective Podcast
Hosted by designer and director Ash Thorp, The Collective Podcast delivers bi-weekly episodes featuring candid chats with creative industry leaders. Each episode delves into the challenges of work/life balance and highlights the experiences of influential figures across various media, including design, illustration, visual effects, writing, painting and programming.
Listen here.
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This article was originally published in 2021, but has been updated with 8 more podcasts in September 2024.
What are you listening to? With so many amazing podcasts out there, we’d love to receive new recommendations. Let us know at [email protected]!
Written by Creative Lives in Progress
