PodMov Daily: Wednesday, June 9

Episode 447: Your Midweek Update

The Creativity Faucet: How to Accept Your Bad Ideas

How do you consistently tap into your strongest ideas? Writer, marketer, and developer Julian Shapiro has been taking notes. His regular Twitter thread this week explains the Creativity Faucet, a creative process shared by two outstanding artists: songwriter Ed Sheeran and author Neil Gaiman.

Visualize your creativity as a pipe backed up with wastewater, Shapiro writes. “Because your pipe only has one faucet, there's no shortcut to achieving clarity other than first emptying the wastewater.” The same applies to writing down our thoughts: “Once the bad ideas are emptied, strong ideas begin to arrive.”

Most of us self-criticize, reject what we’ve come up with, and turn off the faucet prematurely. If instead we accept enough lame ideas, our minds can more easily identify those weak qualities. Shapiro’s blog version has an interview clip with Sheeran, Gaiman’s tweet of approval, and other treats.

Event Update: PM21 Tracks and New Speakers

This week’s announcements cover the conference categories for attendees in Nashville. Over 100 breakout sessions will be organized under six main tracks (Creation, Industry, Marketing, Monetization, Technical, and Society, Culture, and Advocacy) and three bonus tracks. 

In addition to Audio Drama/Fiction and Brand/Content Marketing, we’re proud to announce the Spanish Language Podcasting track. For the first time ever, we’ll host an entire day's worth of programming geared towards those who podcast in Spanish or to Spanish-speaking audiences.

On School of Podcasting, Dave Jackson names an unofficial addition we can’t wait to bring back: “A lot of us really love that hallway track, the networking where you get to meet everyone.” Listen to his chat with PM President Dan Franks and check the full update for new speakers.

Podsite: Build Your Website, Grow Your Podcast

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With an email subscription form, stock photo library, listener feedback solutions, and sponsor management, Podsite is packed with features that grow your show organically. Your RSS feed is all you need for an effortless experience: Customize your branding in minutes from the simple dashboard, then approve and publish. 

Podsite is perfect for every growth-oriented creator. It’s affordable, quick, and works with any hosting provider. Ready to launch a powerful site that transforms discovery? Build yours with no sign-up or payment details required.

Here's what else is going on:

• Living words: The podcast contest Entrada Libre is seeking stories about the migration experience, made by Mexican youth (18-35) living in the United States. Entries close on June 18. From The Mexican Institute of Radio (IMER) and the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, DC.

• Social hour: This Saturday is Podcast Share Day by Podcasts in Color. From 11:00 am to noon CT, Berry will be resharing shows from podcasters of color anywhere in the world. Twitter posts and Instagram stories must include a description, link, the creator’s city/state, and #PodsInColor.

• Above it: “No one wants to listen to your podcast.” Jake Pitts reflects on that comment with grace: “I can be that kind of artist that knows that not everyone will like what I do even when I believe it’s universal and approachable. If anything, it gives me the freedom to just create.”

• Human nature: Scientists in South Africa are recording penguin ‘podcasts’ to study endangered breeding colonies. Pole-mounted cliffside microphones capture vocalizations that enable researchers to ‘count’ birds. In a win for personal space, the penguins much prefer this method.