The Benefits To Podcasting When You're Less Critical More Often

Like most creative and professional pursuits, critical opinions help make podcasting better. But when your criticism inhibits the creative process, it limits the promise and potential of podcasting.

September 23, 2020

Article

I am a harsh critic. And I have no poker face, so you can clearly tell, either by sight or by sound, when I'm being critical. If I don't like a podcast someone has recommended to me, I'm probably not going to hold back my opinion. If I don't agree with someone’s advice about podcasting processes or procedures, I’m likely to tell them.

At least I used to be that way. I’m trying to be better.

Specifically, I'm trying to be less critical more often. I’m trying to internalize that phrase and make it my default behavior, which is quite a challenge for me.

Being less critical more often doesn’t mean never being critical. Nor does it mean emulating a unicorn that poops rainbows of positivity all over the world. The two parts of that phrase - the less and the more - have to work hand in hand. Approaching it backward might help, so here’s another way to think about it:

Most of the time, don’t be a nitpicking jerk.

I’m very good at triage, and that’s oftentimes a problem. With practically unlimited choices of content to consume, being able to quickly discern Things Worth My Time from Things Not Worth My Time is a handy skill. But it makes me kind of a nitpicking jerk.

Rediscovering The Joy Of Listening To Podcasts

I'm envious of people who can just listen to a new podcast for the first time with a smile and an open mind. Me? I hit play for the first time with a wince on my face, only relaxing if I’m pleasantly surprised.

A lot of that comes from the 16 years I’ve been making and listening to podcasts. Sturgeon’s Law applies to podcasting and all things, so my behavior is somewhat justified. More comes from the fact that this -- making podcasts -- is my profession. But if I’m being honest, most is due to my personality, which you’ll see in the passages below.

As I embrace the new concept of being less critical more often, I’m changing how I listen to podcasts. Specifically, I’m changing what I'm listening to when I’m not listening to client-based content. In short, I'm only listening to podcasts that I enjoy. I’m no longer trying to keep up with the things I should be listening to (because should is a bad word). Surprisingly, that’s left me with ample time to discover new podcasts, not less. Go figure!

Social Media Isn’t Helping

If you’ve been following me on social media for any length of time, you’ve likely noticed my social media activities have been severely curtailed. I’ve all but abandoned most platforms, and even my Tweet volume has decreased precipitously.

Again, plenty of external factors, from a raging pandemic to depressing politics, are in play. But my inclination to be snarky all the time a likely culprit. That, and I’m really good at fighting on the internet.

I wish I could tell you that I’ve found a good solution to be less critical on social media more often, but I haven’t. So for now, it means less social media for me.

Rediscovering My Joy Of Reading

I cut my teeth in both the podcasting world and the publishing world at the same time, so I’m as braced for disappointment with books as I am with podcasts. Friends of mine who are also authors have learned I’m a terrible beta reader, and to never send me an unpolished manuscript. As a reader, I have zero patience for content that doesn’t hook me immediately. And if parts of the writing fail to engage me, I quickly tune out.

In an effort to being less critical more often about the materials I choose to read, I’m making better choices. Specifically, I'm re-reading content I previously enjoyed, often finding new takeaways from when I first read them decades ago. I'm still leaving time to discover new written content, but with a focus on new content from writers I’ve previously enjoyed. As with podcasting, there are just too many books to read, so I’m staying close to some known-quantities.

The Challenge Of Not Being An Critical Asshat To Clients

I’m a more than capable podcast consultant. That’s lead me to have multi-year relationships with a variety of clients over the year and earned an excellent reputation for my agency.

But the areas where I excel and have been able to productize have made me quite rigid. And while that dedication to a proven process is usually seen as helpful to clients - clients who are often overwhelmed by the tyranny of choice in podcasting- it’s not for everyone. I've ended relationships with clients who refuse to follow established processes.

That's not great for business. But worse than that, it's not great for fostering creativity. Creativity for the client as well as creativity for myself. I need to grow too.

Recognizing that, I’ve done several things. One is working with a new partner (hi, Sam!) and finding ways to complement each other without frustrating the hell out of each other. The other is backing off of my hardline approach to my own processes and procedure. Where applicable, I’m working to fit within the client’s own internal processes to move the project along.

And I have a new overriding goal and/or mission: I don't let my clients unknowingly publish mistakes. If we’ve a difference of opinion, I still voice that opinion. But unless their decision is objectively wrong, I leave the final decision to them. No one is going to bleed out over this stuff.

How Improv Helps Me Be Less Critical More Often

Even if you know little of improv, you’ve probably heard of the concept of “Yes, and…”, as it’s a central tenet of the comedic style. It’s also a very good philosophy to adopt in all aspects of your life, a notion I constantly remind myself of.

Whatever I get, either from clients or a new podcast recommendation, I treat it as a gift. Some gifts, like those given by clients, I have to find a way to work with. There’s creativity in that. Other gifts, perhaps those given by strangers who don’t know my tastes and preferences, I don’t have to love. Or even keep. I just don’t have to be an asshole about it.

It’s No Surprise To Me I Am My Own Worst Enemy

I didn’t think the Lit song was written for me, but a lot of those lyrics ring true. Imagine my surprise when I realized that most reasonable people are also their own worst critics. I’m just thankful I’ve spent the last 31 years with Sheila Dee, who often intervenes when I’m beating myself up way too much over something way too trivial. Thanks, Lover.

I’m getting better, but I’m a long ways to go. I’m learning to listen to her more. Having that outside opinion from someone who cares only about me and not the ramifications of the mistake is invaluable. I ignored self-care for the vast majority of existence, and I can only implore you to find someone - perhaps a professional - to help you stop the self-pummeling, either physical or mental.

There’s No One Right Way To Make A Podcast

There's no one right way to do anything creative, right? Sure, there are plenty of frustratingly convoluted paths through the creative journey. But sometimes those paths need to be traversed to let the creativity happen.

There’s no single arbiter of subjective quality of creative content. People can - and do! - enjoy content that I find pointless. Likewise, plenty of people would look at my listening list and wonder what the hell I was thinking.

Here’s the crux: Podcasting is supposed to be fun. Making content, even business-focused podcast content, should be fun. And yes, even if parts of it might get a little boring. Making a podcast is a creative process. Everybody involved in this industry, at least to some degree, is providing their own creativity. We forget that at our own peril.

Before I go, I’ll ask once again that you share Podcast Pontifications with another working podcaster. Word of mouth, from one working podcaster to another - is the only way new people find out about this program. So please, reach out to one person today to let them know about Podcast Pontifications.

If you're digging this show and you like the content I bring to you, BuyMeACoffee.com/EvoTerra exists for you bo buy me virtual coffee in a show of your support.

I shall be back on Monday with yet another Podcast Pontifications.

Cheers!

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ℹ️

Podcast Pontifications is written and narrated by Evo Terra. He’s on a mission to make podcasting better. Allie Press proofed the copy, corrected the transcript, and edited the video. Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media.

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PPS3E38 The Benefits To Podcasting When You're Less Critical More Often - Transcript

[00:00:00] Like most creative and professional pursuits, critical opinions make podcasting better, but when your criticism inhibits the creative process, it limits the promise and the potential of podcasting

Hello, and welcome to another podcast. Pontifications with me, Evo, Tara. I am a harsh critic. I have no poker face as well. So you can [00:00:30] clearly tell or hear or see when it is I'm being critical. And that means that if I don't like a podcast, I'm probably not holding back my opinion, or if I don't like a part of the podcasting process or if I don't like someone's opinion, how about the way they do podcasting?

I'm likely not to hold back my opinion, but I'm trying to be better. [00:01:00] And specifically I'm trying to be less critical more often. And that's an interesting phrase and clearly the entire topic I'm going to talk about today, less critical more often. That doesn't mean be happy all the time. That doesn't mean never be critical.

Those two things have to go hand in hand, less critical, reduce that and do that more often. So it's not just about turning down your [00:01:30] criticism forever. You're not going to do that, but being less critical, more often in public now there's lots of ways. I think we can approach this from a podcaster and a podcast or self-help specifically.

Um, position. And I'm gonna use me as a big example here, because you know, maybe some of you out there can relate to this. Maybe you are a similar mindset as mine, and clearly he listened to the show. So, you know, you must be to something. Um, but it's hard for me [00:02:00] really to listen to podcasts for enjoyment.

And it has been for a very long time, I'm kind of envious of people who can just listen to podcasts for pure enjoyment. All the time. I certainly, I do, but not a lot of that. I oftentimes, when I am listening to a podcast, I will have a complaint. Oftentimes vocalized about that format of the show. Maybe the sound quality, the length.

I just go into analysis [00:02:30] mode, partly that's because I've been doing this for so long, partly because it's my job. My only job is making podcasts and it's probably also my personality. Because I am a bit critical by nature. And I'll talk about that in just a moment, but again, I'm trying to be less of that more often.

So my new approach, when it comes to podcast, specifically that I'm listening to, when I'm just listening to them for enjoyment, processes is pretty simple. I'm only listening to [00:03:00] podcasts that I enjoy. Now that doesn't mean I'm limiting my podcast list thing, but that means if there's things I'm not enjoying, I don't listen to those.

And I go seek out. More content that I do enjoy so that I can be less critical more often. It's simply focusing on things that I like that this loud inner critic of mine is part of the reason why I've been a lot less active on every social media platform. Over the last few months, you can blame it on COVID.

You can blame it on [00:03:30] politics. We could, I suppose, blame it on my inclination to be snarky all the time. But you'll notice my activity socially has dropped significantly and watch my new approach to that. How am I fixing that? I'll let you know. I don't really have a good solution other than the way I can be less critical.

More often even about podcasting in social media is just simply to be on social media less often, because it's hard for me to do [00:04:00] that right now, but I am, I am working on it. That tendency to be critical all the time makes me a terrible beta reader, which I suppose goes into the beta listening of podcasting as well.

I don't don't don't send me your beta copies. I needed to be polished because I turns out I have zero patience for boring content things that don't grab me and keep me entertained and engaged the entire time. Lose me [00:04:30] really, really quickly. So what's my new approach to being less critical more often about that.

Well, I'm rereading a lot of content that I do enjoy that I have previously enjoyed. That's the great thing about books. You can read them again. Yay. I'm also focusing on writers whose work that I know I enjoy. So I'll try their new stuff and most oftentimes really enjoy it. Look, there's too much content to read.

Just like there's too many podcasts to listen to. So I'll go with known [00:05:00] quantities. Known quantities. Let me be less critical more often because I know there's going to be a greater chance of them being something I'm going to enjoy. This tendency of criticism also makes me a rather rigid podcast console that not a bad podcast consultant.

I think a quite a good podcast consultant, but it also has made me quite rigid in that. Look, if you don't follow my processes, We're not going to have a good time and probably a good relationship. And I've, I've ended [00:05:30] relationships with clients because they refuse to follow the processes I've laid out and that's not great for business for one and two.

It's also not great for the creativity I talked about previously now. True. Most of my clients are business clients, but still creativity's there. So my new approach to that is look, I can't fix everything. I can't force processes. So instead my overriding goal now is to make sure that I don't let my clients [00:06:00] unknowingly publish mistakes.

I want to fix the boo-boos before they happen. And if they, they have they, and I have a difference of opinion, I voiced my opinion to them. We still let them make the call, but I won't let them obviously unpublished a mistake. Excuse me. I won't let them publish a mistake. Unknowingly. All this comes basically from learnings.

I've gathered from my time doing improv type work. This is what you would call what I, what I'm adapting to the yes and philosophy, you know, the most common [00:06:30] trope of improv that is out there where you take whatever's given to you as a gift and you work with it. So that's what I'm doing. Clients, give me something that goes away with my processes.

It goes around my processes. It's a, it's a gift for me to try out something new. That's as simple as that, that's really what I'm trying to do. Just taking the yes and mentality and work with it because in reality, I'm not only a harsh critic of all the things that I consume and enjoy. I'm also a harsh critic of the [00:07:00] things that I create and the things that I can do.

In fact, I'm probably my harshest critic. Do you, you very well. Maybe your harshest critic as well. And that's, that's not helpful. I mean, for me, it's so bad that my lovely wife, Sheila D oftentimes has had to intervene when I've been beating myself up too much, mentally, not physically, but that's, you know, pretty bad too.

So she's has to step in. So I don't do that as much anymore. My new approach is to [00:07:30] try to stop doing that. I'm not great at it. I'm getting better. I'm listening to her when she steps in. Having that other person or their trusted voice out there to go. Um, you might be a little hard on yourself is good to listen to.

So I'm trying to listen to that more. The reality is there's no one right way to do anything, even in podcasting, right? There's lots of ways you can do things. Lots of people enjoy things for different reasons, right? Podcasting is supposed to be [00:08:00] fun. Making content, even boring businessy type stuff, or just businessy type stuff.

It doesn't have to be boring. It's a creative process for all of us. Everybody involved in this industry at some degree has a certain level of creativity and we can't, we can't forget that. And for me, that means being a lot less critical, a lot more often help keep me honest. I'm trying I'll report back with some success stories, hopefully [00:08:30] as they continue two quick things before I go one up pretty, please with sugar on it, please share podcast.

Pontifications the show with other working podcasters. The only way this show grows is when working podcasters like yourself, send the notes to other working podcasters that they know, maybe they're new. Maybe they've been doing it for a long time and telling them about the show. That's it. That's the only way this show grows.

So pretty pleased with sugar on it. Reach out to someone today and let them know about podcast pontification. If you're digging this show and you like the content I'm bringing to [00:09:00] buy me a coffee.com/evo Terra exists so that you can buy me virtual coffee to show me your support. Buy me a coffee.com/evo Terra.

Now there will be no episode tomorrow. I've got a prior commitment, unfortunately, so that means I shall be back on Monday with yet another podcast. Pontifications cheers.

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