Well hello human!
I just burped. Not really ladylike, but... It’s Saturday, and I've just spent entirely too many hours sitting, writing, deciding, making graphics and crafting a new project. So I downed a whole glass of water, and went back to work.
The project is a podcast, hello human, which went live on Tokyo Sunday. While this first show is mainly a little placeholder, I know that I need to have all of the other pieces as complete as possible. As I was lifting myself out of my chair, it occurred to me that this podcast can be the first project I share in-depth with my newsletter community.
So are you thinking of starting a podcast?
If you're thinking of starting a show or other creative project yourself, these next few issues will give you a glimpse into what that means in 2020.
1. Why am I even making this new thing?
I am determined to build a creative practice. Some of this determination is in gentle opposition to folks I admire, like the Obamas, focusing all their attention on the youth. Look, I was once a youth, and I know they need to be cherished and supported. At the same time, you know what? I'm still alive! We older people are still alive! Dadgummit!!! (nobody says that)
And by we, I'm mostly talking about unconventional older Black American women and the people who love us, admire us, want to learn from us. I know I'm not the only one out here. The internet can be our tool and our playground too! (I'm not just talking about social media.)
Yet there may be some folks of all ages, shapes, sizes and colors who view building a creative practice, using the internet as a tool, to be a scary proposition.
Folks who don't want to break anything.
Folks who know their adult kids/relatives/friends laugh at their attempts to work the levers of modern society online.
Folks who want to do the cool things they see, but aren't quite sure if there's a place for them, since they're over 50, or over 60, or over 70, 80, 90. Whatever.
Yes, the children are our future, blah blah etc etc. But this is now, and we are still here, and there is no reason on this rickety earth we can't wield these tools ourselves with a sense of confidence.
Since I consider myself an old digital native, I'm here to share what I get wrong and right. I'm looking at ways to learn, create, and publish online. And I am my own best guinea pig, starting with this podcast and newsletter, both called hello human.
I'll make and share my mistakes so you don't have to. I do hope that you celebrate with me when things go well :-)
Each week, on Tokyo Sundays, I'll publish a podcast episode, with project reports, inspiration, and resources.
On some podcast episodes, I'll interview folks who inspire me, so we can all learn from them as well.
On Tokyo Mondays, I'll publish a newsletter about these projects, plus other subjects that may intrigue, embolden, and inspire you.
So yeah, that's the concept, in an oversized nutshell :-).
In next week's newsletter, I'll cover:
Figuring out the project look and feel
Tools I'm using
Results so far
Till next week, stay safe and make stuff,
Terri