Well hi!
I hope that you and yours are safe and well.
I'm...good. Yeah, good...now.
I'm trying to step outside of my emotional cave, in part pulled by the need to create. I'm not saying that being creative is a cure for everything. But I feel the urge to make something can be strong enough to build the ladder and start climbing out.
I'm also gently pursued by loved ones who were listening when I said I would create consistently, and so they consistently remind me. It's almost at the point where I hesitate to check my messages, but I know deep down I asked them to keep me accountable, so that's on me.
This kind of accountability creates equal parts anxiety and gratitude. I am so grateful for those dear ones who raise their hands to let me know they're waiting, yet they still wait patiently and don't push too hard as I make my slow way out.
❤️ to y'all!
So like I said last week, here are some notes and resources that I found useful when creating hello human show https://hellohuman.fireside.fm/, my podcast:
1. Figuring out the project look and feel
I wanted to create graphics that feel good. So, rather than agonizing over color meanings, or color harmony, or any of that, I simply went with what I like.
I have always loved cobalt blue.
Enough so that I brought my cobalt blue glass plates, cup and vase and molded knickknack thingie all the way from the East Village when I moved to Tokyo 20+ years ago.
Since I love that color, it felt natural to use it as a base.
In design, I also love grunge, urban grit, sans-serif fonts, flowers, rich colors, and a general sense of freedom with a bit of structure.
1. Use what you have to get what you want
On my Instagram feed https://www.instagram.com/tokyoterri/, I've been doing a series called 'some days I...', in my predictable fits and starts(sigh). For that series, I made a piece of art that I decided to repurpose for the podcast and newsletter:
That actually solved lots of my design problems, because I used parts of that image for all the other project graphics. You can see it in this newsletter, and you can also see it in the podcast graphic that shows up in your podcast player:
2. Tools I'm using
The project started with writing. I wrote the 1 sentence description, a short summary with the key points of who it's for and why it's worth it, and a longer essay that goes in-depth about my reasons for creating the project in the first place.
Then I took a few days to refine that basic information. Because I have it all in one document, I can repurpose it for publishing and promotion.
One of the most important things I did was to decide on the project name and buy the domain name from Hover https://hover.evyy.net/E1MJP This could be the #1 thing, actually, because the domain is the address to your home for the project online, in social media, everywhere. This is the main way that your people can find you.
Script
I use Drafts https://getdrafts.com/ to create the script, practice saying it out loud, and refine it. It's very utilitarian, with lots of options do other things with it.
I'm not by any means a Markdown https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/ master, but I use a very basic version to edit my writing as I go.
Audio Recording
To record myself, or do an in-person interview, I use the SmartMike+ https://amzn.to/2YQeiZh It's a pretty easy mic that helps to remove outside noises automatically. Once I record, I upload the raw recorded file to my computer.
Audio Editing
I import the file into Descript https://www.descript.com/ In this app, I can edit the audio by using text (it’s kind of magical!). I adjust the Drafts transcript to match what was actually said.
Once I've done the initial edit, I import the file into GarageBand https://www.apple.com/mac/garageband/, which is the free audio editor that came with my computer. I listen again, remove long spaces, then export the file for one of my best friends to finish producing the audio file.
Graphics
I use my iPad to create art - it feels like 'handcrafting' and I enjoy the fact that the resulting image is digital and so, easy to adjust and share.
For the hello human graphics, I started with a selfie. Then, I imported it into several apps to add things, adjust, distress, and add text:
To make the actual graphics, I import the basic image into Canva https://www.canva.com/join/lgx-tlt-kjr to create the various sizes of graphics that are needed. It’s super fast and easy.
After the launch, I decided the podcast graphic needed adjusting. I made it a bit larger and changed the font color to white, so it's easier to see in the various podcast clients. Canva made it a snap to adjust to this:
Publishing
I'm using Fireside https://fireside.fm/ to publish the podcast, using the descriptions I wrote at the start. I put the entire transcript in the podcast show notes for fans who want the text versions well. They do charge a monthly fee, but I know as this project grows, I’ll appreciate their in-depth analytics and good customer support. If you don’t have experience producing podcasts, another option you can use is the Spotify-owned Anchor https://anchor.fm/ They promote themselves as the easiest way to make a podcast and they’re probably right. Sometimes easy isn’t the goal, though.
Promotion
Let's make the promotion piece the main subject of the next newsletter. It's such an important subject, and I'll have a little more data to tell the story. So far:
episode 1
11 downloads
epidosde 2
36 downloads
You may laugh at that. But, I don't. I haven't promoted the show at all. I'll slowly ramp up promotion with each show, and see how that affects the downloads.
Till next week, stay safe and make something!
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