Walking With Wildflowers – I made a thing! My first podcast!

If you read my June newsletter, you will know that I promised myself that I would record, edit and upload a podcast by the end of the month – purely for the sheer joy (and agony!) of making something and putting it out there. I’m not sure about you, but in the land of Pretty Girl Dressed In Nice Clothes Posing In Front of Jungle Plants or Historic Landmark aka Instagram, I’ve started taking ages to write and edit images and captions. I also faff over writing blog posts, and what used to take me an hour or two to publish can sometimes take days, if not weeks! I’ve found this relentless pursuit to create something beautiful, unique and let’s not forget, flawless, to really stunt my luss for writing and blogging. Half of the time I give up and don’t post or create anything anyway.

The idea behind publishing a podcast episode this month was to step out of my comfort zone and to try making something completely new! I have never used the voice memo app on my phone or edited an audio file in my life. And can I tell you something? I know it’s not going to be perfect (seriously, I know) and I also know it won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but I HAD SUCH FUN DOING IT. I had fun recording it (like seven times), I had fun researching how to edit audio files (although to be honest, I just kinda faded the music into my recording and left it at that – warts and all!); I had fun googling how to find a hosting platform for your podcast; I had fun doing the (very basic) artwork and I had fun pulling it all together. I felt alive again, like the time I pressed “publish” on my very first blog post on my very first (and very simple-themed) blog. Or like that time my brother and I wrote and recorded our own radio show on our family’s HIFI. We all want things to look (or sound, in this case) good, but sometimes we can get so caught up in the end product, and the fear involved around its reception, that we forget to enjoy the creative journey. I truly loved doing this and the only cash I spent on creating this was signing up to a podcast hosting platform. I think how often we scoff at people who call themselves “creatives” because what does that truly mean? How do you define a creative? In truth we are all creatives – in everything we do! Whether it’s cooking a delicious meal for your family or writing a post card to your friend, being creative means putting a little bit of yourself into doing and making something – and most of all, damn well enjoying the process!

In this episode, recorded on my daughter’s first birthday, I talk about how and why motherhood has changed me and the work I do – for the better! It is me – raw and honest, on my morning walk, talking into my phone about everything from my reluctant-to-detach placenta, my new mom bod and why sometimes being a parent feels like a never-ending cycle of live-die-repeat. Be sure to subscribe and share this episode if it resonates with you! Although it’s mostly me talking kak about myself, so if you make it to the end – good for you! Hah!

You can find the episode on iTunes Podcast (the purple app on your phone with the microphone pic) by searching for my name or for Walking with Wildflowers.  Or you can just press play below. I’m still in the approval process for Spotify but hopefully will be available there soon too. Enjoy!

 

PS: Hold out for the blooper at the end!