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Podcasts have exploded over the past few years. (We've got Serial to thank for it.) Now, the once-niche audio format has become mainstream. You can find everything from enthralling true stories to fantastical fiction to hilarious comedy. With such a wide range of topics, there is truly something for everyone—especially if you're in a field like photography, art, and design. We've selected some of the best creative podcasts to educate and inspire you.
Many of the podcasts on this list are in an interview format. The benefit of this is two-fold; first, you get to hear advice from some of the top creatives in their field; and second, it's a nice reminder that these industry giants are human. They've gone through their fair share of struggles and feelings of doubt. But instead of letting these negative feelings overcome them, they rose to the challenge to create a spectacular career. Regardless if the interviewee is a writer, entertainer, or woodworker, you can find something that applies to you. After all, you never know where your next great piece of wisdom will come from—maybe it will be one of these podcasts!
Looking for inspiration? Advice? Check out some of the best creative podcasts to get your creative juices flowing!
Adventures in Design
Top Artist: My Modern Met has its very own podcast that goes in-depth with creatives via one on one interviews. Episodes are biweekly and feature an array of our favorite painters, photographers, illustrators, sculptors, and more. We use our time to pick their brains on their career development and creative process, as well as their most iconic work.
Ted Radio Hour: Based on the wildly successful Ted Talks, the Ted Radio Hour features “fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, and new ways to think and create.” One of the most recent shows is about success and how we can define it beyond wealth and status.
Fresh Air: The Peabody Award-winning show is hosted by the iconic Terry Gross, who talks to the likes of contemporary writers, actors, historians, and more. Few topics seem to be off limits, and the enlightening interviews give us insight into the minds of great thinkers.
How I Built This: Guy Raz speaks to innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists about the “movements they built.” The interviews reflect positive as well as negative moments, from triumphs to failures. If you're interested in the ins-and-outs of starting and growing a business, this is the podcast for you.
The Moment: Hosted by Brian Koppelman, this Slate-produced podcast talks to famous folks about the defining moments of their creative careers.
PetaPixel Photography Podcast: PetaPixel is one of our favorite photography websites, and twice a week they host a show on just that. Combining “news, opinions, humor, and real-world experience,” the relatively short episodes are perfect for your daily commute.
Art For Your Ear: Danielle Krysa of the contemporary art blog Jealous Curator started Art For Your Ear in 2015. “When I studied art history in university,” she explains, “my favorite part was, well, basically the gossip. I loved hearing why artists did certain things.” Over 100 episodes later, she's heard touching and hilarious stories from My Modern Met favorites like Zemer Peled and Rebecca Louise Law.
Online Marketing Made Easy
Creative Pep Talk: Designer and illustrator Andy J. Miller wants to help creative entrepreneurs make a good living while producing work they're proud of. Through artist interviews and his own stories, Miller shows how you can strike a balance between art and business to achieve success in your career.
Clever: Clever is hosted by Jaime Derringer, the Founder and Executive Director of Design Milk, and Amy Devers, a designer and Emmy-winning television personality. Together, they have conversations with designers who are responsible for the “objects and environments that shape our lives.”
Design Matters: Design Matters is the world's first design podcast. Started in 2005 by Debbie Millman, it prides itself on wide-ranging conversations from designers, writers, artists, and other contemporary thinkers.
The Accidental Creative: For over 10 years, The Accidental Creative has helped people push themselves in their professional lives. Part advice and part interview, the podcast topics include fighting perfectionism, dealing with uncertainty, and “strategic slacking.”
99% Invisible: 99% Invisible originally started as a collaborative project between San Francisco-based public radio station KALW and the American Institute of Architects. Focusing on the “unseen and overlooked” elements of design and architecture, each episode is on a single topic. It offers a powerful reminder to not ignore the small things—often, they make a huge impact.
Adventures In Design: Marketing itself as a “daily talk show,” host Mark Brickey speaks with creatives about how they design happiness into their professional lives. In addition to the podcast, Adventures In Design hosts workshops that will help your business grow.
Online Marketing Made Easy: Love it or hate it, online marketing is vital for your career. Amy Porterfield breaks it down in her informative podcast that ranges from interviews to covering the ever-changing algorithms on social media.
Creative Boom: Created by the popular website by the same name, the Creative Boom podcast seeks to inspire listeners via interviews with top creators. Hosted by Creative Boom founder and editor Katy Cowan, the podcast is “full of fun and honest conversations with creative people that will inspire.”
Art Marketing Podcast: Many artists wonder how they can sell more art and get ahead. The Art Marketing Podcast focuses on art marketing strategies, tactics, and tips to ensure that you'll be able to bring in a steady stream of income.
Beyond the Studio: Hosts Amanda Adams and Nicole Mueller want to demystify the process of being an artist. In Beyond the Studio, they speak with artists about how they make ends meet, manage their time, and take on the “unique challenges of making a living, creatively.”
Art Curious: Anyone who thinks art history is boring has clearly never listened to Art Curious. Host Jennifer Dasal explores the wild and wacky world of art history in this podcast, which has been around since 2016. Every episode covers one of art history's strangest stories, like whether or not Caravaggio was murdered and whether or not the Mona Lisa is fake.
Myths and Legends: Stories are a vital part of our humanity and have shaped our world in profound ways. For proof of this, look no further than Myths and Legends, a podcast that shares how historic folklore influences our culture, even now. Each week you'll hear about Vikings, Robin Hood, and more.
The Allusionist: If you think language and lexicon are fascinating, then you'll want to check out The Allusionist. Host Helen Zaltzman explores the facets of English to reveal the profound impact that words and phrases play in our everyday lives. You'll have a newfound respect for linguistics.
This article has been edited and updated.
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