5 Inspiring Ideas for Listening While You Work

What’s in the background while you’re sewing or crafting? When I have a lot of work on my table that isn’t of the high concentration sort I like to listen. Sometimes to blissful silence, sometimes to music, sometimes to shows or movies that don’t require a whole lot of attention – and more often lately I’m listening to podcasts. I’ve put together a list of my 5 favorite places to go to listen while you make (or drive, or wash dishes, or all the other tasks where you have the brain space for thinking while doing). These five are all FULL of useful information, resources and inspiration.

So, a tangent – the word “podcast”. I kinda picture that plant from Little Shop of Horrors talking talking talking. But podcasts – audio files that you can stream or download – offer so much insight into artists and bloggers and makers of all sorts in a detailed way that are both valuable and convenient.

The word “podcast” aside, these are my favorite places to find inspiration – and all of these are FREE and listed in alphabetical order:

Ted Talks on Creativity: Ted Talks are enormously varied and offer more brainy topics than I could ever hope to digest, but I’ve found that playlists like the one I’ve linked up help me stick to one topic in a manageable way. (Though really, I think I could listen to Brene Brown (here and here) every day and think through different applications of her points each time.)

Thread Cult: This one is specific to fabric, textiles and fashion. Features, interviews fashion and pattern designers and couturiers of all sorts. Recent interviews include Heather Ross, Alabama Chanin and Liesl Gibson.

Smart Creative Women: Monica Lee is an artist and host who interviews women (and the occasional guy) about creative businesses – how to start, grow and adapt them for growth and change. Very much feels like sitting down for coffee and a chat, yet the substance in these is more than casually impressive. Hearing how creatives navigate business challenges is priceless.

Stitcher: My husband actually introduced me to this one and the first thing he said was “Now, don’t get all worked up about the name, but I think you’ll like this!” Whether you’re into news or comedy or documentary – Stitcher is available on desktops or as an app and pulls together alllll of the content you’re interested in. It pieces (stitches, glues, mixes, knits – whatever maker metaphor you like) your liked content together much like a playlist so that once you turn it on you don’t have to stop and in-between and choose what you’d like to hear next. It’s perfect for driving and listening without having to stop to adjust anything. Another thing – if you’re just stepping into the world of podcasts, this is a great place to find new ones.

While She Naps Podcasts: Abby Glassenberg is a softie maker and pattern designer who pairs interviewees to talk about creativity and creative businesses. I love the interplay between two guests and Abby as the host, and there’s always a corresponding blog post with links to things mentioned in the podcast. The things are always things I want to know more about.

There are others on my list to explore that I’ve bookmarked or suggested by others, including Modern Sewciety, CraftSanity, CraftCast. Have others? Share in the comments! Fall is going to busy in my work room!