What does it take to stand out as a podcaster anyways? Like in every other sector, the field of dance-related podcasts is now beyond saturated. You’ll get content of all kinds, from star interviews to business insights, and controversial political takes to career resources. Yet, all of that didn’t discourage me from starting a show, completing a full season of 50 episodes and then embarking on a whole new one right after! It starts with your message obviously, and the value it brings to listeners who are looking to learn something from you which they cannot do elsewhere. And while a lot of shows tend to be run of the mill, the standout shows do offer a clear and effective route to help specialize in a niche of dance. Ok, enough of the rambling. All this is of course to introduce one of the first podcasts I ever listened to, The Dance Podcast, initiated and hosted by Lauren Ritchie. Let's five into her major lessons of the importance of this new medium for our industry :
1. Everyone has an invisible story
Mary Kay Ash — “Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying, ‘Make me feel important. Never forget this message when working with people, caring for people and loving others as well as you love yourself.”
There is an age-old phenomenon that is back in full swing today, partly due to social media and partly due to our relentless busyness when it comes to actually seeing those we say we care about. I hate to admit it, but I am guilty of what John Steinbeck said, “I wonder how many people I have looked at all my life and never truly seen.” It is not intentional that I have seemingly overlooked others, but I have begun to seriously think about how and why I have become so blinded by my busyness, or some might put it, dreams. We know that people in our lives seem and feel invisible, not only to us but also to themselves. We are quickly becoming a society that not only dismisses those who are unlike us, but one that passes judgement often too quickly. Take a second to imagine being the chronically ill, traumatized victims of tragedy, or so-called failures still knocking on the doors of opportunity. It may sound cliche, but never ever judge a book by its cover. Because when it’s your turn to face the brunt, you’d be wishing that your counterpart actually sees your invisible self beckoning in the shadows.
Nothing emphasizes this more strongly than listening to a podcast or producing a podcast itself. Part of the reason I chose to speak into a mic and not a camera is to focus my listeners’ attention onto the voice and spoken word instead of my face and other visuals. (ok, you technically still need a mic for youtube, and I don’t enjoy always having to spruce up over a weekend, but you get the point). Every dancer I’ve encountered possesses an intriguing story, just by virtue of pursuing it as a career. But as dancers, our value to society is still diminished due to the lack of media eager to unravel these unseen experiences. Value is subjective and your story is relevant no matter what. Envision it, graft it so that you and only you can justify its validity, because everyone has an invisible story.
2. Do the thing you are most curious about. Take action.
Curiosity is ironic, isn’t it? On one hand, too much curiosity kills the cat. On the other, curiosity is often the genesis of all actionability. Instead of constantly planning and simulating your goals as theory, it is quite crucial in this day and age to DO the thing you are most curious about. Take action, and fully take advantage of the riches this world has to offer. Soon enough, life may seem just a tad bit more interesting and worth striving for regardless of your vocation. Take an infant for example, born into this world without bearing a shred of self-awareness or sense of identity. Yet, they are filled with endless streams of curiosity and creativity to master the secrets of the world one step at a time, one cry after another.
I used to struggle with an identity crisis as an artist, endlessly swinging on the pendulum between what a dancer is and isn’t. That was until I picked a mic and started podcasting, realizing that I could finally communicate beyond just with my body and alleviate my pressing curiosities about the industry. Dancers are mostly introverts, but simultaneously the most expressive and often those who find it hardest knowing how to say what they wish to say to the world. Now thinking back on it, it is funny how a cheap and simple mic solved that for me.
That in all essence, is the growth process everyone is destined to undertake, a journey that will gradually build the foundations of your personality and the pillars of self-identity to take action and take on the world!
3. Let other people’s skepticism and judgements be a reflection of them - not the worthiness of you or your project.
We tell our friends and loved ones again and again to be themselves, embrace uniqueness and not to worry about what other people think. But as we speak, we also tend to conform to the surrounding norms. Be honest, our focus is more on whether people will accept and like us than most of us care to admit. And there’s nothing wrong with that, except that it is really none of your business what other people think of you.
One of the first questions I received when starting this show was: Why are you even doing this? I was of course baffled, but I also realized that it was just someone else’s shallow opinion. At the end of the day, I was the one doing all the work and contributing to my beloved dance community, not that person. The worst thing about this example was that it came from a fellow dance colleague.
What damage is all of this causing us then? Why can’t we just take our own advice and be our weird idiosyncratic selves? It’s hard enough to convince funders to validate your project’s values, and we haven’t even mentioned anonymous haters and ignorant critics who rarely take the time to truly understand your work. Yes, not all of them are like that, but it often takes just one bad apple to spoil an entire basket. No matter how splendid you do, there will always be naysayers choosing to turn a blind eye. What they also sadly do, is look away and not AT the mirror. But who cares? Let other people’s skepticism and judgments be a reflection of THEM - not the worthiness of you or your project. They don’t have to understand what you are up to. Besides, wouldn’t it be fun and surprising just to see who actually supports you and your dreams?
| 15.04.2024 |
