What One Year of Podcasting Taught Me About Creativity & Growth
If you’ve been thinking about starting an ambitious creative project but end up feeling overwhelmed before you even get started, this post is for you.
Most people make the mistake of feeling like they have to know everything about a project before getting started. But overthinking only leads to overwhelm & analysis paralysis. Leaving us frozen and never actually getting started.
This is why in this post, I’m sharing my own experience starting my podcast a year ago, the lessons learned, and why starting before you’re ready IS the best way to build momentum and grow creatively.
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Why This Milestone Matters
First of all, I can’t believe I made it to one year of podcasting! This feels huge!
This is a special post because I want to take you behind the scenes and share honestly. I want to talk to you less like a coach and more like a friend, who’s sharing the real scoop— the messy, imperfect, and sometimes challenging journey that has been running this show.
Because here’s the thing: we often only see people’s wins and highlights, but not the imperfect starts, the baby steps, the doubts, or the moments of wanting to give up.
My hope with this post is twofold:
To celebrate this milestone out loud.
And to show you what it really looks like to start before you’re ready, and why that matters so much for creative growth.
So, let me take you back to last summer in 2024, when I was thinking about starting a podcast.
The Spark: Deciding to Start
I had been wanting to start a podcast for years (since I love yap, and always wanted to talk about creativity).
I even attempted to start a podcast twice before with other people without much success. I took this as a sign to start my own thing to see my own vision through.
In the beginning, I wasn’t exactly sure what my podcast was gonna look like. I had very little figured out.
Sure, I knew I wanted to talk about creativity, personal growth, and what it means to live a creative life. I had maybe two episode ideas in mind but that was it.
I also knew I wanted to create something I couldn’t find anywhere else. A space for multi-passionate, neurodivergent women of color like me—a space where creativity could be nurtured and where we could feel less alone.
So I told myself, “ just start”. And that simple decision was the spark that kickstarted everything.
The Messy Beginning: Early Days & Learning Curves
Of course, the initial spark was the easy part. The actual beginning? That was messy and a little more challenging. I actually had to persevere.
For those first few early episodes, I was leaning heavily on structure and following a script because I just didn't have a process. I didn’t know how to just flow into a conversation.
Talking to the camera felt awkward. My neighbors were noisy. My partner and I had to coordinate quiet times so I could record.
And behind the scenes, I was still managing life, work, and trying to rest somewhere in between.
But here’s what surprised me: even in the middle of all those challenges, I started to feel proud.
I shared my episodes with friends and colleagues. For the first time, I could say: “Yes, I created this. This is mine.”
Looking back, I realized that if someone had told me how much I’d have to figure out in those early days, I might never have started.
But because I didn’t know, I just dove in. And that was a blessing.
The big lesson from this season? You don't build confidence by thinking about it, you build it by doing.
Big Lessons from One Year of Podcasting
So now, let’s zoom out. After one full year, what have I really learned?
I could share so many lessons, but here are three of the biggest ones.
Lesson 1: Consistency Looks Different Than You Think
This is the most consistent creative project I’ve ever done. And that didn’t happen because I was perfect or rigid.
It happened because I made a public commitment to show up weekly (talk about accountability). And, I also treated the podcast like an extension of my creative practice, not a chore.
There were weeks when I felt overwhelmed, and I realized I couldn’t keep going at the same pace. Instead of quitting, I scaled back. That’s what kept me going: choosing sustainability over burnout.
Lesson 2: Clarity Comes From Action
When I first started, I had no idea what the podcast was going to be. Interviews? Book reviews? Goal-setting? I tried a few different things at first but the only honest way I found my own unique voice was by actually doing it.
Each episode gave me more clarity about my message, my audience, and the way I wanted to show up. The confidence came later, after the action not before it.
Lesson 3: Good Enough Beats Perfect Every Time
At first, I re-recorded episodes over and over, trying to get them just right.
But I quickly noticed: the first takes had the most energy and authenticity. By the third or fourth attempt, it felt flat.
This podcast has taught me how to let go of perfectionism. And to be honest, this is still a work in progress and likely will continue to be for a long time. But I love that medium is a vehicle that I can use to practice letting go.
I've also learned that aiming for “good enough” is powerful because it allows you to stop doing endless revisions and instead forces you to move on and deliver.
Ongoing Growth: Things I’m Still Learning
Even with a year under my belt, I’m still learning every single day. But there are two mindset shifts I’m making to stay focused and excited.
Embracing incremental growth. This looks like improving one thing at a time instead of trying to master every aspect of podcasting at once. For example, this can be focusing on making better thumbnails, writing better hooks, or practicing my delivery, etc…
Focusing on my impact, not just on the numbers.
One of my favorite reminders came from Amie McNee who goes by @inspiredtowrite on Instagram, who said not to delete the post with no likes—because keeping it up is a radical refusal to measure your worth by external validation.
And, this is the exact attitude I’m taking on because as tempting as it is to delete a low performing post, it’s also important to use those situations as opportunities to remember our deeper why.
I like to remind myself that this creative project is more than just likes, views, or subscribers. This project is a tool to express myself and to find likeminded people to build community with.
At the end of the day, this is a living, breathing project. It’s allowed to evolve and change as I evolve and change. I don’t need to have it all figured out. And that's kinda the point…
Key Takeaway
I hope that what you take away from this episode is that:
You don’t have to be ready.
You don’t need to know the whole plan.
You just need the courage to take one imperfect step towards your creative vision.
Celebrate your milestones, no matter how small. Each win tells your mind and body, “this matters, this brings me joy”. And, it will help you to keep showing up.
And remember to treat your creative project like a creative practice, not like a chore. Because a practice will allow you to show up, learn, grow, and express yourself. So, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Take it to Your Journal
What’s the creative project you’ve been dreaming about?
And what would it look like to take one messy, imperfect step toward it this week?
Until next time, STAY CREATIVE!
Renata is a creativity coach empowering neurodivergent and multi-passionate women of color, to use creativity as a tool for self-discovery and healing, so they can let go of feeling inadequate and insecure and start experiencing more confidence and self-acceptance. She’s currently offering a free copy of her therapeutic art making workbook when you sign up for her email list. Sign up here to get your free copy.
