Having just edited and released the first episode of a freshly revamped GM’s Journal for Patrons, I realised that I really enjoy podcasting. You might be interested to hear why.

I love that I have a voice

Yes, I know that I actually have a voice – as in the capability to speak – but over the past three years I have discovered my particular form of expression.

We each have things to say. We’re all unique. No one has the same experiences as you, no one thinks like you, there has never been another human being quite like you, and there never will be another you in the future.

Podcasting has helped me to realise the value that some people have found in the things I have to say. This experience has taught me to respect the idea that perhaps it’s not only a privilege to live in an age when expression has never been quite so easy, but also to respect the idea that I can be responsible for saying something meaningful.

What I say is certainly not for everybody but it is appreciated by somebody. Quite a few somebodies, it turns out.

I love that people respond

Not only do I get to express my ideas but by the magic of Anchor’s messaging service and the fact that most people own a mobile phone with a voice recording app plus the ability to email me their thoughts, I get to hear people’s responses.

It’s a really generous thing to respond to someone’s work and I have learned to appreciate that generosity more as the years have rolled on. Hearing what someone liked (or disliked) means that your work touched them in some way – good or bad – and made a difference. That is a privilege. Thank you to everyone who has ever called in.

I love that podcasting is free

It doesn’t cost very much to get online with a podcast. Hosting is free (at least, it is on Anchor.fm) and I can use my phone to record some pretty reasonable audio with ease. Yes, I stepped up and bought a nice microphone early on and since then my wife upgraded me for Christmas. But none of that gear is necessary to podcast.

You can grab your mobile phone, download an app, and get podcasting. Even the video editing software I use, created as it was from the generous work of an open source project online, costs very little to lift yourself from raw recording on Anchor to something a little more pro-sounding. Not that any of that is necessary… but we live in an amazing age.

So thank you! Thanks for reading this. Thanks for listening in too (if you do). But mostly, thanks to everyone who made it possible for me to find my voice, hear people’s responses, and do it for a pretty low cost.

Game on!