getting the party started
4 interviews down, 8 to go, plus the how 2nd time around
Happy summer! I started recording interviews for season 2 of the podcast last week. I recorded two interviews last week and two this week and that was probably about two too many on top of two busy weeks of work, but moving forward will have about one a week into early August, which should be more manageable.
Though busy, I’m super pleased with how things are going so far. The format this season is pretty different, too. Rather than start with a fairly similar slate of questions about art training, studio space, day jobs, and creative routines, I’m spending a lot more time researching each artist to come up with a totally unique set of questions each time. This may sound obvious to those of you who listen to lots of interview-based podcasts, but first time around I approached things in a bit more formulaic way. In this way, research/prep is taking a lot longer but I’m really enjoying it and I think the end result is worth the extra prep time. Not that I’m not proud of season one; I actually really am given it was my first go at this sort of thing and I did (and am still doing) everything myself, from scratch. But, you know, I’m stretching myself a bit this season. Stretch goals as we say in the work world!
I’ve also changed how I’m making the podcast this time around. Last time I used Skype, which was retired by Microsoft back in May. I did some research and turns out you can record a decent-sounding interview via Zoom with some minor setting adjustments. I upgraded my personal Zoom account on a month-to-month basis in order to record interviews longer than 40 minutes (I could have a 30-hour meeting with 500 attendees if I wanted to…imagine the possibilities!). And I downloaded Audacity for editing and such. Last time I used Audition, but I no longer have an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription so I’m going to give Audacity a go.
My goal this season is to spend less time editing (working full-time this round, I simply don’t have the bandwidth if I want to get season 2 out in the world sometime this year!) so I’ve worked pretty hard on the number and flow of questions and keeping things to about an hour. It’ll be more a back and forth between me and the artist, less need for signposting and that sorta thing, which I hope will be a more enjoyable listening experience. In case you’re new here, this is my draft intro for season 2:
“Welcome to Artists in Offices, a podcast that explores—through interviews with working artists—the idea that the work you do for pay supports the work you do for love...or does it? I’m your host, Rebecca Bird Grigsby: visual artist, crafty generalist, dance enthusiast, and full-time ‘artist in office.’ In 2017, I left my full-time day job at the time and spent two years rebooting my studio practice while navigating the uncertain terrain between day jobs and creative work.
In season 1, each episode offered a conversation with an artist balancing their day job with their art practice. In Season 2, we’re putting a special spotlight on parent artists—those navigating the unique challenges (and opportunities) of caregiving while pursuing both paid work and creative fulfillment.”
To date, 12 artists have said yes to an interview, 9 of whom have scheduled those interviews (and again, 4 are recorded). I’m starting to schedule in-person visits as well to record a little extra audio and snap some pictures.
Some key themes from the first 1/3 of interviews so far include creative fulfillment at work, navigating paid work and more personal art when the medium is the same, the importance of community and networking, personal narratives, pandemic silver linings, and residencies, both legit and DIY. I seriously cannot wait to get all interviews recorded, throw together a trailer, and get these convos out in the world.
And yes, so far I’ve worn stripes for every interview. Not sure I can stop now. Anywho, stay tuned to this space for more details and updates in the coming weeks! And follow along on Instagram, too.