5 Ways Storytelling Podcasts Boost Creativity

I am addicted to storytelling podcasts. Way before the nation jumped on the Serial bandwagon, I had been a loyal listener and avid fan of This American Life, Radiolab, Snap Judgment, The Moth and other shows whose sole focus was sharing extraordinary stories.

So after perhaps thousands of hours of listening to stories of danger, love, corruption, death, hope, tragedy and tiny awakenings, it seems like a deeply subconscious part of my brain is completely enlivened by the storytelling experience.

Here are five ways that storytelling podcasts boost creativity.

1. You Become an Active Listener. Much of the time, we’re only focused on our own thoughts, our own special neuroses. But when you can sit still and listen to a beautiful 30-minute account of someone overcoming a cruel fate, for example, you don’t want to miss a word. Each sentence is an intricate point in a narrative designed to shift your senses and make you feel something. After the podcasts are over, your senses can be heightened and you learn to hear people’s stories in everyday life—stories that inspire.

2. Your Imagination is Sparked. There are hundreds if not thousands of remarkable storytellers around the world. Each podcast has the potential to unleash a completely new reality on your otherwise still psyche. Through people’s personal stories, you get a fast track into other cultures, other belief systems and you may even (if you’re lucky) have a chance to confront your own biases. Whether you’re listening to an account of lovers reuniting or how someone learned to fly an airplane, you’re invited into new parts of a very real world.

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