Best Laid Plans

What I planned on doing in 2023 and what actually happened

a person frantically planning an event AI-Generated

I don’t know about you, but 2023 hasn’t gone according to plan. I don’t mean that in a bad way, let me explain. So for the Create Art Podcast, I usually plan out for the next year in November and I had monthly topics set up for the entire year. I also didn’t want to do any interviews this year because on my other podcast, Find A Podcast About, I do interviews with podcasters who wish to be interviewed after I review their show.

I created all of the episode artwork for each show in 2023 and then the holidays came through like a hurricane. My wife gave me a deck of cards called Kickstart Creativity. I took the gift and well so far the rest is history. I scraped my idea of the other topics for this year, and I have done a card a week with the exception of April as that is National/Global Poetry Writing Month. I enjoy these cards as they keep me mindful of a topic a week, and I pass my ideas on to you.

The other thing was interviewing folks. So I belong to a Mastermind of sorts called PodPros. It’s a group of folks that get together virtually and talk about being a host and getting guests and guests getting on podcasts. I also have interviewed authors for Trope Publishing. This year I have interviewed or been interviewed a few times. So that is out the window, but I am glad because I have met some awesome people along the way.

A man looking satisficed in his office AI-Generated

So we are fast approaching June and halfway through 2023. I have an interview to conduct next week and the guest has an amazing backstory. This week I am talking with Emi Ferguson who is a flautist and a composer. You can get that episode here when it comes out on the 28th of May.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel I wasted my time doing all those episode art pieces, I’ll use them in 2024. Basically, the universe is telling me not yet. Sometimes we need to quiet ourselves and listen to that small voice that says, nope let’s do something else. We all need that type of flexibility in our lives.

Another thing I didn’t plan on doing was leading a podcast group at our local library. Before the pandemic, I helped run a meetup group for podcasters, and when the pandemic passed some of them reached back and wanted to meet again. That is now on my plate starting in June. I am also planning on going to Indie Pod Con 8 in September. It is a podcasting conference in New Jersey. I also plan on heading down to Richmond for their Resonate Podcast Conference in November. Originally I was going to do another podcast conference in Trenton New Jersey, but for some reason and without warning that conference got cancelled.

I bring all of this to you to show you that we can lay out excellent plans, but we also need to be flexible with them. How does one go about doing that, well that is where you come in. I’d love to hear about how flexible you are being with your planning. Let me know. Until June have a great Memorial Day Weekend here in the USA.