If you're a current or aspiring full-time creative, you no doubt have found that inspiration doesn't always strike on its own. So if you're looking for some daily listens to help infuse your day with creative inspiration, you're in luck.
From tips for small business owners to mental health advice to get you through the tough days, there are a host of incredible podcasts available to help you in your creative life and inspire you to reach new heights.
No matter what your taste, we’ve rounded up our picks for the 15 best podcasts of this year that will get the creative juices flowing.
After the Jump
After the Jump is all about life after you've made the "jump" into being a full-time creative entrepreneur, host Grace Bonney shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of chasing your dreams and hopes to inspire a new generation of independent artists to succeed, with a little help from the wisdom and insight of those who've walked the path before them.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 66
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 5
- Link to Stream
Creative Rebels
Creative Rebels feels a bit like hanging out in the basement of that fun but a little quirky, creative kid from school who wants to enthusiastically dig into their favorite topics. This high-energy podcast is a fun listen and packs in a lot of interesting insight into each episode as well.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 42
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 5
- Link to Stream
Ted Radio Hour
Being creative means staying tuned into the world around us and letting that help feed our inspiration. A great way to do that is to tune into the Ted Radio Hour and listen to inspiring stories from people across the world who encourage us to look a little more closely, listen a bit better, and embrace what we do not know.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 18,773
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 4.5
- Link to Stream
Never Not Creative
The Never Not Creative podcast is an extension of the Never Not Creative community, which is a fantastic community built on inspiring creators to never give up and keep reaching for their dreams. From productivity tips to inspiring mental health advice, this podcast feels like stepping into a community center built just for creatives.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: N/A
- Average Star Review (out of 5): N/A
- Link to Stream
Magic Lessons
This podcast hosted by bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert is packed full of inspiration to carry you through your day as a creative with a smile on your face. Featuring some all-star guests like Neil Gaiman, the theme of this podcast is to follow Elizabeth along on her quest to help aspiring artists overcome their fears and live more fulfilling lives as creatives.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 1,210
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 4.5
- Link to Stream
Being Freelance
If you’re looking to be a full-time creative, it is more than likely you’ll end up freelancing at some point in your career. Being Freelance is a great podcast to prepare you for the challenges of freelancing and help you navigate them, and should be on any creative person’s regular listening list.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 31
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 4.5
- Link to Stream
The 21st Century Creative
This podcast is just all-around awesome. It not only includes a wealth of important information about being a working creative and interviews with leading artists and creatives, but it also poses weekly creative challenges to its listeners. This is the perfect podcast to get you inspired, motivated, and actually out there DOING the stuff you've been putting off.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 59
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 5
- Link to Stream
The Creative Condition
Another round-table style discussion on the nature of the creative industry, this podcast, hosted by illustrator and writer Ben Tallon, is a wealth of information, humor, and inspiration. A great listen for people who want to feel just a little less alone in their creative journey.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 313
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 4.5
- Link to Stream
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The Creative Introvert
Are you a creative that prefers solo work over group collaborations? This is your podcast. Host Cat Rose has built an insightful, empathetic podcast that helps introverts succeed as creatives in a world that demands things from creatives that introverts might shy away from, like self-promotion.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 41
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 4.5
- Link to Stream
The Daily Creative with Todd Henry
A great podcast for getting through the creative doldrums, host Todd Henry shares a wealth of tips on how to stay creative, productive and get the work done that you've wanted to complete. If you're a creative that struggles with starting projects and never finishing them, this is a must-listen.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 33
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 5
- Link to Stream
The Jealous Curator: Art for Your Ears
This podcast gives some of the most successful contemporary artists a platform to talk about their art, their creative process, and what life is like as a full-time artist. This is a great listen for not only people that are in the visual arts but any creative looking for a spark of inspiration.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 421
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 4.5
- Link to Stream
How to Fail
To succeed means to fail many times, and this podcast is out to help creatives learn from the failures of others. It’s a celebration of this necessary part of the creative process, and so much can be learned from the many guests that discuss their failures and how they ultimately helped them to succeed.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 493
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 4.5
- Link to Stream
Make It Then Tell Everybody
This podcast is designed to help creatives get “unstuck” during their creative journey, Make It Then Tell Everybody is aimed at comic and illustration artists, but the storytelling advice and creative tricks of the trade are invaluable for young creatives of all genres who are finally breaking into the world of professional creation.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 70
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 5
- Link to Stream
Adventures in Design
This is a daily "talk show" style podcast that is designed by creatives for creatives. Topics cover the whole range of the creative experience, from inspiration to marketing, and there's always something fresh and fun going on.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 341
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 4.5
- Link to Stream
The Collective Podcast
Hosted by designer and director Ash Thorp, this bi-weekly podcast hosts honest discussions with creative professionals around the world who share their personal experiences as a working creative. Covering all forms of art and media, this is a great listen to get insight into the minds of some of the most influential creatives in the world.
- Number of Reviews on Apple Podcasts: 109
- Average Star Review (out of 5): 4.5
- Link to Stream
No matter what stage of your creative career you may be navigating, there’s tons of information to be found in these podcasts to help you work smarter and gain a greater understanding of the creative industry as it continues to shift and evolve.
Looking for more podcasts to check out? Here are some other recommendations:
