Growing up, I always enjoyed listening to people talk about interesting things. As a child, I loved the idea of storytime at the library. In high school I discovered audiobooks. Since I am a Christian, I've fallen into deep concentration while listening to Sunday sermons. Words fascinate me, especially when I am listening to someone discuss something they are passionate about.

When I started studying with friends in college, they noticed that I would put on YouTube videos and only focus on the audio. After realizing that this was how I got through making flashcards and study guides, a few of them suggested that I start listening to podcasts. At the time, I smiled at the suggestion and told them that I wasn't interested.

It wasn't until the summer before my senior year of college that I reconsidered the idea of listening to podcasts. I spent a lot of time commuting to my internship, which meant I spent a lot of time sitting in horrible traffic on super hot days. I needed something to help me kill time because playlists were only calming my road rage to an extent. Enter podcasts. A few YouTubers that I already followed plugged their podcasts on their videos and social media. Wanting to laugh while sitting in my car, I finally decided to give them a listen. I fell in love and it made my commute easier.

One podcaster, in particular, Shaakira White, even inspired me to create my own podcast. Shaakira is the creator of the Carefree & Black Diaries podcast. She discusses everything from pop culture to politics on her platform, while encouraging young men and women to use the tools around them to create their brands.

I decided to give podcast creation a try after listening to Shaakira plug the app, Anchor on multiple episodes. It was as easy as Shaakira made it seem and my podcast, glowinghope was born. Deciding to start podcasting was a very positive thing for me. It encouraged me to take the ideas I had floating around in my head and turn them into something tangible. It has also sparked more imagination in my life through writing and other creative outlets.

Though I haven't made a new episode in a few months because of school and work, I'm excited to release new content in 2020. As the new year begins, is there anything in your life that you'd like to explore? Self-reflection regarding your interests is the first step that can open many creative doors.