There is something to be said for consistency.

In discussing podcasting with a dear friend of mine, we began talking about posting schedules and how important they are in gathering an audience and keeping them close. The idea is you have to put up a show on the same day of the week with the same interval between shows, and roughly the same show length, so people will keep coming back and your audience will grow.

This theory seemed so obvious and necessary in the moment, but as I went back and thought about our conversation, I reconsidered the validity of this idea against the values of my friend and my own. When we started working on this project (as we do with most of our work), we established the understanding that we wouldn’t succomb to the status quo; just because other people follow a certain process does not mean that is the best way for us or in general–it may just be what is accepted by the masses.

Rituals

As the story goes, there was once a priest who went outside to meditate at the same time each morning. He would stay out for hours at a time, so he brought a sandwich with him to keep his rumbling stomach from distracting him from his thoughts.

After following this ritual for a few weeks, a stray cat started joining him–not so much for the spiritual aspect of his morning, but for the occasional crumb that would fall from the priest’s food. This guest became a distraction for the priest, so he started his sessions going forward by feeding the cat and then tying it to a nearby tree until he was finished.

This ritual went on for many years, and the priest was growing old. Even priests have to do succession planning, and he had a few men studying under him preparing to carry on the torch. After the priest’s passing, a new man was ordained and took his place. And after this new priest grew old, another was brought up to fill his shoes.

Jump ahead a thousand years. A group is being brought into the priesthood and preparing to be ordained. As they get into the subject of meditation, the teacher opens a cage, takes out a cat, and begins: “first you must tie a cat to a tree…”

Search for meaning

Many lessons can be taken from this narrative, but the most significant of them is to stay curious. Using your own perspective and past experiences, rethink what people around you accept to be the norm. Ask questions and test hypotheses; don’t assume. This lesson shapes many of my thoughts around business strategy, belief systems, and lifestyles.

Back to my opening paragraph, this guided my rethinking around Podcasting–or any content-sharing medium for that matter. While routines and schedules are praised by the industry and are said to be good for building audiences and increasing creativity, the message value is not taken into account. These methods are very inward-focused; having dedicated fans (read “fame”) and being creative (also read “fame”) are among the core internal desires of many people.

If we cared about the people to whom we are speaking and put them first, I believe we would post quite a lot less than we do today. Instead of forcing production for the sake of gaining views, we should share when we have something to meaningful and important to share.

Gathering a following should happen organically, not through content and social media strategies. Make something meaningful and talk about it, and people will show up if it matters to them.

Getting “more creative” is done through a sketchbook or journal (or relative medium depending on your line of work). Work on building your craft privately. Showing your practice work may feel like it builds creative confidence, but Instagram and Dribbble likes mean very little in reality. If you really care about what you do, it should be driven by personal commitment and passion, which should not be confused with the affirmation we feel when we get notifications.

Be consistent in your practicing—not your production.

When you embed yourself in a production routine, people begin to develop high expectations, and you lose the beauty and organic nature of the unexpected surprise.

Go work. Be curious. Look outside your industry.