A Strange Request

In 2014 something happened that I never expected. I became a podcaster. I had been listening to podcasts for years, notably The Forcecast (back in the Jason and Jimmy Mac days), Stuff You Should Know, and This American Life. I’ve always gravitated towards audio entertainment and enjoyed the regular programming that podcasts provided immensely. Then one day I got an interesting request on Twitter. I had tweeted a prediction about when we’d receive teasers and trailers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Then I was asked if I’d like to record that in audio form for a Star Wars/Doctor Who podcast called Who Wars.

Although I was very interested, I was very unsure of myself. Not only did I have 0 experience with podcasting, reporting or any sort of media, but also I’ve always been an introvert and especially nervous when it comes to speaking in public. But still, the prospect of expressing myself to like-minded fans proved to be irresistible. I recorded my trailer predictions as well as a brief 4 minute review of a Doctor Who audio book on my first episode of Who Wars. I was very happy and proud of those few minutes and quickly knew that I wanted to do more. In the months that followed I became a regular contributor to Who Wars submitting reviews, commentaries, comicon coverage and even interviews!

It was great fun podcasting and geeking out with fellow fans about two things I was so passionate about. But I started to realize that I wanted to podcast about more than just Star Wars and Doctor Who. My brain is so random and I had all these thoughts for episode ideas. And thus my brainchild, Nerd of Paradise was born.

Podding Along

Around the same time I was working out the details for Nerd of Paradise some interesting developments took place. Who Wars would soon be ending and I joined the Star Wars podcast Blabba The Hutt. So I went forward podcasting about Star Wars and podcasting about random topics that I wanted to learn more about.

The past year with Blabba the Hutt has been an adventure in itself, but now I want to talk about Nerd of Paradise. As we come upon the 1 year podiversary of Nerd of Paradise it’s been an incredible year of growth, exploration and reflection. I’ve really enjoyed digging deeper into topics I love and some that I’ve always wondered about. I’ve had the chance to hear some really interesting perspectives from so many different people. And I’ve also gotten the satisfaction of having your own show and producing it exactly the way you want it.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

But deeper than all of that, podcasting has given me an inner confidence I never had before. It’s slowly made me become less of an introvert and more comfortable expressing myself to the world. I even worked up enough courage to release episodes and write about body image, a topic that I had never spoken about publicly.

Although I’m still an introvert at the core, I’ve really noticed a change in personality at events like cons. I used to be a total wallflower at things like that but podcasting gives me a reason to go up to people and interact. Even now, it’s not always easy, but the desire to get good content overrides all of my nerves.

Amazing Adventures

It’s been truly incredible this past year. I’ve went to places I never imagined both figuratively and literally. It’s been an amazing adventure but also a lot of hard work. Putting yourself out there isn’t always easy and sometimes I wonder if I should keep going. But whenever I finish an episode I’m invariably proud and remember all the reasons I love podcasting. Podcasting has become an extension of my very being and deep down I feel I need to keep doing this.

I’m still amazed that anyone would want to listen to my awkward ramblings, so a big thanks to my loyal fans! Nerd of Paradise might not be the most polished, professional podcast out there, but hopefully that’s part of its appeal. I still have so many ideas in my head that need to be explored, so stick around for more random fun. The best is yet to come…

Go listen to episode 20 to hear more about podcasting!