“Putting together the podcast has been like swimming laps or practicing free-throws — it’s creative cross-training that benefits my broader writing pursuits, even as it allows me to explore esoteric topics that fascinate me.” – Rolf Potts

In this episode of Deviate (which is remixed from Jay Acunzo’s 3 Clips podcast) Rolf and Jay talk about how a visual medium like travel gets translated to audio, and how podcasting serves Rolf’s creative career (4:00); how the walking episode differed from normal ones, and the walk naturally mixed spiritual and practical themes (10:00); how to approach an interview without an outline, creating unstructured content that is beholden to things like having to take a pee (15:00); ow smooth conversation is often the result of planning and effort, deviating yet remembering what the core topic is (22:00); using spontaneous moments in a strategic way, and how Rolf will organize and plan the podcast looking forward (34:00).

Jay Acunzo has worked for companies like Google and ESPN, and his projects (such as his 3 Clips podcast) aim to demystify the creative process behind creating memorable projects, careers, and companies.

Notable Links:

Long-distance hiking at home (Deviate episode)
Idiosyncrasies of global train travel (Deviate episode)
Thich Nhat Hanh (Buddhist monk)
Paris Writing Workshops (creative writing class)
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Archive of Deviate episodes with Ari Shaffir
Scriptnotes (screenwriting podcast)
The Rewatchables (movie podcast)
Super Bowl special (Deviate episode)
Why dinosaurs matter (Deviate episode)
J. Yuenger on music and long-term travel (Deviate episode)
Ian MacKaye on rock music (Deviate episode)

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

Maintaining creative fitness: How my podcast augments my writing career