The Monthly Magpie: March 2024

I decided this year I'm giving myself permission to be bad at things.

If you follow me on social media, you've probably noticed I'm talking about knitting almost as much as I'm talking about podcasts. I've been trying to knit for years, having picked up crochet very quickly when I was in high school. This winter, the fiber gods sent me a boon. I now can knit.

Okay, maybe the gods didn't send me a boon. The fact is, I looked at myself and said "I can be bad at this to get good at this". I restarted my first scarf about six or seven times before the cable pattern clicked. The hat I made next, I only restarted about three times. The first sock I made, I restarted twice, and the second sock I was able to make straight through without ripping anything out.

I was good at school. I'm good at a lot of things. I like figuring things out. However, when I make mistakes, I sometimes end up mostly in bed for a week because I can't get the mistake out of my head. Enter a low-stress teaching mechanism. Knitting.

Winter is hard. Mental health in 2024 is hard. I'm giving myself permission to be bad. To restart, to retry, and to move forward with the same grace I offer others. If I can be kind to everyone else, why can't I be nicer to myself?

I also share this to say, that you can also permit yourself to be bad at things. Make the "bad" podcast, write the "bad" book, fall off the rock climbing wall a few times, but get back up the next time to try a different path to success. It can be about big and little things.

This Month's Reviews

I'm trying something new with the links...let me know how you like it!

Review: The Nightingale of Iran

Through making this audio-documentary the sisters are learning about themselves, about a heritage that sometimes was too painful, and layers of culture they only can observe through the unraveling of time and the revealing of sound.

Mentally? A MagpieKeelin

"This is a podcast that not only is a journey for the hosts as they learn about their family history, and what it once meant to be Jewish in Iran, but also for those of us who don’t know much about this part of the world."

Review: Lowlines

Some podcasts are meant to be devoured, in a bubble bath, with the world around you turned down a few notches.

Mentally? A MagpieKeelin

"Some podcasts are meant to be devoured, in a bubble bath, with the world around you turned down a few notches. They’re meant to be taken in when you intentionally make the world a little softer, so you can bring focus to moments and pieces rather than big ideas. They are podcasts to take a breath with, to slow down, contemplate, and consider."

This Month's Journals

Magpie Journal #9: Podcasts to Dip Your Toes In

I can’t imagine jumping into talk-show-type podcasts. Sure, everyone has a reason to listen to New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce right now - but these chat-style podcasts based around known people are just the tip of the iceberg in podcast land.

Mentally? A MagpieKeelin

Do you have a friend who doesn't know where to start with podcasts? Check out some of the ones in this journal!

Magpie Journal #10: Podcast Listeners

If you follow me on Threads you’ll see me ask “What podcast are you listening to today?” and shame those who post their own podcasts. The reason I’m asking these questions is because podcast listening is very lonely. It doesn’t have to be, and I think podcasters can do a lot to help.

Mentally? A MagpieKeelin

My new dream, and also a nightmare, is the idea of podcast influencers in the vein of Booktok or Bookstagram. It would mean we had a culture around listening to podcasts rather than isolated fan bases. Check out my journal for more thoughts!

Thanks for Reading!

Next month we'll probably be stepping into the world of aliens because that's where my brain is at lately. My partner started reading Tom DeLonge's books about aliens and such and well, I went down a rabbit hole too.

While I haven't quite figured out the best way to start possibly monetizing this - If you like what I do and want to buy me a coffee, I do have a Ko-Fi set up.

It's been an interesting few months for me, but I'm grateful for everyone who reads, comments, and chats with me about podcasts. I love the community I'm stepping into, and I hope I can help make this medium a truly great one.