A new identity: A podcast project finds a new place in Substack.
🎙 A Conversation with Shane O'Mara: The Story of a lesson, conversation, and Practice.
👋 Hello, dear creative. How are you doing today?
This issue is not like usual ones. Discussing setbacks within projects can be quite challenging, especially as a creator of projects. Setbacks in a project are common and will always occur. As I write this, I have found a sense of peace to pour upon that dear project of mine that did not unfold as planned.
It has been a burden on my mind and a source of regret for months. Two weeks ago, I had the intuitive idea to share a conversation here on Substack, not only because of the guest but, more importantly, to pay tribute to that project.
It all began in 2020 and resumed in 2022…
The story of this conversation
🌱I was so hopeful
I launched my first podcast in 2020 called Think and Speak Positive, an in situ podcast in Copenhagen. It catapulted me into a new realm of skills, endeavours and challenges. I completed season one with high hopes for season 2, even after COVID. Several of my travel plans had been postponed, forcing me to reinvent how to make the new season possible. I embarked on finding new guests and organising recording sessions.
✨The stars did not align
I started recording in early 2022 and planned to have it all live by the summer. I had my selected guests and all my recordings finished by March. I found myself with inconsistent audio quality (in-house and studio recordings). I confess that I lacked judgment on this production aspect, and I knew I needed some help to fix that. What is quite striking is that, if I had known about the new audio tools, especially those powered by AI, which I discovered this year, I am confident that I would have pursued that podcast project with greater ease. The renewed knowledge and technology would have been pivotal.
Long story short, momentum passed, I became discouraged, and life events got in the way. I kept the recording in one of those files, which I am sure you know about the dear projects file. It felt like the universe was driving me away from fulfilling this project. And that, in itself made me sad for myself and those who accepted to be a part of the project. Hopefully, I moved on with my career, projects and a renewed vision for what I wanted to achieve. I always kept in mind those undelivered meaningful conversations.
🗺 A DNA I grasped but did not listen to
The time gap brought new awareness. The core vision of the podcast was there from the beginning. It was initially created with the concept of in-person recordings within a city, and that city played a central role in the podcast. I realized that my first experience with this podcast had strong unconscious DNA. It was deeply rooted in the mood and vibe of the project. Setbacks are never easy to face and never easy to let go of. It became clear to me that all the recordings I had did not belong to that podcast. They didn't represent a true "Season 2" for me.
🎙A few conversations are saved
What should I do with those 12 conversations now? I pondered on that big question, and I was guided to share one of them here on Substack. One that seemed like the ideal choice for this platform. A conversation with a fellow Substack writer whom I both admire and support. I listened to it and thought it would be difficult to save as an audio file, but I did my best to make it audible. After 3 days of working on it, I believe the content will shine through.
How do you recover from a project that has suffered setbacks?
Give it a new identity.
Substack felt like an extension of that recovery. I can share this talk with you all, along with the behind-the-scenes details. But most importantly, I know it has found a new home here. You can do whatever you want with your newsletter; I knew it from the moment I pressed my first ‘‘published button’’. I understood this space was experimental yet intentional. It grows as I grow and allows me to rethink even old projects I had given up on.
Now that have a better understanding of the why and how, may I now share who...
A little bit about Shane O’Mara
He is a Professor of Experimental Brain Research at Trinity College, Dublin. He is also a neuroscientist, psychologist, and writer. He is also the one behind the smart and insightful newsletter
where he shares his musings and research about the brain and human experiences.He is a kind human and inspiring writer. He reminds me of an email exchange I had with Alain de Botton years ago when I was still a kid in content and design.
Extract of that email advise…
Dear Keva, congratulations on gathering the courage to write to me. It isn't necessary as I am a friendly soul - but I do understand.
I also hope you will keep writing to people, as you never know when their interests and yours will coincidence. At worst, they say no, it hurts for 30 seconds, then life goes on. And if they say yes, the upside can be huge.Alain de Botton
Even if Alain de Botton said no to that specific project, his advice stayed close to my memory. It serves as a reminder that ignites my courage to dare to talk to those who may seem so far from reach. Hopefully, Shane was one of those kind souls who said yes to the project. Even if the project did not happen as projected, our talk can find resonance here in this letter.
You will learn more about Shane's career path and how the book In Praise of Walking came to life. The talk covers not only the fascinating connection between the brain and walking but also highlights Shane's vibrant personality.
Thank you, Shane!
And to you all, enjoy the talk 🌞
Some key books
❇️ In Praise of Walking
❇️ Talking HeadsAdditional interviews
❇️ Walking is a superpower • Feel Better Live More podcast❇️ Improve your health • The Dhru Purohit Podcast
❇️ Zombie neuroscience • Shane O'Mara at TEDxDublin
🤩 Creative awe
📈 My investigation on walking (After reading the book, I had to write…).
🧠 Walking makes you happier & brainier (Walk with Shane O’Mara for the Guardian. Another great article expanding his thinking and research).
📹The Art of Laughing (An inspiring and empowering deep dive into the crafting of laughter from renowned masterpieces).🎨 The Meaningful Gardens of Our Lives (Wise words by fellow Substack writer
You should check out his interview with Pianist Jennifer Chew on her journey to mastering the craft).
Creativity is in every little curious experimentation.
I hope you enjoyed the read of the week. If you enjoy this letter → 💖 put a heart on it and feel free to share it with peers, friends and family! It helps more people discover this space.
Until next time, keep creating!
Keva.
Thank you for sharing this interview and for adding my links to On Humanity into your creative roundup section! The conversation with Shane was very interesting, with the evolutionary examples he cites, and I’m intrigued by the book. I will likely get ahold of it soon!