Introduction
Creative Grief Studio Co-Founder Kara Jones and To Grieve host Will Daddario of Inviting Abundance shared a conversation exploring the language of grief, intersections of grief and social justice and more on this podcast. Kara also shared more with us in the interview below about what it is like to be a guest on a podcast.
Interview with Kara Jones, Studio Co-Founder
Q: How did you know that you’d be able to be a guest on a podcast, including knowing what equipment to use, how to dial in, etc?
Kara: Well, part of my confidence in doing podcasts comes from two things: 1) my own podcasts on different grief + creativity topics that I’ve been sharing on my blog AND 2) teaching workshops and facilitating groups in an online format for years. Both of those give me lots of opportunity to look at platforms, review equipment, and just understand how recordings like this work.
Because of doing my own work in this way, I knew I had earphones and a microphone that work. But I’ve also done podcasts where I just dial in from my phone to the host, and wa-la. I guess I would tell others to trust your hosts, too. They want new guests for every episode. If they have any interest at all in your heARTwork, they will ask great questions. And they will be very specific (in my own experience anyway) with how to dial in, how they will test sound with you before recording, and more. The hosts I’ve known have made it easy!
Q: Why did you decide to do this particular podcast? How do you decided what podcasts you’d like to be on at all?
Kara: Honestly, I cannot remember how Will, his partner Joanne, and I met! I do remember Joanne being a participant in one of my personal coaching Grief+Creativity workshops online. We all had an interest in the language of grief. Will talks a bit in this episode about them first discovering The Dictionary Of Loss over at KotaPress, so I’m thinking we all connected via email first.
Anyway, they have been doing such interesting heARTwork in their own lives, and we all share the experience of the death of a child. I very much liked hearing from them about their aims for the To Grieve podcast, and Will had a keen interest in the social justice lens and how it informs grief outreach. So it just felt like a fit and I said YES.
In terms of choosing to do other podcasts, I love doing them. It often feels more of a fit to me when I am invited, rather than seeking out interest. But I have both submitted my work for consideration AND had others issue an invite because they found me. For me, it feels like a best fit when the host and producers of the podcast are truly interested in grief experiences, so I don’t try to retro-fit myself to podcasts that are about, say, the economy or something.
Q: Why do you think guesting on a podcast makes sense for helping professionals who are doing grief outreach?
Kara: As with all my heARTwork, I will say here, too, that I don’t think there is one right answer. Every helping professional will be different. If you are employed institutionally and working strictly within your one organization, you may see no need to do things like podcasts.
That said, for those of us out here working self-employed or in creatively collaborative ways with other heARTists, we may find it of great value to connect. I often work solo inside the four walls of my studio. So when I get to connect with a host and other guests as well as listeners on grief+creativity topics, I looooove that connection. It’s also very helpful to do this kind of broadcast to share the heARTwork I’m doing, because I’m a small business. I don’t have a huge budget for “advertising” and “marketing”…and my interest is in PEOPLE, not “marketing” anyway. So doing a broadcast like this gives me a chance to connect in a more … hmmmm … real? … longer than 30 secs? … more thorough way??? Something like that. People can listen and get a feel for what I mean when I say heARTwork, you know?
So, if you are a helping professional, I would at least encourage you to check out podcasts. See if they make sense for you!
The Podcast
To Grieve podcast at Inviting Abundance
Host, Will Daddario
Ep. 5: Creative Grief Practice with Kara Jones
Kara Jones of the Creative Grief Studio and GriefAndCreativity.com shares her knowledge from 20+ years of experience as an artful and heARTful griever. This episode is ideal for hospice nurses, death doulas, social workers, and other medical professionals who are seeking resources for cultivating an inclusive grief environment. Kara and Will discuss the intersection of grief and social justice, the triumphs and failures of language in grief work, and their own experiences as grieving parents.