By: Eder Díaz Santillán
In May 2018, I published the first chapter of my podcast “De Pueblo, Católico, y Gay” with much fear and nervousness. For many months I had the idea, before recording the first episode that ended up being the first trailer. What happened was the following, I was lying on my sofa on a Sunday, imagining the stories I wanted to tell and that I had never seen elsewhere, and although I was nervous to imagine myself telling very personal things, at the same time I was excited to create something where I finally felt represented. Where do I go with all this? I finally cheered up, and with a borrowed microphone and with no experience in podcasts, I recorded something and published it. The next day my cell phone had so many notifications that I thought something bad had happened – but no – it was hundreds of messages in support of my podcast – I couldn’t believe it! I am very happy to having had the courage – because I know that if I did not take that first step, I would have spend another 10 months doing nothing to get my idea going.
By this time, I am already in the fourth season of the podcast, I have managed to return to the university to study a master’s degree and continue looking for ways to create better content. In the march I have learned so much, I am learning to promote a podcast using only social media, I have learned to do better interviews, to edit audio better and to mix it, I learned how to create original music, and how the volume levels should be when adding audios to be published on digital platforms and above all, I have learned so much from my community and our diversity.
Many people that I know talk to me about their ideas for content, and I always keep an open mouth thinking on the endless possibilities if I apply those ideas. I want to ask you, even I want to beg you, than if you have an idea – throw it today. Even if you fail, learn, read, ask, get wrong again, and get it wrong once more, but launch your idea now. Your voice is needed, your story is very much needed, and nobody – absolutely nobody can do what you can do. I ask you with all my heart, cheer up, don’t be afraid. I know that getting exposed is not easy, that hearing or reading criticism of your work is not easy, believe me, sometimes I still feel confused when I read negative comments and at that moment I want to abandon everything I do, but suddenly I get a message from someone in El Salvador, in Chile, or a town in Mexico from someone who heard my work and realized that he is not alone – and everything is worth it. I am a content creator and I tell stories, and nothing makes me happier than seeing my work improve and reach out to those who need to listen. Sometimes I listen to the first episodes of my podcast and I am so ashamed that I feel a need to modify the episodes with what I now know – but I leave them the way they are because they remind me how much I have grown and remind me of everything I have learned on the march.
Any ideas you have, it can be a book, a YouTube channel, a podcast, a space, a mural, some t-shirts, an Instagram account – send it to me, and send me a message to help you and follow you and promote you – nothing would make me happier than watching your project grow, and listen to your voice and your story – you are really needed.