(This is a long review- make sure you click the more button to expand at the bottom, or you’ll miss the whole thing! You should be seeing a long wall of paragraphs :-) Here we go.)
I’ve been binge-devouring The Well from the beginning, and I am fixated- grab a drink, get comfy, because you’re in for a very long story— let me tell you why I’ve been gobbling this podcast up like the Cookie Monster.
It’s been a… well, a well! of delight; creative/intellectual/emotional/mental stimulation; perspective- and empathy-provocation; and change-for-the-better inspiration that I desperately needed. It’s also a lighthouse beacon of not-being-alone-ness, human connection and togetherness, the likes of which cover me in a warm blanket of comfort & contentment. The Well has blessed me with these wonderfully juxtaposed, complementary, harmonious feelings: of a relieved exhale in the midst of a grounding hug from a friend; of a roaring fire sparkling throughout my soul, urging me to dream wilder & gallop further & make better, and the deep, eager inhale that stokes the flames as I get up & go; of the growth, that only comes from learning what the world is through someone else’s eyes; and much more. It’s an amalgamation of profundity, pathos, insight, & levity.
The Well podcast has inspirited me to reconnect with my soul as an artist. If I’m not creating art, I don’t know who I am; I’m aimless & amorphous without it. But a sustained culmination of circumstances restricted my ability to create for a long time, and left me living disquietingly amorphously. Then at just the right time as I was regaining abilities, and needing to get my spirit back into the swing of it; along came this podcast, reaching right in, stirring that spirit up, taking its hand and gently guiding it back to its feet. It got me making again, and I am healing & reconciling who I am.
The guests featured are diverse in their starkly varied walks of life, as well as in their method(s) of expression/artistry/science/etc/whatever field of expertise they flourish through - this cultivates a wide & multifaceted curriculum of life lessons ripe for reaping as you listen.
In addition, it’s crucial to mention the moments of comedy threaded throughout!! I’ve even been subjected to physically painful amounts of laughter on occasion (a few times listening to it while in the car, we’ve had to stop & find somewhere to pull over and park before proceeding, because we were helpless to the sob-laughing.) There’s an abundance of bits that earn a pleasant & more reasonable chuckle, but then there’s also this little handful of particular moments that just REALLY got me for one reason or another. And, the best of the best is when the stars align such that the same thing hits Branan & Anson just as good, so we’re all having a shared beat of giggly hysteria. As a previous reviewer wrote, “and there is a lot of giggling. I love the giggling.” I emphatically second this assessment. It’s frabjous.
The levity doesn’t impede honest discussions of more serious topics, which are addressed appropriately and handled with respect. These types of conversations are exceptionally informative and focused on continual betterment. I’ve gained awareness of various realities & truths of what this life is which are far different from my own, enhancing my understanding of other humans’ experiences in an essential way. So that I can do better. And overall, I appreciate that there’s both fun and serious, imagination and reality - and either way, exceedingly vulnerable and sincere.
Almost done!! I also want to say that Branan & Anson are as captivating as their guests, both spectacularly passionate, talented, smart, and compassionate; I’m grateful for the facets of them each that I am afforded the privilege to discover, as they share them with us through the podcast. I long to sit down & have a really good conversation with both of them; the kind that’s had on this show (Anson, Branan, if you’re reading this…)
The same can be said for the guests!!!! I’ve “met” so many new artists, scientists, creatives, activists, specialists, etc - people - to admire. Or, learned new and deeper things about those I already knew. Plus, I’ve discovered new interests and passions I didn’t know I had!
I don’t have a conclusion paragraph… just, thank you to Branan, Anson; Jonathan Meiburg for the theme music; the guests; and everyone else who’s ever been involved in one way or another, for your time and love, for any capacity in which you were part of making this come to life.