As a creative person, you know inspiration can be found anywhere: at a museum, in cooking class, on the bus, from an overheard conversation. When your heart is open and ears are tuned, a turn of phrase or observation might kickstart a scene you've been stuck on or an entire story's premise. It can even illuminate an aspect of your process you hadn't previously understood.

You'll try anything to capture that spark, right? Me too. That's why I've been listening to podcasts every day while on this summer's many road trips or doing tasks that don't need all of my brain, like cleaning or working out. (Please always exercise caution while multitasking!)

Some of my favorites include:

• Longform
• Make It Happen
• Magic Lessons (I suggest reading Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic first, though it isn't necessary)
• Fresh Air
• On Being with Krista Tippett
• Love + Radio
• Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin
• Women of the Hour
• WTF with Marc Maron

What I love about these podcasts is they're hosted by inquisitive people, folks with curiosities about how others work, what makes them tick, what drives them and how they structure their lives. What more writerly characteristic is there than that?

They also aren't overtly about writing, save for Longform, which is nice if you're like me and you sometimes overdo it with MUST LEARN EVERYTHING AND ALL ABOUT MY CRAFT. (Sound familiar?)

Have suggestions for podcasts specifically about writing, like The New Yorker: Fiction? Share them below!

You might also be interested in:

• A creative community shouldn't be complicated
• When writing isn't magic
• The TED Talk for writers who can't afford conferences