We were lucky to catch up with J Hall recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, J thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I have dabbled in creative work most of my adult life but didn’t take the time to focus on specific projects and see them through until I started my podcast a couple of years ago. A lot of the delay had to do with the things I was doing in terms of career and education – I went from professional ministry (with crazy hours) to graduate school (where I worked up to three jobs at a time to make ends meet) to working in higher education (which again has crazy hours). We also have four kids, so the spare moments were spent hanging out with them and being “Dad”. I started working on the podcast in July of 2021 when I found myself with spare time both because my job was requiring less of my time and most of our kids were in college or starting their adult lives. For the first time in 20+ years I had some time on my hands which provided space to develop and produce the Okie Bookcast and all of the other audio elements around it. Spending a lot of time talking with authors and other book-connected folks for the podcast and immersing myself into the literary life of Oklahoma also renewed and energized the desire I’ve had since I was in college about writing a book of my own.
I’m not sure how starting sooner would have been different. Part of the joy of producing content now is the ability to do it as an independent creator and get work out with low barriers and fewer gatekeepers. Now that I know how much fun it is to put work out into the world and have people respond, the only regret I have about not starting sooner is missing out on getting to start the process sooner. So I do wish I had found or created the time sooner because of what I’ve missed, but I don’t regret the things I was doing that prevented me from being more creative at the time.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is J Hall and I am a podcaster, author and educator from Oklahoma City, OK. I have graduate degrees in theology and sociology and currently serve as Dean of Social Sciences at Oklahoma City Community College. My wife and I have four kids, two children-in-law, and a brand new grandson. I am passionate about education and literacy and am dedicated to the promotion of reading and writing beyond the classroom.

My creative life expresses in a couple of different ways. On the podcasting side, I host the Okie Bookcast, a podcast dedicated to connecting curious readers to their next great read. The podcast provides three different outlets for people to connect with books and other written work. Twice a month a release interviews with authors and other storytellers (librarians, booksellers, publishers, etc.) connected to Oklahoma, These interviews include an opportunity for the guest to provide recommendations of books they love. The second outlet is a book chat program called “Your Next Great Read” where I and my co-host (author and screenwriter Hannah Herron) are joined by a guest to talk about what we’ve been reading and provide recommendations to other readers. The final element of the show is an audio anthology of Oklahoma poetry called “Behind the Rain”. This show is produced quarterly and features 10-12 Oklahoma poets sharing their work. I’ve had recipients of the Oklahoma and American Book Awards on the show, as well as best-selling authors and Oklahoma Poet Laureates. I love getting to talk books and writing with people whose work I have admired but it’s equally fun when I get to talk to a new author who is just getting started.

I’m proud of the podcast and work hard to create a quality show, but I’m more proud of the spotlight I’ve been able to place on the tremendously talented and passionate literary community of Oklahoma. I have listeners from all over the country and around the world and it’s so fun for me to hear from them about the books they discover through the show.

In addition to the podcast, I recently released my first book called “God Help Me! I’m a Young Dad: 10 Essentials for Becoming the Dad Your Kids Need”. It focuses on ten big ideas related to fatherhood and is a blend of inspiration, education, and application to help dads of young kids develop these important elements into their lives while also working to begin to develop them in their children. It addresses things like love, gratitude, compassion, joy, and more. I’m currently working on my next book which focuses on helping college students make the leap from high school to college.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Artist support has to start as young people are thinking about whether or not they might want to become artists. Kids need opportunities to participate in a variety of artistic experiences and expressions in elementary and middle school and those should be resourced at a level that allows them to be quality experiences. Beyond the school setting, communities can also provide these experiences through local organizations and institutions.

At the community level a thriving artistic ecosystem creates platforms for artists and creatives to participate at a variety of skill and “intensity” levels. There should be opportunities for the most fledgling of artists to practice and share their work to encourage participation, but also opportunities for the community to experience a variety of arts at the highest level to provide inspiration and exposure to great work. In addition to platforms, the best case scenario community also includes a large number of patrons willing to support artists and creative work. Ultimately, it comes down to resources and opportunities.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Being a part of creative communities has been the best part of my creative journey. Starting with musical communities when I was young through the podcasting and writing communities I am a part of today, the support and challenge and encouragement and friendship found in these communities is a joy to experience. Working and interacting with like-minded people who understand the joys and challenges of the creative process make it far less a solo venture than it might otherwise be.

Contact Info:

• Website: okiebookcast.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okiebookcast/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/okiebookcast
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/OkieBookcast