Frequently Asked Questions

What does Happiness Spells mean?

A happiness spell is a sentence that conjures up a memory or a thought that makes you profoundly happy, joyful or grateful. By activating your ability to focus on positive, grateful emotions you increase your own capacity for happiness, creativity and gratitude.

Is the podcast for falling asleep? For increasing my gratitude?

Yes, and yes. The podcast is designed to be a brief break from your hectic day, whether that’s first thing in the morning, or late at night -- many people use it to take a break during the middle of the day at work. As long as you’re able to fully relax, focus and listen with headphones -- anytime of day is a good time to take a moment for yourself. It’s especially nice to fall asleep while listening to positive thoughts, and a wonderful exercise is to use the podcast to think of your own positive and creative notions.

What’s that great music you’re playing in the background?

Chris Zabriskie provides much of the music through a creative commons license, you can see more about his work here.

Can I write my own list of Happiness Spells for my blog or website?

Of course! That’s one of the best things you can do for your own happiness and gratitude. Feel free to link to the podcast to share with your readers, as well.

Can we collaborate / Can I write an episode?

Contact us with your request, and we’ll do our best to accommodate it. We cannot always respond to all requests, but we read them all!

What is the best way to help Happiness Spells?

The best way is to Subscribe, and you can read all about why that’s such a good idea here.

Next, leave a positive, descriptive review on Apple Podcasts. This helps other people find the show by boosting our ranking, and giving them an idea of what the show is like and how it might bring more joy to their life.

The next best way is to tell a friend or post about on your social media accounts. The show has always grown via word of mouth, and we find that it’s a nice thing to pass along to people who might enjoy it.

How can I get a transcript of an episode?

All transcripts are posted the day an episode airs, and you can find them here.

How do I leave a review on Apple Podcasts?

On your iOS mobile device, open Apple's Podcast app. Tap the Search tab in the lower right corner of the screen. Search for “Happiness Spells”. Tap the Reviews tab, then tap “Write a Review” at the bottom of the screen.

Where can I listen to Happiness Spells?

We are available on every major podcasting service including Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and others. Our RSS feed is available here.

What is the process of making an episode?

Over the last year or so of making Happiness Spells, I have learned how to look more closely at the details in the world around us. I begin each writing session by thinking through everything I’ve read, watched and seen in my daily life. Then, I pull out the moments that stood out to me, both big and small and think hard about why they are so special, or utterly ordinary. The more specific, the better. After writing, I record the spells using my SM58 microphone on a Macbook Air, straight into GarageBand, then edit and add music.

What made you decide to start the podcast?

I have always loved creativity, gratitude and working with audio storytelling. In early 2018, I wanted to give myself a creative project to hone my writing and producing skills as well as try to increase my own capacity for happiness and gratitude. I decided to write lists of things that made me happy, and focus on producing short episodes, set to beautiful music. After a few weeks of thinking about it, one day in early 2018, I decided to simply begin. I wrote my first few episodes over a few days in January, and launched in February 2018.