Wandering Weirdly


In this episode of Wandering Weirdly, Annie Slade turns the spotlight on co-host Thomas Beutel, inviting listeners to get to know him more deeply through stories of creativity, curiosity, and lifelong wandering.

Thomas shares what it was like growing up in an immigrant family, always feeling slightly outside the cultural mainstream, and how that early experience shaped his interests, identity, and way of moving through the world. From catching frogs and collecting butterflies to building model trains and programming blinking lights, this conversation explores how curiosity shows up over a lifetime.

The story moves through Thomas’s creative process, including a long-term passion project inspired by the Exploratorium’s “Enchanted Tree,” his relationship with starting (and returning to) many projects, and how creativity, spirituality, and self-understanding are deeply intertwined for him.

This episode is a reminder that there’s no single “right” way to be curious, creative, or multi-passionate, and that wandering in fits and starts can be a feature, not a flaw.

In this episode, we explore:
  • Growing up feeling outside the mainstream and how that shapes identity
  • How early curiosity can turn into lifelong creative threads
  • Embracing cyclical interests and unfinished projects without self-judgment
  • The connection between creativity, making, and inner exploration
  • Why listening is a skill worth practicing
  • Following obsessions for the joy of learning, not just the outcome
What this episode might spark for you:
  • Permission to return to a project you set aside
  • A new way of thinking about curiosity and creativity
  • Relief around not finishing everything all at once
What’s coming up on Wandering Weirdly:
 In the next episode, Annie takes the hot seat as the roles reverse, with Thomas asking the questions.

Connect with your hosts:
Discover more podcasts about authentic and unconventional living at
 bolddeparturenetwork.com

Thanks for wandering with us!

Creators and Guests

Host
Annie Slade
Host
Thomas Beutel

What is Wandering Weirdly?

Wandering Weirdly is a podcast for curious adventurers, joyful rebels, and multi-passionate creatives who see life as one big, weird adventure.

Join longtime explorers and friends Annie and Thomas as they explore the intersection of curiosity, creativity, self-discovery, and the ever-tangled threads between our inner and outer worlds.

Whether the conversation focuses on travel, personal transformation, creative pathways, or the meaning of a single word, Wandering Weirdly is your invitation to stay open to the possibilities and find wonder in the uncharted, winding road.