Podcast and Keepsake Interviews are very different but have a lot of overlap with each other.
In both, you want to help steer the ship but not come across as an interrogator. Most interview situations desire for the interviewee to relax and feel comfortable with you, the interviewer.
Curious Listening
The two important principles are genuine curiosity and a listening ear.
One of my strengths is curiosity; I genuinely like meeting new people and hearing their stories. One of my challenges is not to accidentally interrupt the guest.
Instead of lots of tactics and tips, try to embody a heart where you’re truly interested in what they have to say. Personify a patient receptive listening spirit. I try to be a good listener like my Mom is. Even though she has a hearing loss, she actively listens to others in a non-hurried way. To truly listen is more a matter of being at rest with yourself and others.
In doing research for good blogs and articles on the art of interviewing, I came across this article. It’s geared more for podcasters.
The balance of steering the ship, listening to what is being said while riding the waves of the conversation with the interviewee, is challenging.
The Whole Picture
As I checked out other blogs of legacy interviewers online, I came across a helpful tip to not only focus on autobiographical information but also to ask open-ended questions to explore their experiences and perspectives.
Most people don’t just want historical data; they crave the human element.
I saw an interview with a TikTok actor who plays his “grandfather” interacting with contemporary audience members and the delight and respect they had for him.
Keepsake Interviews are a way for us to interact with living history through the people we love. It can be moving and meaningful to hear them share their stories and “what things were like.”
Today I ate a fig for the first time. My first time interacting with the actual fruit. My introduction to the concept of a fig was in Fig Newton cookies in the grocery store. I had never seen what it looked like before.
Our parents and grandparents had different experiences, and the culture has shifted over time. My perspective is that the big shifts and little day-to-day things are interesting to explore. Life has those constants: joy & tragedy, hardships and suffering, the crazy road trip to the moments of serenity doing the crossword puzzle. Life is in the big and small things.
We attempt to capture some of that. But if you think about it, Life is beautiful, terrifying, and to me, a gift.
There are a bunch of more practical blogs and articles out on the internet. And I’ll link to them for you.
Love to Know instead of Pry.
Even though there are some good, wonderful folks doing heritage interviews. Maybe we are missing the bigger picture?
How we approach our guests and family is important. To remember that everyone holds that spark of the Imago Dei, the image of God.
I want to meet new people and allow them to tell their stories, but I also want to “Love to Know,” as Esther Lightcap Meek wrote about in her books.
I want to approach a person with a spirit of finesse, not the spirit of geometry. Not to manipulate or dissect, but to engage in a right relationship with them.
I’ve recently learned that curiosity can be a vice, the opposite of temperance. I did not know this.
I would caution your curiosity not to pursue useless facts in your attempt to interview your family member or guest. But approach them not as a gossiper, but as one willing to learn in love.
What would help tell the big picture story and enrich the day-to-day small things we all relate to?
I think what would help most to be better interviewers is to love your guest, your family, and your enemy as yourself.
I don’t think I can do the latter perfectly. But it puts my mind and heart in the right state and intention to do the best I can do.
Conclusion
Thank you for trying to learn about how to be a better interviewer. I wish you the best in your endeavors.
Below are some extra article links for legacy interview information you might find helpful.
Contact LionHawk
If you would like to chat, please shoot me an email.
If you would like to be professionally interviewed or want to find someone who will be kind and respectful of your loved one, please feel free to reach out to Valerie Flynn and see if she would be a good fit for your digital keepsake project.
Additional Articles
The Elephant In The Room With Traditional Legacy Videos
How to Prepare Your Parents for Their Legacy Video Interview