The Haven Podcast: HBLT (“Hey Baby Let’s TRANScend”) has emerged to showcase local trans artists through the easy conversational spirit of hosts Angelic, Sam, and Jay. Each episode features a new guest, inviting them to share their inspirations and explore the creative process. I’m usually wary of podcasts that feel like I’m eavesdropping on ‘friends hanging out and chatting,’ but here, each episode’s guest provides direction, while Angelic, Sam, and Jay contribute constructive responses to one another. With a free-flowing, open structure, this podcast casually taps into complex questions that connect artistic expression, identity, and gender. Yet, the casual tone doesn’t detract from the sincerity — the hosts deliver natural dialogue and genuine curiosity. Their overall engagement with the guest artist encourages authentic expression of gender and spirit.

So far, only three episodes have been released, so The Haven Podcast is still in its early stages of setting up a routine episode formula. One fun feature to note is the tarot reading section, timed just at the point in the episode where I would usually check to see how much longer I have left… It acts both as a break to re-engage attention and as a recap of the discussion’s takeaways.

I particularly appreciated this podcast’s aversion to ‘correct’ process and procedure. There is a firm rejection of any artistic gatekeeping; creativity is drawn from diverse sources. They don’t slot art into binaries: complete/incomplete, professional/amateur, perfect/flawed. Much in the way that they approach gender and celebrate transness as a non-linear exploration, the processes *driving* and *requiring* creativity is the focus here more than the art itself. Through showcasing trans artists, The Haven Podcast: HBLT inspires an excited appreciation of identity and the creative process. — Phoebe Telfar