AMELIA, Ohio — Once per week, Eric Dean likes to channel his inner weirdo. Headphones on, he leans into his mic, hits record, and starts spinning a story.

Sometimes the topic is ghost hunting, sometimes it’s Dungeons & Dragons, sometimes it’s saxophones, and other times it's depression, sadness or anxiety. On Dean’s podcast, no topic is off-limits, as long as it allows listeners to learn a little more about accepting the things that make people weird.

Dean record the "Finding Weird" podcast

Dean, who self-identifies as weird, started his podcast, “Finding Weird” during the summer as a way to reflect on the weird hobbies and habits he’s picked up over the years, particularly after a very weird 2020.

“I’ve always been a weird guy, and I’ve always loved performing,” he said. 

Dean said connecting with his weird side is a lot more constructive than most people give it credit for. He considers weird moments genuine expressions of self, and as a psychiatric social worker at Mercy Health Clermont Hospital, he knows more than many the value of self-acceptance. 

“In my day job, I see a lot of people who are on the fringes of culture and who are living the effects of being told that weird is not okay and who they are is not okay and it really does a number on people,” he said. “I think it’s important to hear a message that, ‘I may be struggling a little, I may be struggling a lot I may be currently a hot mess, but that’s okay.’”

Playing Dungeons & Dragons is one of the ways Dean explores his weird

That’s why Dean tries to get that message out as often as possible in as many ways as possible and his podcast is his newest medium.

“I know the techniques and the coping skills that are gonna help with depression, they’re going to help with anxiety so I can bring some formal knowledge to that message,” he said. 

Besides his own hobbies some might find strange, Dean has started taking on guests to share what they do and how it helps them cope with stress or manage their emotions. 

“We have another podcast host and a guy who lives here in Cincinnati who does Brazilian jujitsu,” he said. “Towards the end of the month, I’m talking with a practicing witch.”

Eleven episodes in, as of mid-October, Dean said the podcast has grown faster than he imagined, with hundreds of downloads and nearly 1,000 listens from around the world.

“I’ve gotten a lot of surprising support, from coworkers at work, family members friends. I have listeners that are now international, so I have people in Brazil listening, Germany, France the UK,” he said.

With a growing audience, Dean said he’s hoping to start to crowdsourcing new ideas for topics and guests. He said he wants his followers to grow into their own community, forging their own friendships through their weirdness.

As for what resonates with his listeners, Dean believes it's his willingness to open up about his own weirdness and his own journey of self-acceptance. 

“Being a person who struggles with mental health issues and has to struggle with my own depression and anxiety at times there’s also a lived-in quality to the stories,” he said.

He acknowledged being weird is not a replacement for therapy or mental health treatment, but for those working on finding themselves, he said self-acceptance can go a long way.

“I think a lot of us have constantly struggled with wanting to be something for other people,” he said. “Weird is normal and normal is weird.”

His podcast releases episodes weekly with a group of followers forming on social media.