The Spark File with Susan Blackwell and Laura Camien

After 20 spark-filled episodes, we’re wrapping up the season with a celebration! Join us as we look back at this remarkable season of spark, discuss highlights, and share just how we made this season happen. Bringing Season 5 of the Spark File podcast was a challenge. We were wrestling between our desire to make a perfect product and our hope to get as many sparks into the world as possible. As we planned for Season 5, one thing became clear right away: like all smart creatives, we couldn’t go it alone! So, we assembled a team of pros to help us run the nitty gritty stuff: audio production, socials, copy, transcripts. We committed to let our best B+ work get out the door. We crowdsourced a spark or two—and then something extraordinary happened: 20 episodes of hot-from-the-oven sparks were served straight into your podcast-loving headphones!We’re so grateful to the remarkable team who helped make it all happen. But, creative friend, we also need to thank YOU! Without loyal listeners, this podcast is just a bunch of juicy ideas spoken into a microphone. We are deeply grateful for your time, attention, reviews, referrals, recommendations, and feedback, and for placing your creative trust in us for another season.You can listen to the Spark File podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and directly on our website. 

Recently, we learned that the beloved Blue Man Group will be closing their New York City and Chicago companies in 2025. This news was bittersweet, to say the least. Blue Man Group has impacted each of our personal and professional lives in many ways; not the least of which was the 25 years Laura dedicated to building the Blue Man Group brand as the VP of Communications. Learnings for our time and experiences with Blue Man Group have influenced and impacted nearly every facet of The Spark File - our mission and values, the way we’ve built and marketed the company, the way we treat each other and every member of The Spark File community....Join us this week as we discuss all that we learned from this extraordinary organization—like how every voice in the room matters and the importance of processing conflict before continuing with a task – and we’ll explore how those lessons impact our work to this day.We believe that endings are an essential part of the creative cycle. Shows close, messy manuscripts become bound books, art exhibits are hung with excitement and taken down with a pang of sadness. To find new beginnings, we must honor our endings–and this week, we feel profoundly aware of all that is lost, and all that is gained, when things end.You can listen to the Spark File podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and directly on our website.

We know that writing a book is hard work—longform creativity takes patience, stamina, and an extraordinary drive to make it to the finish line.  That’s why, this week, we’re celebrating our dear friend Jenny Clift, whose new book Thriving Artist: How Musicians, Performers, and Creatives Can Use EFT Tapping to Achieve Balance, Career Growth, and Success is released on January 15. We got a sneak peek at this incredible resource for artists, and we were too sparked not to share!Join us this week as we take a page from Jenny’s book to discuss fighting for creative freedom. We’ll discuss the process of EFT Tapping and how it has impacted our lives and work. And, we’ll analyze some of Jenny’s most helpful tactics for moving through trauma and limiting beliefs. We’re thrilled to celebrate Jenny’s achievement. But we’re even more grateful for the chance to share it with you!In honor of Jenny—and all the hard-working authors out there–we have one thing to say: We LOVE it! Keep going! You can learn more about Jenny and her new book on her website. You can listen to the Spark File podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and directly on our website.

As the New Year barrels on, bringing an abundance of uncertainty with it, we wanted to return to a topic that has sparked us many times before: Making change.In this week’s episode of The Spark File podcast, we reflect on the work of scientists and experts who study the circuitry of the brain, and offer some tangible tips for how to make change in your life.We’ll also discuss some creative changemakers we know—passionate folks who are using their creative superpowers for good. Like a particularly fashionable friend who helps curate professional outfits for job-seekers in need. Or an ASL interpreter whose precise translations amplify equal access in healthcare.At the Spark File, we define creativity as applied imagination that fights for the powers of good. We also believe that if you want to make change, you have to do something! Together we can make 2025 the year that we use our creative gifts to make an impact, without getting bogged down by things we can’t control.You can listen to the Spark File podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and directly on our website.

When Oxford revealed its annual “Word of the Year” earlier this month, we had some questions—and not just because “Brain Rot” is two words. The truth is, we scroll past hundreds of images, sounds, and writings every day, pumping into our brains faster than any information has ever moved before. We absorb things that are neither meaningful nor thought-provoking—information with no purpose other than to fill space and time. Join us this week as we discuss the impact of this so-called Brain Rot. We explore the impact of AI “Slop” on our brains (yes, that’s really what its called!) And, we share some old-school knowledge about the importance space for creation.What if we thought of the contents of our brain more like Primordial Soup than slop? Primordial Soup refers to the primitive water bodies on the earth that were so rich in organic matter that scientists believe the first life forms evolved out of them. What if we were filling our brains with such substantive, enriching, inspiring content that creative life was overflowing? Creative life was consistently pouring out of us?The way we see it, this is a bit of a “use it or lose it” situation. We’ve each only got one brain, so let’s do our best to keep it healthy and looking straight ahead toward those big creative goals. Join us in setting the intention for mindful making in 2025!You can listen to the Spark File podcast on Spotify, apple podcasts, and directly on our website.

We have found that the more we tap into our creativity, the more we enjoy the holiday season.  In this week’s episode of The Spark File Podcast, we explore creativity in the form of gift-giving. Join us as we discuss the history of giving tangible gifts and why the tradition continues. We’ll explore some of the incredible gifts given (and received!) by members of The Spark File community and touch on some of our favorites from over the years. And, we’ll check in on some expert gift-givers to see what we can learn from them! (Here’s a hint: specificity, timing, and a listening ear are key!)We’re thankful to be part of such a vibrant community where giving generously of your time and talents is foundational. So, whether you’re looking for the perfect antique photo book or thinking about that once-in-a-lifetime gift from the past, this episode has a ton of ideas to fill that gift-giving Spark File.Remember that simply showing up and being present is a present. You can listen to the Spark File podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and directly on our website.

This week, we’re exploring an experience shared by more than half of the world’s population: Menopause. If you are thinking to yourself, “Oh, that topic isn’t for me.” We’re here to tell you the truth: menopause impacts everyone. If you have had a period in your life, or if you love a person who has had a period, this episode is for you. (Spoiler: that means it is for everybody.)While the word itself might feel familiar, Menopause is deeply under-studied and continually misunderstood, even by medical professionals. And while we are definitely creativity coaches, decidedly not doctors, we’ve been sparked by lessons we’ve learned while navigating our own lived experiences.  Join us this week as we discuss the intense symptoms that can occur during menopause and how those symptoms can impact our lives—and yes, that includes impacts on our creativity! We’ll share some hard-earned wisdom from professionals working to increase awareness and from folks developing new tools and resources to help folks navigate the hardest parts of this often-ignored piece of our personhood and our health.You can listen to The Spark File podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and directly on our website.

Like many artists, we deeply empathize with the world around us. It can be hard to manage all the tough feelings that come up. A lot is happening in the world—a lot to laugh about, cry about, shout about, and rage about. Sorrow can bring joy, anger can bring calm, and it can all feel impossible to face. And, like it or not, we believe there is one path forward: To get through it all, we’ve got to go all the way there.This week’s episode of The Spark File podcast examines our long-held belief that moving through big feelings requires mindful action. Join us as we discuss ways to process the hard stuff, following the real-world examples of everyone from curious toddlers to award-winning songwriters. We’ll explore methods for proper care and feeding of your feelings to help you get unstuck and move forward.The hard truth is that the tough stuff will keep coming. Fear, anger, joy, and the creativity cycle move through us regardless of the world’s events. So, in tenuous moments like these, the best care a creative community can offer—for ourselves and each other—is a developed practice of going all the way there. You can listen to the Spark File podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and directly on our website.

Exploring the art of connection, the hosts dive into insights from Molly Beck's book, emphasizing how networking is essential for creativity. They discuss the significance of both strong and weak ties in building relationships, providing tips to ease networking anxiety. Practical strategies for authentic outreach are highlighted, along with the importance of gratitude in fostering connections. The conversation also touches on physical health’s impact on social bonds, encouraging listeners to embrace the season of reaching out to enhance their creative journeys.