The Spark File with Susan Blackwell and Laura Camien cover image

The Spark File with Susan Blackwell and Laura Camien

Latest episodes

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Mar 2, 2022 • 1h 8min

Creativity Sparks: Creatives + Money

Tired of the “starving artist” trope? Sick of the storyline that says “I’m creative and eccentric, I’m no good with numbers” Isn’t it time you felt a sense of personal agency over your finances? You are smart and capable. Tune in for some tips on how you can be even smarter and more capable.Feeling the urge to use your creativity to make a difference? Join us for a FREE WORKSHOP on January 15, 2025 from 6:30 - 8:30pm ET.  You are a Creative Catalyst, using your creativity to make change It's totally free, we just need you to RSVP PLUS! Doors are open for our transformational 6 month program, BLAZE. Get all the information you need HERE
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Feb 23, 2022 • 1h 5min

Creativity Sparks: Does Our Inner Chatter Matter?

You know that voice in your head? The one that drives you crazy sometimes? The one that points out your flaws and re-plays your mistakes over and over? What is the point of that voice?Tune in this week as we gain an understanding of how to tame this voice, and put it to good use, thanks to Chatter: The Voice in our Head, Why it Matters, and how to Harness it by Ethan Kross.Feeling the urge to use your creativity to make a difference? Join us for a FREE WORKSHOP on January 15, 2025 from 6:30 - 8:30pm ET.  You are a Creative Catalyst, using your creativity to make change It's totally free, we just need you to RSVP PLUS! Doors are open for our transformational 6 month program, BLAZE. Get all the information you need HERE
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Feb 16, 2022 • 54min

Creativity Sparks: The Florida Highwaymen

Sit back and marvel at this true tale of limitations inspiring ART as a survival job in less than ideal circumstances.That’s right. The Florida Highwaymen turned to art to elevate themselves and their community out of poverty while reflecting the beauty of Florida landscapes.These master painters (some trained and some self-taught) captured the beauty they saw around them, and supported their community with the profits. Dive into the lives and the legacy they painted for themselves…Feeling the urge to use your creativity to make a difference? Join us for a FREE WORKSHOP on January 15, 2025 from 6:30 - 8:30pm ET.  You are a Creative Catalyst, using your creativity to make change It's totally free, we just need you to RSVP PLUS! Doors are open for our transformational 6 month program, BLAZE. Get all the information you need HERE
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Feb 9, 2022 • 1h 3min

Creativity Sparks: Fertile Wordle

Want to know what every single creative can learn from the development and launch of Wordle, the simple and most unexpected game of the century? Recorded riiiiiiiight before Wordle was sold to The New York Times, we can still learn how creating for an audience of one, making your work accessible and so much more relates to everything we hope to share with the world.Listen in.  Feeling the urge to use your creativity to make a difference? Join us for a FREE WORKSHOP on January 15, 2025 from 6:30 - 8:30pm ET.  You are a Creative Catalyst, using your creativity to make change It's totally free, we just need you to RSVP PLUS! Doors are open for our transformational 6 month program, BLAZE. Get all the information you need HERE
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Feb 2, 2022 • 54min

Creativity Sparks: The Unstoppable Voice of Martha Wash

You have undoubtedly heard her unforgettable voice on hits such as “Everybody, Everybody”, “It’s Raining Men” and so many more.But Martha Wash had to use her voice to fight to make sure you knew her name.Tune in to find out how Martha took the record labels to task for abusing the demo track system.Martha paved the way for all artists - to make sure they get paid, and get credit for the talents they contribute.Trust us, you’ll be singing HER praises once you hear how she put her voice to work for the powers of good.Feeling the urge to use your creativity to make a difference? Join us for a FREE WORKSHOP on January 15, 2025 from 6:30 - 8:30pm ET.  You are a Creative Catalyst, using your creativity to make change It's totally free, we just need you to RSVP PLUS! Doors are open for our transformational 6 month program, BLAZE. Get all the information you need HERE
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Jan 26, 2022 • 58min

Creativity Sparks: Rewilding Your Attention

If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through your feeds or combing through google search results thinking “there must be something more out there”, well, this episode is for you!Laura and Susan dive into the concept of “Rewilding Your Attention” - the phrase was coined by Tom Critchlow, shared by CJ Eller and then expanded up on by Clive Thompson. And the bat signal was seen by @thesparkfile.Let us look for the small, weird things. And then let us pass them on.Feeling the urge to use your creativity to make a difference? Join us for a FREE WORKSHOP on January 15, 2025 from 6:30 - 8:30pm ET.  You are a Creative Catalyst, using your creativity to make change It's totally free, we just need you to RSVP PLUS! Doors are open for our transformational 6 month program, BLAZE. Get all the information you need HERE
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Jan 19, 2022 • 54min

Creativity Sparks: Wintering

This week, snuggle up and join Susan and Laura as they delve into Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May.If you've ever wondered why we feel a pull to retreat indoors and slow down as the days get darker - look no further. It is not your imagination, and it is very much a necessity that we take time  to quiet our minds and slow our rolls, so that we can look inward and heal, and maybe even learn to hope again.If you are struggling (any time of year), consider giving yourself the gift of wintering.Feeling the urge to use your creativity to make a difference? Join us for a FREE WORKSHOP on January 15, 2025 from 6:30 - 8:30pm ET.  You are a Creative Catalyst, using your creativity to make change It's totally free, we just need you to RSVP PLUS! Doors are open for our transformational 6 month program, BLAZE. Get all the information you need HERE
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Jan 12, 2022 • 1h 14min

Creativity Sparks: Money Money Money

This week, Laura and Susan dig into this taboo topic and explore how and why shame  keeps us from talking about money, and sometimes even doing anything about money. But valuing ourselves for the amount of money we have accrued has not always been the norm, in fact, it is a rather new framework.  Listen in and imagine a time when we valued ourselves, our communities and the quality of our lives by a different standard.Feeling the urge to use your creativity to make a difference? Join us for a FREE WORKSHOP on January 15, 2025 from 6:30 - 8:30pm ET.  You are a Creative Catalyst, using your creativity to make change It's totally free, we just need you to RSVP PLUS! Doors are open for our transformational 6 month program, BLAZE. Get all the information you need HERE
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Jan 5, 2022 • 57min

Creativity Sparks: Operation Paperclip

Sometimes a spark is so surprising, so complex and thought provoking it can stun you into silence. And so it was when Susan shared Operation Paperclip with Laura.As outlined in the book, Operation Paperclip by Annie Jacobsen, information on this secret United States intelligence program was recently de-classified and we are now all learning about the plan to bring Nazi Germany scientists to the US to harness their intellectual resources.Defenders of the decision to welcome the scientists here have argued that the combined knowledge of these rocket scientists and nuclear scientists could have ended up in the hands of the Soviets, if the US had taken no action. Others wonder what are the ethical and moral costs of allowing their unimaginable war crimes to go without punishment or accountability.This is a #dark spark. Listen in to try to make sense of it all.Feeling the urge to use your creativity to make a difference? Join us for a FREE WORKSHOP on January 15, 2025 from 6:30 - 8:30pm ET.  You are a Creative Catalyst, using your creativity to make change It's totally free, we just need you to RSVP PLUS! Doors are open for our transformational 6 month program, BLAZE. Get all the information you need HERE
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Dec 29, 2021 • 1h 8min

Creativity Sparks: Creative Resistance; OR, The Monster at the End of this Episode

What keeps us from writing those pages we say we WANT to write? What keeps us from taking that first small step toward our goal? What keeps us from doing anything at all related to our creative vision?Why, its our dear ol’ pal, Creative Resistance.This week, Laura and Susan dive into the warm and cozy distractions that keep us safe from the consequence of risk - creative risk, that is. These tactics show up anytime we are close to creating something of meaning or significance and make for damn sure we don’t go anywhere near it. Are we supposed to say thank you? The answer is more complex than you think…Feeling the urge to use your creativity to make a difference? Join us for a FREE WORKSHOP on January 15, 2025 from 6:30 - 8:30pm ET.  You are a Creative Catalyst, using your creativity to make change It's totally free, we just need you to RSVP PLUS! Doors are open for our transformational 6 month program, BLAZE. Get all the information you need HERE

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