The Spark File with Susan Blackwell and Laura Camien

In Michael Easter's book, The Comfort Crisis, he shares his belief that the modern day creature comforts – air conditioning, food storage, etc., have made us more comfortable as a society and in turn given us extra time that we have filled with worry and anxiety. In this episode, Laura and Susan discuss what comforts we have put into place in regards to our creativity that are stopping us from stretching our creative limits. What if we push ourselves to explore those artistic areas in which we don’t feel comfortable? We just might realize that we are capable of so much more than we allow ourselves to be right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This spark itself is so vast, but in order to right-size it for this episode, Susan and Laura stay on this important thread: creativity as it relates to abortion rights activism. They discuss risk-taker Carol Downer and her 1960s feminist movement “The Self Helpers," Mexican activist Verónica Cruz, who has dedicated her life to advancing the human rights of women in Mexico and beyond through her organization La Libres, which she founded in 2000, journalist Stephania Taladrid’s incredible reporting on “The Post-Roe Abortion Underground,” how a multigenerational network of activists is taking extraordinary risks to keep abortions accessible, and so much more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They hiked, they swam, they danced, they learned archery, all while being immersed in a horrific ideology. Susan and Laura dive into the shocking true story behind Camp Siegfried, located in the idyllic hamlet of Yaphank, New York, and the beautiful, seductive piece of theater that playwright Bess Wohl crafted out of it all. And so much more. There are certain sparks that light a firestorm in our brains. This is one of them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sparks of creativity can come from so many experiences including gratitude and joy, loss and devastation, and even total destruction. On this episode, Susan and Laura discuss some incredible creative works inside these topics, including the shocking play “Medea,” which was given a new life by director/performer Fiona Shaw on the BBC, the devastatingly beautiful book “Wave” by author and economist Sonali Deraniyagala, and even a special hidden gem embedded right into our very own Spark File website. Join us in celebrating the human possibility of creativity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

'Tis the season, everyone! The 4th season, to be exact! Time to jump back into our spark files and share some creative inspiration! This week we're just dippin' our toes in and teasing out a few of the topics we're gonna cover in the coming weeks!Remember, if you hear something that piques your interest, you gotta take it and make it!Happy creating, y'all! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For everything there is a season, friends! And this season is winding down. Time for a brief respite. But, before we go, let’s talk season highlights! And we’ll leave you with an excerpt from In Your Light by Rumi...“I know you're tired but come, this is the way...In your light, I learn how to love.In your beauty, how to make poems. You dance inside my chest where no-one sees you,but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art.You and I have spoken all these words, but for the way we have to go, words are no preparation. I have one small drop of knowing in my soul.Let it dissolve in your ocean.A mountain keeps an echo deep inside. That's how I hold your voice.Do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside you.Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.”   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Long time listeners will know what a joy this episode was for us!In the way back times, Susan introduced us to a human spark named Lynne Cox - a celebrated athlete who set swimming records around the world and achieved astonishing feats of strength and endurance (including swimming with a baby gray whale - eighteen feet long! - in open waters)She is internationally famous for swimming the world’s most difficult waterways without a wet suit, and she is able to endure water temperatures so cold they would kill anyone else.Lynne is the acclaimed best-selling author of Swimming to Antarctica and many more books, including her upcoming Tales of Al.She is also a beautiful human being who recognizes and celebrates all forms of athleticism and creativity in others!And this week, we got to talk to Lynne!! Join us as we explore the creative mindset of Lynne Cox - her resilience, gravitas, discipline, imagination… (make us stop because we could go on and on…)  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Lennon said, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end”This week, we admire the imagination and, frankly, the balls of @connorratliff, creator of Dead Eyes podcast.Connor created an unbelievable podcast experience in order to solve what he calls “a very stupid mystery that has haunted him for two decades: why Tom Hanks fired him from a small role in the 2001 HBO mini-series, Band of Brothers.”Instead of running from the experience, he dove directly into the mix of emotions surrounding the event  - confusion, shame, humor - and found a very entertaining way to explore it all.He took a perceived ‘failure’ and created a new (and very satisfying) ending to the story.In other words, he gave himself quite possibly the best “Let Me Try That Again” that we’ve ever seen. By taking charge of ALL the stories of perceived failure, Collin has empowered us all to rewrite the ending.And we are here for it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Susan and Laura got to hang with bad ass lighting designer and friend, Marc Janowitz, whose holistic, dynamic lighting designs illuminate a story and light up an audience.His bold, no holds barred lighting transforms comedians into a rock stars and rock stars into gods.Tune in to hear how Marc approaches designs for concerts for My Morning Jacket, The Lumineers, Fun., and many others, and comedy specials like Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Flight of the Conchords, Bo Burnham, theatre shows like Blue Man Group and Forbidden Broadway and so much more… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, after experiencing unexpected loss, Laura and Susan discuss the role of grief and friendship, and the bittersweet and inevitable intermixing of joy and heartbreak along this journey we call life. Inspired by the genius of Brene Brown, Karen Walrond and Susan Cain, Laura and Susan agree with the conclusion that our broken hearts connect us all. And as creators all we can hope to do is make works of profound sadness and beauty. Break our hearts. Use all of the pain. Like Marcus Aurelius said, “A blazing fire makes flame and brightness out of everything that is thrown into it” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices