The Spark File with Susan Blackwell and Laura Camien

Have you ever found yourself giggling at the most unexpected insult, like "sparrow's fart"? Join us as we kick off this episode of The Spark File with laughter and a light-hearted exchange that sets the stage for a journey through creativity and introspection. We'll explore the wonderful world of "spark files," those magical little tools for capturing inspiration, and emphasize how much more fun t...

In this week’s episode of the Spark File podcast, we head back to the beautiful Saunders Farm in Ottawa, Canada, where we were fortunate to host our almost annual SPARKFest. This week, on the eve of Halloween, we’re embracing the spooky season. Listen on to hear directly from Spark File community members. In this week’s episode you’ll hear sparks that explore Why (most) human beings love being sca...

Every so often we hear the question: what is that “special sauce” that helps make up this “warm clan of creatives.” The truth is, a healthy culture and community requires a commitment to that mission from every single person involved. As educators, we’ve spent years learning about what conditions are most optimal for connection and community.  As creatives, we’ve spent years participating in vario...

In this week’s episode, you’ll get an extra special glimpse into SPARKfest 2024, our Spark File community retreat, held last fall at the beautiful Saunders Farm in Ottawa, Canada. When we say that The Spark File is a warm and wonderful clan of creatives, this is what we mean! Listen in and you’ll feel the live-in-front-of-a-crackling-fire ambience straight from the Saunders Farm ciderhouse! Our SP...

As we grieve the loss of our dear friend Gavin Creel, Susan called out for memories, wisdom, and lessons learned from Gavin, and we were touched by the outpouring of love from all across the globe. In this week’s episode, titled “WWGD? (Learning from Gavin Creel)," we hear from people who learned something from Gavin over the years—in rehearsal halls or classrooms, in nature, and on a city rooftop...

In this special episode, we draw from Laura’s experiences having lost both of her parents and discuss the ways in which creativity can help us to move through grief. We share thoughts on the non-linear path of grieving, and how to meet grief in the sometimes-unexpected places that it manifests. We also take a look at how profound artists like Frida Kahlo used grief in their own work. And, with exa...

Here’s a summary of the key takeaways from this episode! In this week’s episode, we discuss the idea of “shining the light” on your creative work. What do we mean by “shining the light”? In The Spark File Community, we think of the creative cycle in three steps: generating sparks, fanning the flames of creativity, and shining the light on your creative work. This step involves inviting others to s...

Certainty or Creativity - which will you choose? This week, Nathan Hill’s novel “Wellness” serves as a springboard for Laura’s spark. The specific line that ignited our conversation?  "You can choose to be certain or you can choose to be alive." We'll discuss how this notion impacts all our creative journeys and share wisdom from playwright Stephen Karam on the price of admission for love and arti...

Holy Moly! Season 4 of The Spark File is coming to an end! In this episode, Susan + Laura reminisce on some of our favorite sparks from this season. ..And with a bonus spark inspired by Milwaukee Bucks player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who left us with this mini ted talk when asked if he believed this season was a failure because they didn’t win the playoffs. Just because you don’t win, do we count t...

Ever wonder what's needed to take your creative project to the next level? Or wonder if maybe good is good enough? How do we know when to invest the additional time and energy it's going to take to go from Good to Great? If you're ready or when you're ready to level up your work, Susan and Laura discuss the difference between Good and Great, and some of the factors it takes to get there. Inspired...

Is there anything better than a well-crafted personal story told with humor, authenticity and heart? Even better if its a TRUE story, right? Well, the folks at The Moth have boiled the art of storytelling down to a science. In this week's episode, Laura and Susan share how sparked they are by The Moth and their book How To Tell a Story. We all have one - tune in to learn how to tell YOUR story! Le...

Friends, trust us when we say it is valuable, meaningful, and potentially essential that you take the time to celebrate your creative wins - large and small! Join us this week as Susan and Laura discuss why it's so important that we take the time to acknowledge and reflect on the milestones and the conclusions, the hits and the misses.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...

Do you have a creative project that has never seen the light of day because you just don't think it's ready to share yet? Despite years of effort even? Do you have a creative project you've dreamt of making but you haven't even started yet? Because the thought of it not turning out great keeps you from even trying? On this week's episode, Laura and Susan dig into the plight of the perfectionist. ...

Have you gotten into the AI craze yet? Have you asked Chat GPT to write your next marketing plan or promotional copy? Have you asked it to write lines of dialogue, jokes for a stand up routine or a synopsis for your pitch? Have you asked it to write your resume? This week, Susan and Laura dive into what AI might be great for,  where it's limitations are, and where it's headed. Do creatives have an...

Ever wonder what exactly is going on in your brain when you have an Ah-ha moment? On this week's episode of The Spark File podcast, Susan + Laura discuss what is transpiring in your head when you get that spark of an idea - and the rush of excitement that goes with it! Wouldn't it be great if we could understand it so that we can create conducive conditions to invite more and more Ah-ha moments to...

Were there stashes of gold hidden around the country after the Civil War? Did leaders of the confederate south intend this money fund a second Civil War? Was the outlaw Jesse James responsible for hiding some of this treasure? And has it recently been found?⁠💥 ⁠Tune in this week to find out more about the Knights of the Golden Circle, their confederacy gold, and what role Jesse James may or may n...

This week, Laura and Susan discuss that tremor in the force you felt a few weeks ago when New York Magazine's The Cut handed us all The New Rules. These 194 rules on how to exist in polite society, sparked conversations everywhere. Listen in to get our take on their take on everything from dating apps to work slacks, texting friends and lovers or engaging with stangers and others... Are we all doi...

You know at The Spark File, we are not afraid to contemplate our own mortality, especially if doing so enhances our lives and our creativity. According to the author, Michael Hebb, “Of the many critical conversations we will all have throughout our lifetime, few are as important as the ones discussing death—and not just the practical considerations, such as DNRs and wills, but what we fear, what w...

This week, Laura and Susan get sparked by a corporate apology that was so authentic it made the news. Discovering the components necessary for an apology to be sincere, this episode explores the painful blocks that keep good people from being able to apologize, AND the creative ways artists have used apologies (or the absence of apologies) to inspire their creative work. Sites like SorryWatch.com...

Ever wonder what you can accomplish in an 8 minute phone call? Turns out... A LOT! In this week's episode of The Spark File podcast, Susan + Laura dig into the The New York Times feature "The 7 Day Happiness Challenge" and explore the little things that can make a BIG difference in our relationships and our lives. Take a listen, then ask yourself, "who you gonna call?"... Learn more about your ad...

Do you feel that people value you only for your output, so you put work above all else, even above getting a good night’s sleep? Or have you ever been so busy that you've uttered the dreaded humble brag “I’ll sleep when I’m dead?” In this episode, Laura and Susan discuss what going without sleep can do to your life and your creativity, the normalization of grind culture, some positive steps we all...

Why is it so hard for us to break patterns that are keeping us from our goals? In this episode, Susan and Laura discuss and discover the ways in which we as humans and artists can navigate lasting positive change. They dive into the powerful process and book “Immunity to Change,” by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey, which unravels the concept of change and specifically how to close the gap betwe...

What do a 1998 wall calendar, a couple’s disappearance, and a half-burned postcard have to do with one man’s quest to create the perfect home? In this episode, Laura and Susan discuss the true story of a film editor who took his own obsession for acquiring his dream home perhaps a little too far. Petty crime, lost relationships, and a last-minute trip to a remote part of Spain are just a few of th...

Words and language have real power. In this episode, Susan and Laura explore the amazing works and incredible life of someone who managed to harness that power to the benefit of so many: Toni Morrison, Nobel and Pulitzer prize winning author and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. As they pull back the curtain to look at her work and creative process, Susan and Laura discuss Toni’s abi...

Artists and athletes have a lot more in common than one might think, but our culture seems to encourage choosing one over the other.  In this episode, Laura and Susan discuss what artists can learn from athletes...including training, incremental progress, the discomfort of having a beginner’s mind, and so much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices