The Spark File with Susan Blackwell and Laura Camien

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 hav...

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 a...

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 ...

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....

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...

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 ...

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 ep...

In our opinion, creating a connection with others is the most singularly powerful tool any creative has in their armory. Unfortunately, a lot of us find that it’s easier said than done. 

This week, Susan and Laura explore Molly Beck’s book Reach Out: The Simple Strategy You Need to Expand Your Network. Join us as we discuss Molly’s research-based guidance and how it intersects with our practical approach to creative work. We’ll shar...

Lately it feels like so many of us are longing for belonging, but finding it harder than to connect. But why?  In this week’s episode of The Spark File podcast, we dig in to find the answer. 

Join us as Laura examines the work of social scientist Bob Putnam, whose book Bowling Alone: the Collapse and Revival of American Community connects the decline of American social organizations, guilds, and community spaces with an increase in ...

The weight of the world felt heavy this week, but tough moments are when we feel luckiest to have this incredible community. Like we always say, everyone is creative but smart creative people do not go it alone! So this week, we did what we so often recommend to our coaching clients when the path ahead feels cloudy: We reached out to all the brave creatives in our lives (including you!) to see what is sparking comfort, catharsis, a...

Here at the Spark File, creativity is a way of life and a way of being in the world. 

In this week’s episode of The Spark File Podcast, Laura digs into Rick Rubin’s book The Creative Act: A Way of Being. A profoundly successful American record producer, Rubin is the co-founder of Def Jam recordings, founder of American Recordings and former co-president of Columbia Records. He is someone who has spent his life making things—and, lik...

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 the cr...

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 scared, and how our fear sparks fea...

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 various collaborations and configurations...

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 SPARKfest attendees met the challenge ...

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. We gathered all the light th...

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 examples from our lives, we examine th...

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 share in your work. This might be requ...