The Creative Spark

The Creative Spark

Conversations that provide insight, empowerment and tools to help others live their best creative life! In each episode host G. Brian Benson strives to have an organic chat with authors, entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, and actors, sharing their inspirational stories, strategies and wisdom that helped propel them to their own unique version of creative success. Brian, an observer of life, loves to share his curiosity and love of learning by means of insightful discussions. The process of learning how to find the joy and peace of mind that comes with stepping into one’s own skin, and going beyond anything one may have thought previously possible are just some of the take aways we hope you will have from The Creative Spark. It’s the place where creatives meet! Host - G. Brian Benson www.gbrianbenson.com Produced - Casey Jarombek Brought to you by Reawaken Media

Episodes

February 4, 2026 45 mins
Ian Morris is a visionary entrepreneur whose curiosity continues to transcend boundaries in the pursuit of global wellness. Partnering with Falyn Hunter Morningstar, they are influential leaders in the industry, and are reshaping how we approach health and well-being. 

The duo's partnership extends to Listening to Smile, a music therapy company co-founded by Ian and Falyn. Ian, a gifted sound alchemist, crafts transform...
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Today's guest, John McCarney is a graduate of the Writers Guild Foundation Veterans Writing Project, an award-winning screenwriter and community builder, who grew up in Hollywood in the 1960’s. Three of his screenplays have placed in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science Nicholl Fellowship in the last five years; two of them Semi-finalists. Has had multiple screenplays finish in the Austin Film Festival Screenwriting ...
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Today's guest, Shaun Tinney is a speaker, creative, coach, and author of Practice Everything, a book born from a year of deep transition, creative discipline, and grieving the loss of his brother. Shaun helps people navigate reinvention moments, reclaim purpose, and build lives grounded in presence, creativity, and self-leadership.

With a background in building culture and learning programs at companies like Goodr sungl...
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Today's guest, George McKenzie is a National Geographic Explorer, award-winning filmmaker, and conservation photographer. His journey from the bustling streets of Brooklyn to the untamed landscapes of Florida is a testament to the transformative power of nature. His acclaimed short documentary, The Book of George, has screened at Telluride Mountainfilm, Banff, Jackson Wild, and other major festivals, anchoring an impact campai...
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Today's guest, Bonnie Clevering, in a nearly five-decade career as a Motion Picture Hair Stylist, has trussed the tresses of hundreds of actors including Hilary Swank, Bette Davis, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves, and Kristen Stewart. Her impressive resume includes iconic films and TV series like Hello, Dolly!, RoboCop, Any Given Sunday, Ocean's Eleven, Erin Brockovich, Office Space, The Twilight Saga, and Mr...
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Today's guest, Steve Harper is a professional speaker, author, serial entrepreneur, leading business strategist and a CEO of two software companies, has successfully uncovered the secret to creating powerful long-lasting connections and their impact on one’s personal and professional life. 

Over his thirty-year career, Steve has maintained a unique focus on developing strong, long-lasting connections with his clients, p...
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Today's guest, Andrea Smith is an Artivist and founder of Pembroke Taparelli Art and Film Festival. Michelle loves and appreciates the power entertainment has to impact the lives of people around the globe. Along with Michelle’s passion for the arts in its various forms, Michelle has always been a strong proponent for Social Justice. Founder of The Pembroke Taparelli Arts and Film Festival in Los Angeles, Michelle has combined...
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Today's guest, Justin Foster is a brand strategist, poet, and professional agitator who helps conscious entrepreneurs and leaders turn their callings into unforgettable brands. He is the co-founder of Massive Change, a strategic advisory firm that blends the art of messaging with the science of movements to equip mission-centric organizations to lead systemic change and fight back against authoritarianism. Justin is also the c...
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Today's guest, London Garcia is an actor who has done it all in Hollywood. Stand up and sketch comedy, singer, radio host, red carpet interviewer and now award-winning actress.

Recently London made the decision to set everything else aside and focus primarily on acting and dive deeper into classes and training. Slowly but surely, things started to gain traction as London would book roles in a number of shows including...
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Today's guest, Sean Bennett is a writer, workshop host, and retreat organizer based in Nottingham and London. As a former copywriter and copyeditor for Oxford University Press, he brings a creative, editorial eye to other people's work, usually in the context of the London-based creative writing community he leads, called A Write & A Pint. He has a passion for all literature, but most specifically, existential, modern, pos...
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Today's guest, Jed Doherty is the host of the incredibly popular and award-winning podcast called Reading with Your Kids. Reading with Your Kids helps families grow closer through reading. The podcast was also an iHeartRadio Best Kids & Family Award Nominee.

For over 35 years, Jed has also been delighting students and educators across the United States, the Caribbean and Central America. His one-man show blends am...
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Episode 205 - Guest Ben Orlando
 
Today's episode is a bit of a re-direct from most episodes. Usually, I am the one asking the questions and directing the flow with my guest. This time, I decided to share a chat I had with a really interesting fellow named Ben Orlando who reached out to me to chat about our shared love of baseball and some of the unique experiences I have had through the years. Ben is quite the accomplis...
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Brenda Adelman is an award-winning actor, speaker, the recipient of a Hero of Forgiveness award from the Hawaii International Forgiveness Project & has been interviewed on over 200 media outlets including NPR, Fox TV & CBS. She runs Forgiveness and Freedom Coaching and is also the founder of Your Story Made Simple.

She’s performed her critically acclaimed one-woman show, My Brooklyn Hamlet, for over 12,000 peo...
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Episode 203 - Guest Diane Foy

Ready to slide into the spotlight with the impact (and income) to match? Then you should know Diane Foy, the creator of the Superfan Attraction Method.

During her 2 decades in arts and entertainment PR, Diane represented talents such as Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell, South Africa’s The Parlotones, and One Day at a Times’s Mackenzie Phillips, and Pretty Little Liars Tyler Blac...
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Episode 202 - Jeffrey Weissman is an actor’s actor. He would have been going by horseback or wagon from town to town before the advent of film and television, reciting Shakespeare or performing plays in small towns all over the countryside. 

He acts, produces, writes, and directs, and has worked with legendary film actors such as Clint Eastwood and Michael J. Fox. Jeffrey has over 100 theater stage credits and over 80...
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Ep. 201 - My guest this week is Emily Otteson, an incredibly talented artist, songwriter, and entertainer from Nashville, TN. 

Her voice is unique, almost angelic at times and her choice of melodic improvisations make her stand out and allow her to claim her own place in a town known for great singers. Her laugh is contagious and her personality shines through whether she's singing or connecting with her audience. 
<...
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Ep. 115  -My guest this week is Mike "Smidi" Smith, an award-winning songwriter, musician, mixer, producer and record label owner who now has a media branch that is beginning to produced TV and Film projects. 

He is an Emmy, Clio and Addy Award winner who has written and produced songs that have sold over 14 million copies worldwide including multiple #1 songs, albums and top ten hits.  Smith has worked with Giorgio Mor...
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Ep. 114  -My guest this week is Erin Gavin, a Scottish actress, singer, entrepreneur and keynote speaker.

As a child and teen actress, Erin had numerous roles in theater and in UK television series. After moving to Los Angeles, she continued to find success in films, theater and television. In 2014 Erin played for the first time, the role of Marilyn Monroe in the stage play, Marilyn: My Secret at the Macha Thea...
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Episode 113 - If you are a big sports fan like myself, you will definitely recognize this week’s guest Kevin Negandhi.  He is everywhere on ESPN.  He’s an anchor on SportsCenter, he also covers ESPN College Football on ABC.  He’s hosted Baseball Tonight, College Football Live and Outside the Lines.  He has also been a fill-in anchor on NFL Live and First Take.  He has also hosted the Rose Parade, Special Olympic World Games an...
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Episode 112.   Growing up in Oklahoma, my next guest Whitney Reynolds always knew that she wanted to have her own television show. As a child, she started interviewing her friends with a makeshift microphone in her living room. During her adolescence, her family's difficult personal journey gave her the desire to share delicate stories that must be told. At the age of 23, her childhood dream became her adult mission and her ta...
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