THE SPARK FILE PODCAST

What is a 'spark file'?

spark file (noun) - A place where one consistently collects creative inspirations + fascinations.

The Spark File (proper noun) - Hosted by Laura Camien + Susan Blackwell, The Spark File is a fun, funny podcast obsessed with creativity + inspiration.

Each week on The Spark File podcast, Susan Blackwell + Laura Camien reach into their spark files and share stories, ideas + fascinations to ignite your imagination.

Obsessed with creativity, Blackwell + Camien also talk with artists + makers who have taken the spark of inspiration + fanned it into a flame, such as:

Julianne Moore, Zachary Quinto, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sara Bareilles, Eric Stonestreet, Bobby Lopez + Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Leslie Odom, Jr., Jonathan Groff, Kelli O’Hara, Michael R. Jackson, Sutton Foster, John Early, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Karen Olivo, Erika Henningsen, Caitlin Kinnunen, Phillipa Soo, Gavin Creel, Matt Vogel and so many more!

Refill your creative fish pond with new ideas + fresh perspectives.

Listen, then take it + make it!

MAKERSODE: SUSAN STROMAN

MAKERS: SUSAN STROMAN: FILL UP WITH THE ART OF IT ALL

This week, the incomparable Susan Stroman sits down to share it all with Susan and Laura, including lessons learned from the lockdown, insights from her 5x Tony Award Winning career, as well as what it's all for. Spoiler Alert: the answer is Love.
From her work on The Producers, Crazy For You, Bullets Over Broadway, Contact, The Scottsboro Boys and so much more, Susan recommends that we fill ourselves up with the art of it all!

Listen HERE.

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Imagine If... a celebration of Sir Ken Robinson

CREATIVITY SPARKS: IMAGINE IF…A CELEBRATION OF SIR KEN ROBINSON

This episode of The Spark File is dedicated to the memory of one of our creative heroes, Sir Ken Robinson. Laura shares the tale of how Sir Ken walked into her life and left an indelible mark on her creativity and on The Spark File company she and Susan are now building. Be sure to check out the Imagine If Festival going on now online at Imagine-if.com, celebrating the life and the legacy of Sir Ken Robinson.

Listen HERE.

MAKERSODE: KENYATTA EMMANUEL

MAKERS: KENYATTA EMMANUEL: SLAVIC SOUL PARTY, CARNEGIE HALL, AND THE TIME WITHOUT TIME

This week, Susan and Laura have the honor of speaking with Kenyatta Emmanuel, musician, singer, songwriter, and storyteller. Kenyatta shares his personal story of how, on October 21, 2019, he exited a New York state prison after 24 1/2 years incarcerated, and at 6pm that same evening, he performed at Carnegie Hall. In this episode, Kenyatta shares his creative process, his commitment to uplift, and the constant desire to be in "the zone."

Listen HERE.

MAKERSODE: BILLY EICHNER

MAKERS: BILLY EICHNER

This week, Susan and Laura have the pleasure of speaking with Billy Eichner about his many creative endeavors, including Man on the Street, Friends from College, and making his singing debut on The James Corden Show. We even get a glimpse into the new gay rom-com he's writing, plus some truly helpful advice -- stand up for yourself, say what you need to say to get the quality of work you envision.

Listen HERE.

MAKERSODE: LAURA BENANTI + VENUS FISCHER : HBO Max's Homeschool Musical

MAKERS: LAURA BENANTI + VENUS FISCHER

Recorded LIVE from The Spark File New Year 2021 Creativity KickOff, Susan and Laura have a lively conversation with the one and only TONY Award winner Laura Benanti! Laura took some big leaps during the quarantine, and shares how an idea from the heart spilled onto instagram and grew into an HBO Max special -- Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020. Plus... one of the stars of that very show, Venus Fischer, joins in on the fun, sharing her experiences on the show, and how her creativity has evolved over the course of this year.

Listen HERE.

MAKERSODE: SUTTON FOSTER

MAKERS: SUTTON FOSTER: SAY YES, TRUST YOUR GUT + GET A HOBBY

What a way to ring in the New Year! This week on The Spark File, Susan and Laura dig in deep with Uber Maker Sutton Foster. In addition to her TONY Award winning career on Broadway, and in film, television, and music, Sutton is a maker extraordinaire -- cross stitching, crocheting, drawing, teaching and writing. Her upcoming book (tentatively called HOOKED: How Crafting Saved My Life) is all about her life seen through the things she has made. Sutton shares with us just how powerful it is to always have something of your own.

Listen HERE.

Makersode: Tiffani Gavin

MAKERS: TIFFANI GAVIN: CREATIVE PRODUCING, THE EUGENE O’NEILL + THE BROADWAY COMMUNITY PROJECT

This week, Tiffani Gavin, the new Executive Director of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, shares her passion for supporting emerging artists and the desire to educate the world on the scope and impact of the industry overall with the Broadway Community Project.

Listen HERE.

MAKERSODE: JOHN EARLY

MAKERS: JOHN EARLY: SEARCH PARTY, SHORT FILMS, AND POLITICAL STORYTELLING

On this week's episode of The Spark File, Susan and Laura laugh more than they listen to comedian John Early, star of HBO's Search Party, The Characters on Netflix, and more.

Listen HERE.

MAKERSODE: Eric Stonestreet

Makers:

Eric Stonestreet:

Fizbo the Clown, Outdoor Bathrooms + Making Memories with Music

Emmy Award winning actor Eric Stonestreet, Laura and Susan cover all the essentials — creativity, clowning, and how to build your dream bathroom in the woods.

Listen HERE.

Makers: Michael R. Jackson

MAKERS: MICHAEL R. JACKSON: TYLER PERRY, TRUTH TELLING + THE PULITZER PRIZE

The Pulitzer Prize winning truth teller, Michael R. Jackson will blow your hair back with his authenticity. His metafictional musical, A Strange Loop explores the transformational story of an artist confronting issues of sexuality, race and identity. 

Listen HERE.