CREATIVITY SPARKS: A CREATIVE APPROACH TO REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

CREATIVITY SPARKS: A CREATIVE APPROACH TO REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

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. 

CREATIVITY SPARKS: THE SEDUCTION OF CAMP SIEGFRIED

CREATIVITY SPARKS: THE SEDUCTION OF CAMP SIEGFRIED

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.

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Creation From Destruction

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Creation From Destruction

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 “Madea,” 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.

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Season 4 - Welcome Back!

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Season 4 - Welcome Back!

'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!

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Season 3 Finale!

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Season 3 Finale!

New Episode Alert!

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.”


MAKERSODE: Lynne Cox

MAKERSODE: Lynne Cox

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, human or otherwise!

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…)

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Dead Eyes

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Dead Eyes

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”

MAKERSODE: Marc Janowitz

MAKERSODE: Marc Janowitz

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…

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Beauty + Sorrow

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Beauty + Sorrow

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”

MAKERSODE: Mike Michalowicz

MAKERSODE: Mike Michalowicz

This week, Susan and Laura had the distinct pleasure of unpacking the mind of Mike Michalowicz, the man Simon Sinek claims might be “the patron saint of entrepreneurs”.

We have to agree.

He’s a saint, but our kind of saint - comfortable with subversive humor served with a dash of profanity.

On a mission to end entrepreneurial poverty, Mike changed our lives (and the way we think about making a living) with his book, Profit First. He has done the same for millions of other entrepreneurs as well.

If you want a fresh, bold perspective on earning a living as a creative entrepreneur, please tune in!

Mike is a joy to talk to, and life-changing to learn from!

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Creatives for Ukraine

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Creatives for Ukraine

Everywhere you look these days there is a con going down… Inventing Anna, The Tinder Swindler, The Dropout, The Puppermaster, Super Pumped, WeCrashed… Con artists are having a moment. Tune in this week to learn more about the hustle, and how you can avoid being a “sucker”, a “stooge”, or a “gull” – Better yet, turn the confidence game into an inspired spark!

Let us look for the small, weird things. And then let us pass them on.

CREATIVITY SPARKS: The Art of the Con

CREATIVITY SPARKS: The Art of the Con

Everywhere you look these days there is a con going down… Inventing Anna, The Tinder Swindler, The Dropout, The Puppermaster, Super Pumped, WeCrashed… Con artists are having a moment. Tune in this week to learn more about the hustle, and how you can avoid being a “sucker”, a “stooge”, or a “gull” – Better yet, turn the confidence game into an inspired spark!

Let us look for the small, weird things. And then let us pass them on.

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Creatives + Money

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Creatives + Money

If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through your feeds or combing through google search results thinking “there must be something more out there”, well, this episode is for you!

Laura and Susan dive into the concept of “Rewilding Your Attention” - the phrase was coined by Tom Critchlow, shared by CJ Eller and then expanded up on by Clive Thompson.

And the bat signal was seen by @thesparkfile.

Let us look for the small, weird things. And then let us pass them on.

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Does Our Inner Chatter Matter?

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Does Our Inner Chatter Matter?

If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through your feeds or combing through google search results thinking “there must be something more out there”, well, this episode is for you!

Laura and Susan dive into the concept of “Rewilding Your Attention” - the phrase was coined by Tom Critchlow, shared by CJ Eller and then expanded up on by Clive Thompson.

And the bat signal was seen by @thesparkfile.

Let us look for the small, weird things. And then let us pass them on.

CREATIVITY SPARKS: The Florida Highwaymen

CREATIVITY SPARKS: The Florida Highwaymen

If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through your feeds or combing through google search results thinking “there must be something more out there”, well, this episode is for you!

Laura and Susan dive into the concept of “Rewilding Your Attention” - the phrase was coined by Tom Critchlow, shared by CJ Eller and then expanded up on by Clive Thompson.

And the bat signal was seen by @thesparkfile.

Let us look for the small, weird things. And then let us pass them on.

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Fertile Wordle

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Fertile Wordle

If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through your feeds or combing through google search results thinking “there must be something more out there”, well, this episode is for you!

Laura and Susan dive into the concept of “Rewilding Your Attention” - the phrase was coined by Tom Critchlow, shared by CJ Eller and then expanded up on by Clive Thompson.

And the bat signal was seen by @thesparkfile.

Let us look for the small, weird things. And then let us pass them on.

CREATIVITY SPARKS: The Unstoppable Voice of Martha Wash

CREATIVITY SPARKS: The Unstoppable Voice of Martha Wash

If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through your feeds or combing through google search results thinking “there must be something more out there”, well, this episode is for you!

Laura and Susan dive into the concept of “Rewilding Your Attention” - the phrase was coined by Tom Critchlow, shared by CJ Eller and then expanded up on by Clive Thompson.

And the bat signal was seen by @thesparkfile.

Let us look for the small, weird things. And then let us pass them on.

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Rewilding Your Attention

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Rewilding Your Attention

If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through your feeds or combing through google search results thinking “there must be something more out there”, well, this episode is for you!

Laura and Susan dive into the concept of “Rewilding Your Attention” - the phrase was coined by Tom Critchlow, shared by CJ Eller and then expanded up on by Clive Thompson.

And the bat signal was seen by @thesparkfile.

Let us look for the small, weird things. And then let us pass them on.

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Wintering

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Wintering

Here at The Spark File, our mission is to spark creativity, free innate self-expression, and grant permission to fear less and create more. In this episode, we share two recently discovered like-minded creative organizations that have completely lit us up!

Here’s how it happened…First, Pam Harris introduced us to @creativemornings and Creative Mornings introduced us to @streetwisdom_ and Street Wisdom introduced us to @davidpearl_here and David Pearl introduced us to his book Wanderful: Human Navigation for a Complex World… and we now we have newfound space for reflection, joy and yes, even more CREATIVITY in our lives.

Whew! You heard it here first, folks. That is how contagious joyful self-expression and creativity can be. Pass it on.


CREATIVITY SPARKS: Money Money Money

CREATIVITY SPARKS: Money Money Money

Here at The Spark File, our mission is to spark creativity, free innate self-expression, and grant permission to fear less and create more. In this episode, we share two recently discovered like-minded creative organizations that have completely lit us up!

Here’s how it happened…First, Pam Harris introduced us to @creativemornings and Creative Mornings introduced us to @streetwisdom_ and Street Wisdom introduced us to @davidpearl_here and David Pearl introduced us to his book Wanderful: Human Navigation for a Complex World… and we now we have newfound space for reflection, joy and yes, even more CREATIVITY in our lives.

Whew! You heard it here first, folks. That is how contagious joyful self-expression and creativity can be. Pass it on.


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