The Spark File with Susan Blackwell and Laura Camien
By Susan Blackwell and Laura Camien
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Category: Performing Arts
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Episodes: 209
Description
Your one stop shop for creative ideas and inspiration. Sign up for our newsletter HERE. Each week on The Spark File podcast, Susan Blackwell and Laura Camien reach into their spark files and share stories, ideas and fascinations to ignite your imagination. Obsessed with creativity, Blackwell and Camien also talk with artists and makers, movers and shakers who have taken the spark of inspiration and fanned it into a flame. Hear from inspiring creatives like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sara Bareilles, Eric Stonestreet, Jonathan Groff, Julianne Moore and Bart Freundlich, Zachary Quinto, Leslie Odom Jr, Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Billy Eichner, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Karen Olivo, Sutton Foster, Michael R. Jackson and many more about their passions and their failures, their inspirations and their aspirations. Refill your creative fish pond with new ideas and fresh perspectives. Listen, then take it and make it! Learn more at thesparkfile.com.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
|
S7E1 - Immaculate Perception
|
Dec 10, 2025 |
|
S6E7 - Sara Bareilles / The Town Hall Spark Sessions
|
Aug 24, 2025 |
|
S6E8 - Melay Araya / The Town Hall Spark Sessions
|
Jul 30, 2025 |
|
S6E6 - Laura Benanti / The Town Hall Spark Sessions
|
Jul 02, 2025 |
|
S6E5 - Sofronio Vasquez / The Town Hall Spark Sessions
|
Jun 18, 2025 |
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S6E4 - Griffin Newman / The Town Hall Spark Sessions
|
Jun 04, 2025 |
|
S6E3 - Sean Mayes / The Town Hall Spark Sessions
|
May 28, 2025 |
|
S6E2 - Eisa Davis / The Town Hall Spark Sessions
|
May 14, 2025 |
|
S6E1 - Lin-Manuel Miranda / The Town Hall Spark Sessions
|
May 07, 2025 |
|
Introducing The Town Hall Spark Sessions
|
May 07, 2025 |
|
Season 5 Finale
|
Feb 05, 2025 |
|
Stephen King On Writing
|
Jan 29, 2025 |
|
Closing Ceremonies: Blue Man Group
|
Jan 22, 2025 |
|
Hug An Author Today
|
Jan 15, 2025 |
|
Making Change Pt. 3
|
Jan 08, 2025 |
|
Primordial Soup
|
Dec 31, 2024 |
|
Gifts & Creativity
|
Dec 24, 2024 |
|
Menopause + Creativity
|
Dec 18, 2024 |
|
Go All The Way There
|
Dec 11, 2024 |
|
Reaching Out
|
Dec 04, 2024 |
|
Join The Joiners
|
Nov 27, 2024 |
|
Catharsis, Comfort & Change
|
Nov 20, 2024 |
|
The Creative Act
|
Nov 13, 2024 |
|
Moral Distress Signal
|
Nov 06, 2024 |
|
Spooky Sparks from SPARKfest
|
Oct 30, 2024 |
|
Them's The Rules
|
Oct 23, 2024 |
|
Sparks from SPARKfest (Part 1)
|
Oct 16, 2024 |
|
WWGD? (Learning from Gavin Creel)
|
Oct 09, 2024 |
|
Grief & Creativity
|
Oct 02, 2024 |
|
Shining Your Creative Light
|
Sep 25, 2024 |
|
Certainty v. Creativity
|
Sep 18, 2024 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Season 4 Finale!
|
May 03, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: From Good to Great
|
Apr 26, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: You Have a (true) Story to Tell
|
Apr 19, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Processing Creative Conclusions and Milestones
|
Apr 12, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Imperfect Perfectionist
|
Apr 05, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: AI + Creativity
|
Mar 29, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Ah-ha Moment
|
Mar 22, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Jesse James and the KGC Gold
|
Mar 15, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The New Rules
|
Mar 08, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Let's Talk about Death over Dinner
|
Mar 01, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: I'm Sorry
|
Feb 22, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The 7 Day Happiness Challenge
|
Feb 15, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
|
Feb 08, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Change
|
Feb 01, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Stealing (a) Home
|
Jan 25, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Toni Morrison
|
Jan 18, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Artists & Athletes
|
Jan 11, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Creativty + Mental Health
|
Jan 04, 2023 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Making Marketing Part of Your Creative Process: The Blue Man Group Edition
|
Dec 28, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Write Like Your Parents Are Dead Again
|
Dec 21, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Creative Comfort Crisis
|
Dec 14, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: A Creative Approach to Reproductive Rights
|
Dec 07, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Seduction of Camp Siegfried
|
Nov 30, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Creation from Destruction
|
Nov 23, 2022 |
|
Welcome Back, Sparklers!
|
Nov 16, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Season 3 Finale!
|
Apr 27, 2022 |
|
Makersode: Lynne Cox
|
Apr 20, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Dead Eyes
|
Apr 13, 2022 |
|
Makersode: Marc Janowitz
|
Apr 06, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Beauty + Sorrow
|
Mar 30, 2022 |
|
Makersode: Mike Michalowicz
|
Mar 23, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Creatives for Ukraine
|
Mar 16, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Art of the Con
|
Mar 09, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Creatives + Money
|
Mar 02, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Does Our Inner Chatter Matter?
|
Feb 23, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Florida Highwaymen
|
Feb 16, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Fertile Wordle
|
Feb 09, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Unstoppable Voice of Martha Wash
|
Feb 02, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Rewilding Your Attention
|
Jan 26, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Wintering
|
Jan 19, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Money Money Money
|
Jan 12, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Operation Paperclip
|
Jan 05, 2022 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Creative Resistance; OR, The Monster at the End of this Episode
|
Dec 29, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Collaborative Wisdom of Metallica
|
Dec 22, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Creative Mornings / Street Wisdom
|
Dec 15, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Spark Side of Social Media
|
Dec 08, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: What If...?
|
Dec 01, 2021 |
|
Welcome Back, Sparklers!
|
Nov 24, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Celebrating Endings
|
Aug 30, 2021 |
|
Makers: Hunter Bell: Connection, Community and Fantasy Island
|
Aug 23, 2021 |
|
Makers: John Ellison Conlee: Great Conversation and a Cup of Joe
|
Aug 16, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Imposter Syndrome
|
Aug 09, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Mind of Jill Bolte Taylor, Pt 2: Electric Boogaloo
|
Aug 02, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Lincoln in the Bardo
|
Jul 26, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Brain of Jill Bolte Taylor
|
Jul 19, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: For Love of the Game
|
Jul 12, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Performance Anxiety
|
Jul 05, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Highly Sensitive People + The Art of Gathering
|
Jun 28, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Best Advice You've Ever Received + The Sixth Stage
|
Jun 21, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Write Like Your Parents Are Dead + God Save The Queen
|
Jun 14, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Made You Look + The Curated Closet
|
Jun 07, 2021 |
|
Makers: Paul Wontorek: Life-changing Theatre, Record Collections + Broadway.com
|
May 24, 2021 |
|
Makers: Jenny Clift: Tapping into our Emotional Freedom
|
May 17, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: WHY + The Creative Habit
|
May 10, 2021 |
|
Makers: Dax Valdes of Hollaback on the 5 D's of Bystander Training
|
May 03, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Attention Economy + Einstein Time
|
Apr 26, 2021 |
|
Makers: Taylor Mali: Poetry, Performance + What Teachers Make
|
Apr 19, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Champions of Breakfast + The Feedback Process
|
Apr 12, 2021 |
|
Makers: Sir Richard Eyre: The Opposite of Schadenfreude, Yeats + a Career in the Arts
|
Apr 05, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Making Art Out of Art + Reflections On a Moment
|
Mar 29, 2021 |
|
Makers: Susan Stroman: Fill Up With the Art of It All
|
Mar 22, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Upper Limit Problem + The Storytelling Secrets of David Sedaris
|
Mar 15, 2021 |
|
Makers: Emily Fletcher: From Broadway to Ziva Meditation + Getting Better at Life
|
Mar 08, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Imagine If... in honor of Sir Ken Robinson
|
Mar 01, 2021 |
|
Makers: Ryan J. Haddad: New Homes, Solo Plays + Hi, Are You Single?
|
Feb 22, 2021 |
|
Makers: Kenyatta Emmanuel: Slavic Soul Party, Carnegie Hall + The Time Without Time
|
Feb 15, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Every Month is Black History Month + Here Is New York
|
Feb 08, 2021 |
|
Makers: Billy Eichner: Man on the Street, Risk Taking + Saying What You Need to Say
|
Feb 01, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Burnout + My Octopus Teacher
|
Jan 25, 2021 |
|
Makers: Laura Benanti + Venus Fischer: HBO Max's Homeschool Musical
|
Jan 18, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Haiku + Collective Creativity
|
Jan 11, 2021 |
|
Makers: Sutton Foster: Say Yes, Trust Your Gut + Get a Hobby
|
Jan 04, 2021 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Intrigue of Austen + Toys
|
Dec 28, 2020 |
|
Makers: Tiffani Gavin: Creative Producing, the Eugene O'Neill + the Broadway Community Project
|
Dec 21, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Helene Hanff + Secret Love
|
Dec 14, 2020 |
|
Makers: John Early: Search Party, Short Films + Political Storytelling
|
Dec 07, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Garnet's Gold + Land Acknowledgements
|
Nov 30, 2020 |
|
Makers: Eric Stonestreet: Fizbo the Clown, Outdoor Bathrooms + Making Memories with Music
|
Nov 23, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Furious Dancing + Resilience
|
Nov 16, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Previously On... The Spark File
|
Sep 28, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Fatigue Fatigue + Creative Cycles
|
Jun 22, 2020 |
|
Makers: Michael R. Jackson: Tyler Perry, Truth Telling + the Pulitzer Prize
|
Jun 18, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Mindset + VUCA
|
Jun 15, 2020 |
|
Makers: Karen Olivo: Taking a Stand
|
Jun 11, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Fight For Equality and Making Change Pt. Deux
|
Jun 08, 2020 |
|
Makers: Donna Lieberman: NYCLU and The Protection of Neutral Principles
|
Jun 04, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Apocalypse Now + Russ Ewing
|
Jun 01, 2020 |
|
Makers: A Very Special Celia Keenan-Bolger Episode
|
May 28, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Mailbag #2!
|
May 25, 2020 |
|
Makers: Bobby Lopez + Kristen Anderson-Lopez Part 2: Kindness, Confidence and Creative Collaborations
|
May 21, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Golden Repair + Vedem
|
May 18, 2020 |
|
Makers: Bobby Lopez + Kristen Anderson-Lopez: Conscious Dialogue, 'Leadership Skills' + Changing Your Choice
|
May 14, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Show Must Go On...line + Making a Difference
|
May 11, 2020 |
|
Makers: Heidi Blickenstaff Part 2: Growing a Pair, Discovering New Passions and Making a Difference
|
May 07, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Ode to USPS + Kittens on a Blanket
|
May 04, 2020 |
|
Makers: Heidi Blickenstaff Part 1: Soft Clothes, NY Pride + New Creative Projects
|
Apr 30, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Creative Limitations + Like a Boss
|
Apr 27, 2020 |
|
Makers: Erika Henningsen Part 2: White Knuckling Creativity, Unlearning + Embracing Ease
|
Apr 23, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Captain's Log + Bill Withers
|
Apr 20, 2020 |
|
Makers: Erika Henningsen: Part 1: Giant Megaphones, Neutral Principles, and Activism
|
Apr 16, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Pandemic Creativity + You Are Doing Enough
|
Apr 13, 2020 |
|
Makers: Jill Twiss: 'Ready, Aim, Recycle', Politics as Comedy and a Great Bunny Name
|
Apr 09, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Colette + In the FLO
|
Apr 06, 2020 |
|
Makers: Kate Quarfordt: Part 2: Holding Joy, Catching a Thread, and Being Onto Something
|
Apr 02, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Chiaroscuro + The Hidden Life of Trees
|
Mar 30, 2020 |
|
Makers: Kate Quarfordt: Part 1: On Being a Creative Instigator, Shit Stirrer, Capital “A” Artist
|
Mar 26, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Thanks, Semmelweis + We Are The Dream
|
Mar 23, 2020 |
|
Makers: Kris Andersson / Dixie Longate: Taking Risks, Charging Forward and Burning the Boats
|
Mar 19, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Unfinished Business + The Posh Club
|
Mar 16, 2020 |
|
Makers: Caitlin Kinnunen: Fluidity, Authenticity and Being the Truth Goose
|
Mar 12, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Rejected Princesses + The Astor Place Riots
|
Mar 09, 2020 |
|
Makers: Kelli O'Hara: Having a 'Voice', Doing No Harm, and Love of the Game
|
Mar 05, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Katherine Hepburn's Career Turnaround + Scotty Bowers and the Secret History of Hollywood
|
Mar 02, 2020 |
|
Makers: Phillipa Soo: Part 2: Anxiety, Perfection and Letting It Hang Loose
|
Feb 27, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Preparation + Boredom
|
Feb 24, 2020 |
|
Makers: Phillipa Soo: Part 1: Giving Voice to New Characters, and Learning from a Legacy
|
Feb 20, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Col. Percy Fawcett + A Room of One's Own
|
Feb 17, 2020 |
|
Makers: Bonnie Siegler: Chasing Andy Warhol, Signs of Resistance, and the Gift of Certainty
|
Feb 13, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Shop Class to Soul Craft + Introversion
|
Feb 10, 2020 |
|
Makers: Angela Johnson: Investing in Access
|
Feb 06, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Bombshell + Fewer, Better
|
Feb 03, 2020 |
|
Makers: Part 2: Freestyle Love Supreme's Anthony Veneziale and Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan
|
Jan 30, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Making Change + Self Reliance
|
Jan 27, 2020 |
|
Makers: Part 1: Freestyle Love Supreme's Anthony "Two-Touch" Veneziale and Chris "Shockwave" Sullivan
|
Jan 23, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Sparks of Nancy Blackwell + My Friend Fear
|
Jan 20, 2020 |
|
Makers: Meta Wagner Part 2: Identifying Your Creative Type (And Its Evolution)
|
Jan 16, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Creative Spaces / Gathering Places + The Sparks of Amy Poehler
|
Jan 13, 2020 |
|
Makers: Meta Wagner Part 1: Writing the Book on Creative Types
|
Jan 09, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Hand Lettered Signs + Unfinished Art
|
Jan 06, 2020 |
|
Makers: Okorie "OKCello" Johnson: Ancient Instruments/Modern Technology, the Energy of Uncertainty, and Liminal Space
|
Jan 02, 2020 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Our Very First Mailbag Episode!
|
Dec 30, 2019 |
|
Makers: Brad Montague: Confetti, a Choir, a T-shirt Canon and a Human Being Who Wants to Be Loved
|
Dec 26, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Mudlarking + Verbatim Theatre
|
Dec 23, 2019 |
|
Makers: Matt Vogel: Getting Booed, Becoming a Muppet, and Retaining Something That's Yours
|
Dec 19, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Cat Dancers + Teddy Roosevelt
|
Dec 16, 2019 |
|
Makers: Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus: Beyond The Nanny Diaries; or Clock-watching and Disrespect
|
Dec 12, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Flu Apocalypse + A Storytelling of Writers
|
Dec 09, 2019 |
|
Makers: Jonathan Groff Part 2: Hear Me, People of Thebes
|
Dec 05, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Bird by Bird + Honey Boy
|
Dec 02, 2019 |
|
Makers: Jonathan Groff Part 1: Rehearsal Rooms, the O Face, and Telling the Truth
|
Nov 28, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Armchair Treasure Hunts + But What If It Wasn't?
|
Nov 25, 2019 |
|
Makers: Lin-Manuel Miranda Part 2: Creative Misdiagnoses, Passion Projects, and Sensory Seeking
|
Nov 21, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Art of Dying Well + Puzzle Peace
|
Nov 18, 2019 |
|
Makers: Lin-Manuel Miranda Part 1: Friday Night Meet Ups, The Laundry Room, and Making Space
|
Nov 14, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks AND Makers: Brundibar + The Mad King and Anthony Roth Costanzo: Live from the MET Opera
|
Nov 08, 2019 |
|
Makers: Leslie Odom, Jr: The Lion, The Bear, and his Brand New Album, 'Mr'
|
Nov 07, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Spooky Sparks Special Episode: Aokigahara Forest + Mercedes McCambridge
|
Nov 04, 2019 |
|
Makers: Gavin Creel: Creative Sponges and Meaningful Relationships: Live from The Performing Arts Project
|
Oct 31, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Lynne Cox + Patricia Douglas: Live from The Performing Arts Project
|
Oct 28, 2019 |
|
Makers: Celia Keenan-Bolger: Authenticity, bridge-building and winning the TONY Award
|
Oct 24, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: What It Feels Like on the Inside + Lumber Jills
|
Oct 21, 2019 |
|
Makers: Julianne Moore and Bart Freudlich Part 2: Because 60/40 was already taken
|
Oct 17, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: John Kenley + The Unthought Known
|
Oct 14, 2019 |
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Makers: Julianne Moore and Bart Freudlich Part 1: Cooking Branzino and Diving In Head First
|
Oct 10, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: The Full Sanpaku + @cheapoldhouses
|
Oct 07, 2019 |
|
Makers: Rodney Evans: Vision Portraits, Liminal Space and Truth-telling
|
Oct 03, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Golden Palace + Poet Mary Oliver
|
Sep 30, 2019 |
|
Makers: Zachary Quinto Pt 2: Inspired Collaboration, Theater and Creative Aspirations
|
Sep 26, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Survivors of Larry Nassar + Reservoir Noir
|
Sep 23, 2019 |
|
Makers: Zachary Quinto Pt 1: Uncertainty, Inspiration and Authenticity
|
Sep 19, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Little House on the Prairie + Speak the Mokita
|
Sep 16, 2019 |
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Bonus: What is a Spark File and Why Every Creative Needs One
|
Sep 11, 2019 |
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Makers: Sara Bareilles Part 1: Creative Risks, Songwriting and Broadway
|
Sep 11, 2019 |
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Makers: Sara Bareilles Pt 2: Anxiety and Inspirations
|
Sep 11, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Breaking Up with Tech + Free Solo
|
Sep 09, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: John Mulaney on Failure + Nine Enders
|
Sep 09, 2019 |
|
Creativity Sparks: Hilma af Klint + The Diderot Effect
|
Sep 09, 2019 |
|
Trailer: Creating The Spark File theme song
|
Sep 01, 2019 |