This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:10] Laura Camien: When I bump into something that inspires me, I jump in in my spark file.

[0:18] Susan Blackwell: Spark file. To be something that I want to make or how I want to be. I pump it in my spark. Spark. I jump into my sparks. Let's open up the spark file.

[0:37] Laura Camien: Welcome to The Spark File, where we believe that everyone is creative, but smart creative people don't go it alone.

[0:43] Susan Blackwell: I'm Susan Blackwell.

[0:45] Laura Camien: And I'm Laura Camien. If you're an OG listener, welcome back, little sparkly. If you're joining us for the first time, you should know everybody is welcome here.

[0:53] Susan Blackwell: That is so true. Whether you have put your creativity on pause during this time, or whether you have clung to it like a lifeline, either way, you are welcome here.

[1:04] Laura Camien: Or if you've done some third option that we are not aware of, you're still welcome here.

[1:09] Susan Blackwell: Still welcome. But you may be asking yourself, what exactly is a spark file? Where do I get one? What do I file in it? These are such good questions. And we actually do have an answer for you.

[1:19] Laura Camien: Mm-hmm. A spark file is a place where you consistently collect all of your inspirations and fascinations.

[1:26] Susan Blackwell: Here's the deal, friends. We are makers. Little Laura Camien, little Susie B. We're makers. And we make all kinds of things. If you're like us and you are making stuff all the time or want to be making stuff all the time, you know that the wellspring of inspiration can sometimes run a little dry, especially now.

[1:46] Laura Camien: But don't despair, because we got your back. And we're on the lookout for fresh ideas, images, and inspiration that spark creativity and pique curiosity.

[1:54] Susan Blackwell: Things that inspire us to get up off of our asses and make things like this very podcast that you are listening to in your ear holes. Or a month-long creativity course that is rigorous and kind, an opportunity to learn and to make, or a vision for yourself that is large enough to contain all the things that you're passionate about.

[2:19] Laura Camien: Every single episode, we're gonna reach into the spark file and exchange some sparks. And from time to time, we're gonna talk to some folks who spark us too. And if you're not careful, you just might make peace with endings. So without further ado, let's open up the spark file.

[2:39] Susan Blackwell: Friends, friends. Friends. It's a happy sad day.

[2:44] Laura Camien: It's a happy sad day. It's a sad happy day. It's all of it. It is a day of endings.

[2:53] Susan Blackwell: Friends, this is the wrap up of season two of The Spark File. Can you believe it?

[2:59] Laura Camien: I can't. We have been rocking season two since November of 2020.

[3:07] Susan Blackwell: That is correct. Here we are in whatever month this is.

[3:12] Laura Camien: This is August of 2021.

[3:15] Susan Blackwell: It's August 2021. We're feeling it. But we're also feeling all the emotions.

[3:20] Laura Camien: So if you hear that in our voices, we're feeling all the emotions of the day. We do so love doing this podcast. But we also know that we need to take a break now and again. And we'll be back.

[3:34] Susan Blackwell: You know what we say later. We want to make work that we love with people that we love. We want to make a good living doing it. And we want it to be sustainable. And part of that sustainability is a little breaky kins from time to time.

[3:48] Laura Camien: Little breaky kins. Take a note from us. Y'all maybe you need a break too. Just saying.

[3:54] Susan Blackwell: Maybe. Don't forget. Give yourself permission.

[3:56] Laura Camien: Absolutely. We thought it'd be fun to play a game today. The name of this game is The Hottest Sparks.

[4:03] Susan Blackwell: Sizzling Sparks. We're also playing, we're playing multiple games today. One game is Can We Get Through the Podcast with the minimal necessary editing. And the other game we want to play is called The Hottest Sparks. And this is how you play.

[4:18] Laura Camien: Laura and I are going to take turns sharing some of our favorite sparks or moments from this past season. And listen, if you want to play along at home, just walking down the streets of wherever you live, listening to this podcast, and you just want to scream it out or driving in your car, you just want to shout it at your steering wheel, what some of your favorite sparks or moments were from the past season.

[4:40] Susan Blackwell: Please don't let us know. One other alternative is that you could email us with that if you want to share with us. Like civilized people. You know, maybe. And let us know what were your favorite sparks or moments.

[4:54] Laura Camien: Yeah, let us know. If you just want to shout it at the sky, shake your fist at the sky and scream what your favorite sparks or moments were. Maybe that'll get to us eventually.

[5:04] Susan Blackwell: Sure, why not? So I thought it'd be fun to play this game, The Hottest Sparks.

[5:09] Laura Camien: I like it. Well, uh, so we're doing like favorite spark of our own and a favorite spark of the other person, or both, or one or the other?

[5:19] Susan Blackwell: Both.

[5:20] Laura Camien: Okay. I'm gonna I'm gonna start. I'm just gonna throw down.

[5:23] Susan Blackwell: Throw it down.

[5:24] Laura Camien: One of my favorite sparks that you sparked at me, Laura Camien, and are you ready for it?

[5:31] Susan Blackwell: Uh-huh.

[5:31] Laura Camien: My Octopus Teacher.

[5:34] Susan Blackwell: Oh, yeah.

[5:36] Laura Camien: That was a goodie. Because I remember it, it we didn't plan it, but it happened to go really well with you did burnout, right?

[5:45] Susan Blackwell: Oh my gosh, that's right. It was, I remember because of the breath.

[5:51] Laura Camien: We were talking about the things, because he went to that place because he was burnt out. And to the point where his body was getting sick. And he doesn't say with what or how.

[6:04] Susan Blackwell: That's right. But you get the sense that like he had to, he was sort of forced to take this break. And informing this relationship, unexpected relationship with this octopus.

[6:15] Laura Camien: When do you think a relationship with an octopus is expected?

[6:18] Susan Blackwell: Maybe if you're another octopus.

[6:21] Laura Camien: Okay, you're right though. You're right. Who could expect that?

[6:24] Susan Blackwell: Who could have known? But you were right when he was out there taking when he was taking his dive daily dives in the ocean. And so he was like, I'm gonna go daily. I'm gonna bring my camera. I'm going to be in nature. And so we were like breathe. Breathing. Touch animals and nature. Yes, connection, a significant and meaningful connection with others.

[6:45] Laura Camien: That's right. Physical activity. It was an accidental spark companion with my spark on burnout and the work of Emily and Amelia Nagoski.

[7:01] Susan Blackwell: Yeah. I mean, it's kind of remarkable because we were in real time. That was the fun of that episode. Like in real time, making these discoveries of like, oh, and on that list of things that help you complete the cycle. He did this, he did this, he did this.

[7:16] Laura Camien: That was fun. Your spark sparked my spark.

[7:18] Susan Blackwell: Delightful. Your spark sparked my spark. That was a real peanut butter in my chocolate mama.

[7:23] Laura Camien: That's really fun. Suze, I'm gonna tell you one that you did that I love. It's not gonna surprise you. And you may be self-conscious about it because of how often we talk about it, but no one else knows that but you and I already know what it is.

[7:37] Susan Blackwell: The brain of Jill Bolti Taylor, yeah, that spark has sparked um thoughts. I have to say, multiple times a day on my part.

[7:49] Laura Camien: And I I know for you as well.

[7:50] Susan Blackwell: That's the goal. But not a day has gone by that I have not thought about how my brain works, which circuitry is running.

[8:00] Laura Camien: Yep.

[8:01] Susan Blackwell: Yeah. How to work um more efficiently, but more um, I guess more appropriately. Which part of the brain for which job needing that needs to get done? So that's been amazing.

[8:15] Laura Camien: Yeah. I I've I now I just preamble anytime I talk about that book. I'm just like, I'm so sorry, I'm gonna talk about this book again because I talk about it at work, I talk about it with you, I talk about it with clients, and I feel like you made this observation, Laura. The framework that she presents in that book is expansive and it contains a lot of other learning that we have been on the receiving end of so elegantly.

[8:41] Susan Blackwell: I would go so far as to say, I dare you to find a framework about healing anything inside the brain that doesn't fit within her framework.

[8:56] Laura Camien: So, for example, we were like at that same time, I was preparing for a spark on imposter syndrome, and I was reading a book about that. I had just read um Julia Cameron's The Listening Path. I had like there are several other things that I had kind of been studying. And as you were talking about her framework, I was like, huh.

[9:20] Susan Blackwell: Yeah. All of this can sit within her, like they don't contradict each other. Hers is big enough. The idea is big enough to contain very specific things. So if you're a child of a narcissist as I am, and you're working to heal some of those traumas, it fits within it. If you have imposter syndrome and you're working to heal that, it fits within it. And so on and so on. I dare you to find something that doesn't fit within it.

[9:49] Laura Camien: I dare you.

[9:50] Susan Blackwell: Dare. I dare you. That is, I think that's the first time I've ever, it's a spark so nice. I sparked it twice that there was the brain of Jill Bolti Taylor, and then I brought you a few weeks later the brain of Jill Bolti Taylor to Electric Boogaloo, one of the greatest podcast episode titles ever, if I if I do say so myself.

[10:09] Laura Camien: But I I have continued to think about this and use it as a framework to organize and understand not only my brain, but my life, my creativity, my interpersonal relationships.

[10:21] Susan Blackwell: And so good. I I Jill Bolti Taylor, I would love her to come on our podcast and Taylor. Please come talk to us. Are you listening to this, Jill Bolti Taylor?

[10:34] Laura Camien: You're not? Okay. If anyone knows Jill Bolti Taylor, and message to her, Jill may not be listening, but maybe someone who knows Jill is listening.

[10:45] Susan Blackwell: Could be that happened recently. There's somebody who it's a spark, another spark for another day, but a thinker who I'm obsessed with, and somebody emailed me and said, Oh, I can introduce you. And like in 24 hours, I was connected with the person, and I was like, hubba hubba, that's gonna be a great maker sode.

[11:02] Laura Camien: So a little teaser for season three. Um, let's now I'm gonna give one of yours that rocked my world.

[11:14] Susan Blackwell: Okay.

[11:14] Laura Camien: The upper limit.

[11:17] Susan Blackwell: Oh, that's a goodie.

[11:20] Laura Camien: The upper limit and your exploration of that piece of thinking by Gay Hendricks from Gay's book, The Big Leap, and how we have this sort of set point of what we feel basically a deserve level, I guess you can call it.

[11:38] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[11:39] Laura Camien: And when things are the potential for personal expansion or up leveling is is in the atmosphere, how we can sometimes undermine ourselves in order to maintain that set point of what we feel we deserve.

[11:56] Susan Blackwell: That rocked my world.

[12:00] Laura Camien: It rocked my world. I think about it all the time. Oh, and I think about this little gem when I am worried, critical, blaming, or deflecting, I breathe deep and ask myself, what good things are trying to enter my life right now.

[12:19] Susan Blackwell: I love it. I love that. And just jumping back to another little gem from Jill Bolti Taylor, I think all the time about through several times throughout the day, calling a brain huddle. Sometimes when the heat is on, and sometimes when it's off, just for practice. And just checking in and asking which which quadrant of my brain, which circuitry is at play here. And is it the best circuitry for the job?

[12:44] Laura Camien: So I love, I have to tell you, Laura, I'm so thankful to you, and I'm so thankful that we have committed to this podcast and we keep doing it because really it's so selfish. Like it feels like it has made my whole self better.

[13:00] Susan Blackwell: But a set, but but my brain, my heart, it just feels like this is our continuing education or our continuing personal development. And I fucking love it.

[13:12] Laura Camien: It is, and I feel a little selfish about it. I feel um when I like sometimes I'll talk to people who have a desire to like keep learning. And in my mind, I think, oh, make yourself a podcast like The Spark File where you get to talk about anything that you want to learn about, anything that sparks in your brain, any quadrant of your brain, and you know, learn more about it and then share it with the world.

[13:37] Susan Blackwell: It's so gratifying. I I I can't remember if we've talked about this on mic or off mic because they're, you know, I can never fucking remember. I live off mic in the words of the donor. I live off camera. But something that has been I think about all the time is how we have heard for years and years. I'm probably this is probably something I said last episode. Please enjoy my dotage. I'll let you know.

[14:03] Laura Camien: But how we've heard for years and years, if you want to maintain brain health, keep learning, do crossword puzzles, learn French, blah blah blah. And I have often thought, yeah, I should do that, but I don't really make time to do crossword puzzles or learn French. But we do make time to do this podcast, and I've noticed that it does have an effect on the vibrancy of my mind.

[14:28] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[14:29] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[14:30] Susan Blackwell: It really does.

[14:31] Susan Blackwell: I was also saying to Nathan, here's another reason why I love doing this podcast with you. Listeners, are you enjoying this? Do you feel like a part of this? Or do you feel are you just like listening to us have a private conversation?

[14:42] Susan Blackwell: I love it because, as you know, and I've talked about this on the podcast, I have this stammer that I have had since I was younger. I always say like I grew up with a cork in my throat, and slowly over time I have melted the cork.

[15:00] Susan Blackwell: But doing this podcast with you, Laura, has increased the cork is melted, but the flow, it's just like been an exercise for the flow of me speaking and practicing confidently speaking without a stammer. And so that's been really great too.

[15:16] Laura Camien: I love that.

[15:19] Susan Blackwell: I've really noticed it this season. Um and I notice when I'm the when I revert to it, but I feel like I have made progress. I notice, like I will, and I apologize for this, friends. Um, but I if I'm mid thought and I'm forming it, I know like sometimes I don't know if it's a stammer or if it's like these long pauses as I'm like forming the thought. But here's the beautiful thing about podcasting.

[15:50] We can edit all that fucking shit out, and nobody knows.

[15:50] Laura Camien: Oh.

[15:55] Susan Blackwell: I think people when they hear me say that or hear you say that, they might be like, oh no, y'all sound just smooth as silk. But it's because we just edit all that stuff out. It's magic. And we love that. The magic of the museum.

[16:07] Laura Camien: It's so good.

[16:08] Susan Blackwell: But today all secrets may be revealed because we might not edit this. So there you have it. Enjoy our little quirks. It's probably going to be edited. I just a few more shout-outs for episodes that well we had some guests this year.

[16:25] Laura Camien: Oh my adored one guest we've had actually had a couple guests who have become clients.

[16:33] Susan Blackwell: Yeah. Kenyatta Emmanuel the great Kenyatta Emmanuel John Ellison Conley, Hutcher Bell. These are people that the great artists who we also have the pleasure of having in our world as creativity coaching clients. It's just an absolute gift to get to work with them. I mean truly like pinch yourself kind of gift.

[16:56] Laura Camien: Yeah yeah and they all I loved the episodes we did with them this year. And then we got to sit down with people like Sir Richard Eyre and Sutton Foster.

[17:06] Susan Blackwell: Sutton Foster's book came out oh is it out or is it coming order?

[17:13] Laura Camien: I think it's pre-order.

[17:14] Susan Blackwell: Get your copies on it. We should do that as a spark one of us should do that as a spark that's going to be I'm really excited for her. All of her creativity sort of coming together in the potency of a book.

[17:26] Laura Camien: I love that I mean she's such a I mean so extraordinarily creative. There's like the obvious creativity that the world has the joy and benefit of of seeing her do. And then there's so much cre like it's just feels like she has sewn creativity into the fabric of her daily life in every way possible, which is very and figuratively.

[17:54] Susan Blackwell: That is correct.

[17:55] Laura Camien: And I also just want to shout out I learned so much and I loved our episode with Jenny Clift, the tapping episode about EFT.

[18:02] Susan Blackwell: Now that's someone who I became a client of Jenny's.

[18:07] Laura Camien: So this is you know, see how this works.

[18:09] Susan Blackwell: So I was like this works. I think she's a phenomenal human being, and the work that she does is extraordinary.

[18:19] Laura Camien: Yeah. Extraordinary.

[18:22] Susan Blackwell: I love it. I love her. I love you. And I it's this. I just had such a I learned so much this past season.

[18:31] Laura Camien: Good morning.

[18:31] Susan Blackwell: Oh, the podcast. I'm thinking good season.

[18:34] Laura Camien: Good game.

[18:34] Susan Blackwell: Good game.

[18:35] Laura Camien: Good game.

[18:35] Susan Blackwell: Oh, speaking of games, that's what I was gonna say was my favorite spark that I did.

[18:40] Laura Camien: Oh, yeah.

[18:41] Susan Blackwell: So um like, must admit, this was really for me. And so, you know, it might not have been everyone's cup of tea, but doing a spark about canasta because playing that game has brought me so much joy with my, you know, playing that game with my friends for for 30 years. And um, and then it also sort of combined, I found this article from like 1954.

[19:09] So it combined some, you know, my joy of research and history and finding that article and being able to sort of shape the whole thing as a little story of a card game that could, you know, canasta coming up against bridge. And kind of any time you can talk about um, you know, people being in the pocket of Big Bridge, I think is really, really, you know, gratifying. So that was just a fun one. I just had I had so much fun doing that one.

[19:41] Laura Camien: Oh, my favorite that I did.

[19:44] Susan Blackwell: I had a I loved The Brain of Jobulti Taylor, parts one and two.

[19:48] Laura Camien: Yes.

[19:48] Susan Blackwell: I really have to say, I remember so clearly the day that we recorded the episode about Helene Hempf and just getting to like sit in a story. And I I just I love that so much. But I also took a lot away from the David Sidera spark that I did, and I think about it all the time.

[20:12] Laura Camien: So good.

[20:12] Susan Blackwell: That was so, you know. If if you haven't gone back, like myself, I have not gone back to watch his masterclass, but you essentially gave us the highlights of a masterclass from him, which is phenomenal. But there's so much more.

[20:28] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[20:29] Susan Blackwell: I'm sure it was tip of the iceberg. Masterclass. I have to get back in with your username and password.

[20:34] Laura Camien: I love masterclass.

[20:35] Susan Blackwell: I've changed it.

[20:36] Laura Camien: So you're out.

[20:37] Susan Blackwell: Son of a bitch.

[20:39] Laura Camien: Well, you kept giving it to everyone.

[20:41] Susan Blackwell: So I don't know if anyone's been, you know, if anyone's heard about it.

[20:46] Laura Camien: I'm kidding.

[20:48] Susan Blackwell: I do volunteer your your kidding.

[20:52] Laura Camien: So those were some fun apps.

[20:54] Susan Blackwell: I like that game.

[20:55] Laura Camien: The hot stuff.

[20:56] Susan Blackwell: That was a really fun game.

[20:57] Laura Camien: That was a really fun game.

[20:58] Susan Blackwell: I enjoyed doing that.

[20:59] Laura Camien: And I feel like we should take a moment as well to acknowledge another thing that wrapped up today.

[21:06] Susan Blackwell: That's right.

[21:07] Laura Camien: So many conclusions.

[21:10] Susan Blackwell: The very first cohort of the Sparks File Select Group Creativity Coaching Program concluded today.

[21:19] Laura Camien: Today.

[21:21] Susan Blackwell: This day is a big day.

[21:23] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[21:23] Susan Blackwell: I did a spark on the Art of Gathering, right?

[21:26] Laura Camien: You did, yeah.

[21:27] Susan Blackwell: Yeah. When I read The Art of Gathering, which was recommended to us by Celia Kinnembulger. So thank you again for that, Celia. When I read that, I thought, oh, this is really important. And we have to keep it in mind for the whole six-month course. But we really need to keep it in mind for the conclusion. And so we sort of used her teaching to guide us through the ending of our last meeting of that class.

[21:59] Laura Camien: And it was beautiful.

[22:01] Susan Blackwell: Priya Parker really knows what she's talking about.

[22:04] Laura Camien: Oh yeah.

[22:05] Susan Blackwell: It was beautiful. I really enjoyed it. But we it was so it was emotionally like we gave it our all and and uh felt it, felt it all felt every feeling all the way through. I think Laura and I, it's safe to say we now feel like we've just got pulled out of the washing machine.

[22:23] Laura Camien: The ringer, baby, the spin cycle.

[22:26] Susan Blackwell: Laughs were laughed and tears were cried.

[22:29] Laura Camien: Oof.

[22:30] Susan Blackwell: Oh, we should probably say. So if you have, if you're just tuning in and and you haven't heard us talk about like what the Sparks File Select group is, what is that?

[22:39] Laura Camien: Um, it's essentially it's this group creativity coaching program that we lead that really has the flavor of the podcast. I mean, you know, it's it's us essentially, but it's it's kind of part coaching program, part creativity course, part kind kick-ass artistic community.

[23:00] Susan Blackwell: I've never, I mean, the reason if I if I sound like I have like a little question mark at the end of my voice is because we kind of built the fantasy of what we would have wanted to be a part of. And I don't know of anything else that exists like this.

[23:15] Laura Camien: 100% agreed.

[23:17] Susan Blackwell: And when throughout the this sort of wrapping up time and the final class meeting today, every person had an opportunity to speak briefly. And so many people have mirrored that back to us.

[23:32] Laura Camien: I believed that to be true.

[23:32] Susan Blackwell: It had been my experience that I had never been aware of anything quite like this. It's one of the reasons why it's a little bit hard to describe. But a number of folks said, I have wanted something like this, and I've never known where to get something like this.

[23:52] Laura Camien: If and I particularly think if you're somebody who, like you maybe you've been out of school for a while, and you're looking for that thing that lights up your brain in the ways we were just describing, continuing to learn and also continuing to make in a really like we're all grown-ass adults, no grades are given, no attendance is taken.

[24:14] Susan Blackwell: It really is just this warm, rigorous, wonderful group of people. And everybody is sort of making stuff and supporting each other as they make stuff. And it is really unique.

[24:27] Laura Camien: It is really, really unique.

[24:29] Susan Blackwell: It's very, very unique.

[24:30] Laura Camien: And like logistically, like we meet every week.

[24:34] Susan Blackwell: We do this inspired, if we do say so ourselves, inspired curriculum delivered by us and also by some really incredible guest teachers.

[24:44] Laura Camien: And there's um accountability, there's opportunities to share your work in progress. And we have weekly creativity labs where we like roll up our sleeves and get our work done.

[24:56] Susan Blackwell: Like that's where people can like really commit to if nothing else, I'm gonna have this 90 minutes that I'm gonna give to my creativity this week. The beautiful thing about the way it's structured, again, if we do say so ourselves, I'm I I'm really proud of this group.

[25:09] Laura Camien: Me too.

[25:10] Susan Blackwell: The reason why I I don't want to apologize for being really proud of it. I just want to celebrate it. We've worked very hard on structuring it so it's clear and organized and it maximizes fun and creativity.

[25:25] Laura Camien: So it's weird because there is that part of me, that upper limit part of me that's sort of like, oh, be humble. But then there's that part of me that wants to shout from the rooftops, I fucking love this group and I'm so proud of what we made.

[25:38] Susan Blackwell: So there's a little battle going on inside me right now.

[25:41] Laura Camien: But the thing I love about the structure that you just described is when we meet on Saturdays for sort of the classes and the creativity shares, that is a lot about learning.

[25:53] Susan Blackwell: That's a lot about taking in.

[25:55] Laura Camien: There is the creativity shares and the feedback process in those Saturday meetings. But then the creativity lab is a lot about just like heads down doing, and that can take all different forms.

[26:08] Susan Blackwell: Sometimes it's quiet work. So you just on the Zoom screen, you just see people with their heads down working.

[26:13] Laura Camien: But then we also have uh we have breakout rooms where people are supporting each other as pages are read or stand-up is rehearsed, etc.

[26:22] Susan Blackwell: And we have office hours in there. So if people have questions about anything that they're creating or their business that they're building, there's a dialogue happening there.

[26:33] Laura Camien: And I've never seen anything like it, but man, do I love it?

[26:36] Susan Blackwell: It is extraordinary.

[26:38] Laura Camien: Because I think about um especially when we get to a certain age and um we're choosing to continue our learning, our personal growth, um, or our creative work. A lot of times it's it's like actors taking an acting class, singers taking a singing class, writers taking a writing class. You're in with um, but this is such an incredibly diverse group of creatives.

[27:02] Susan Blackwell: They could be doing anything, but they're all talented, they're committed, they're kind, they're supportive.

[27:08] Laura Camien: And what they have in common is that they want to jumpstart their creative work.

[27:13] Susan Blackwell: They want to feel that like sense of agency in their creative lives, and they kind of want to like link arms.

[27:24] Laura Camien: And it's like we say, don't go it alone.

[27:27] Susan Blackwell: It's essentially like let me surround myself with people who are also in the arena doing the work, um, and we'll all push each other forward.

[27:38] Laura Camien: It really is a group of people who have determined that they are gonna prioritize their creative vision and they're gonna make space for their self-expression, and they're gonna do what it takes.

[27:49] Susan Blackwell: There one of the things that I love about it, and that we've talked about, Laura, is all the folks in there are doing all different things, but they all have one common denominator, and that is they are all taking big swings.

[28:07] Laura Camien: Yes.

[28:07] Susan Blackwell: They are, they are making themselves vulnerable and taking big risks, and many of them are doing things that they have not done before.

[28:16] Laura Camien: So there are people in the group that are very successful, seasoned creative artists, but maybe they're trying something new that they're sort of like, I want a safe space far from the view of the public eye where I can I can give this a try safely.

[28:33] Susan Blackwell: And then once that confidence is grown, they can step out into the world.

[28:39] Laura Camien: It's true.

[28:40] Susan Blackwell: It is definitely it's a commitment.

[28:42] Laura Camien: It's a this is not for everyone.

[28:45] Susan Blackwell: We should also be clear.

[28:47] Laura Camien: If you haven't picked up on it, this is not a fan event.

[28:50] Susan Blackwell: Like this is a bunch of creatives getting together and working.

[28:54] Laura Camien: So the motto, nobody is above me, nobody is below me, haters to the left is really in effect.

[29:00] Susan Blackwell: But it is a it's a commitment of time and energy and creativity.

[29:05] Laura Camien: It is expensive but worth it.com.

[29:08] Susan Blackwell: And I really feel like the results that we celebrated today in that closing class really speak for themselves.

[29:19] Laura Camien: I mean, come on, like the just the the spread, the diversity, the scope of the creativity in the group was incredible.

[29:30] Susan Blackwell: Like bananas.

[29:31] Laura Camien: Bananas.

[29:32] Susan Blackwell: When we like a bunch of bananas, so we celebrated all these wins today. Some of them were like hard wins, concrete wins, um, easily definable wins that speak to how much people got done if you're just measuring it by that.

[29:51] Susan Blackwell: Um God, where do I start? TV pilots, screenplays, short stories, essays, articles, eulogies, plays, memoirs, book chapters, and a haunted hay ride. All of those things were written. A haunted motherfucking hayride was like for real. Like a professional haunt was created for a professional farm. Yes. All those things were written. But also right, it's not just writers. Music videos were shot, podcasts were launched, um, table reads, shows were performed, songs were composed and sung. Yes. Um, what else? Interviews were conducted, beautiful photographs were taken, curriculum was crafted and delivered, businesses and social media campaigns were conceptualized and launched. Collaborations were formed.

So that was a that's a fun collaboration. Paintings were painted and sold. Yes, they were. Talks were given, cabarets were written and rehearsed. Oh my god, Suze, Twitch, Twitch streams, twitches were streams. Twitches. We don't know what twitches are. We twitched. We did a Twitch. One of our group members twitched the hell out of Twitch. Launched a channel, gained fans and trolls, which you know, so you know you're doing something right. Websites were built, one person shows were not only written but opened. Um, stand up comedy, performance art was workshops. Yes. What are we missing? Musicals were recorded. Yes, not just written, but recorded. That's right. Experiential theater was developed.

All of this is to say it was a very diverse collective of creativity that was happening. But again, like those are the concrete. If you're like, okay, what's measurable? These things were measurable. But we also had, and I feel, you know, the highly sensitive people that we are. That was also a great spark. We are equally, if not even more so impacted by these, like maybe less visible to the naked eye wins, but they're absolutely essential. They're more difficult to define, but almost I have to say, more profound and more real. And the roots feel incredibly deep.

[32:23] Laura Camien: If we were going to use human language, what would you say?

[32:28] Susan Blackwell: I would start with a community was built made of kind, talented, supportive creatives.

[32:40] Laura Camien: I like it. Sophie's good.

[32:43] Susan Blackwell: I would probably also say um that people feel a greater sense of agency over their own lives and over their own creativity. We heard that several times, several times today. We heard that confidence was bolstered, that um consistent time was dedicated to creativity and to self expression, that fears were conquered, that friends were made, that support was shared. And I mean, I think our overall okay. Sorry, I honestly thought I was done crying for the day, but I think the overall thing that we heard was that lives were transformed in the process. And that's not all our doing. So I'm not saying like I'm that's not about me and you. We may have built the structure for people to do it, but what they did together, yes, and how they showed up for each other and helped to transform each other's lives. I mean, it was nothing short of miraculous.

[33:50] Laura Camien: It's beautiful. It's so interesting. Again, I have this little battle within me where that upper limity part of me that's just like, oh now, don't get too big for your britches. But as you talk, I'm like, check, check, check. You're right. You're right. It's our fantasy. We told, we told our um our class today, and we'll tell all of you. We have dreamt for so long. Like one of our very, very, very favorite things to do is to help people surface their creative vision and then support them, help them make it a reality.

[34:28] Susan Blackwell: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And that in this way like helping dreams come true is a dream come true for us.

[34:39] Laura Camien: Yeah. Yeah.

[34:40] Susan Blackwell: And this class is that. So if we get emotional and we get weird and squirrely, um, that you know, forgive us, please. But it's like it's our dream come true to watch dreams coming true and and support dreams coming true. So we yes, as we were talking today in the group, I was trying to explain to the class they're all doing their version of making something where nothing exists before. That's true. And this podcast and this course, our our creative project.

[35:09] Laura Camien: That is correct.

[35:10] Susan Blackwell: So they're they're sort of all rocking their creative project within the framework of our creative project, our thing that didn't exist before. And I'm I am really proud of that, but it also reminds me of that thing, Linda Berry. I've heard Linda Berry say on several occasions, which is if you say to somebody, Oh my God, I had this dream last night, people are like, Oh, please, I don't want to listen to your like ramblings about some wackadoo dream you had. But if you say to somebody, I had a dream last night, and you were in it, people are like, they lean in and they're like, Really? But it was interesting when we were in that class today, and we were celebrating each other and concluding this first cohort. And what I didn't say to them, but I'll say now is we had this dream, and all of you were in it. All of you course participants, all of you listeners. Laura and I had this dream, and all of you were in it.

[36:11] Laura Camien: Oh, Suz, that is beautiful.

[36:15] Susan Blackwell: That is beautiful, and that is true.

[36:17] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[36:18] Susan Blackwell: Oh my God. So hopefully, listeners, you will forgive us for being a tad emotional today. We're very, we're very proud. We're very tired. We're very excited. We're very like we're all tossed salad.

[36:37] Laura Camien: We're a tossed salad.

[36:38] Susan Blackwell: And so we're we're not gonna toss your salad.

[36:42] Laura Camien: What?

[36:42] Susan Blackwell: Come on. I have to undercut it. I can't just live in the opening. I can't just live in the pure expression of the emotion. I've got to undercut it to make it filthy.

[36:50] Laura Camien: We can undercut it.

[36:53] Susan Blackwell: Undercutter, my new name for you.

[36:56] Laura Camien: The undercutter.

[36:57] Susan Blackwell: It's true. I'm the undercutter. That if you were a pro wrestler, it would be Susan.

[37:02] Laura Camien: The undercutter black one.

[37:04] Susan Blackwell: Undercutter. I like it. I just when somebody is just like experiencing an emotion, I want you to feel it. I want you to feel it. And then I've got the undercutter.

[37:13] Laura Camien: A reference to tossing salads. Good lord.

[37:18] Susan Blackwell: So we're gonna take a tiny little break.

[37:22] Laura Camien: But oh, we do have a new cohort of the select group starting in October.

[37:28] Susan Blackwell: So it's not gonna be that long of a break.

[37:31] Laura Camien: Um, we're gonna start again with a cohort, our second cohort.

[37:37] Susan Blackwell: We have a couple of spots left, but let's be clear.

[37:40] Laura Camien: The good news and the bad news is we're very proud that with very few exceptions, almost the entire first group has opted to return for another round.

[37:51] Susan Blackwell: Which honestly, if everything we've just said, that might make you think I want to be a part of that group.

[37:58] Laura Camien: And I wouldn't blame you because they're extraordinary human beings.

[38:02] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[38:03] Laura Camien: So there's like a few spots to join them, you know, on this next journey.

[38:08] Susan Blackwell: There's not much room at the end.

[38:09] Laura Camien: There's not much at all.

[38:11] Susan Blackwell: But listen.

[38:12] Laura Camien: Are you undercutting me?

[38:14] Susan Blackwell: I don't mean to undercut, I'm just trying to manage people's.

[38:19] Laura Camien: Yes.

[38:20] Susan Blackwell: But if people are interested, you can if you've like if you are still with us and you like the sound of what you heard and it piques your interest, please you can email us at thesparkfile@gmail.com.

[38:31] Laura Camien: And that is correct.

[38:33] Susan Blackwell: Even if it's not for this round, maybe it's for a future round.

[38:36] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[38:36] Susan Blackwell: Sometimes get to know people.

[38:38] Laura Camien: Let's timing is everything.

[38:40] Susan Blackwell: So it might not be for this round, but it might be in the future.

[38:43] Laura Camien: But email us now.

[38:44] Susan Blackwell: Get it, get in the pipeline.

[38:45] Laura Camien: That is correct.

[38:46] Susan Blackwell: I didn't mean to undercut you, but I do want to manage people's expectations because it is important.

[38:51] Laura Camien: We hadn't even announced it and it already filled.

[38:54] Susan Blackwell: And so all of that is to say we're taking a little break.

[38:59] Laura Camien: We're going to restock our own fish ponds.

[39:02] Susan Blackwell: We're going to refill our own spark files.

[39:06] Laura Camien: And we will be back in the fall.

[39:09] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[39:10] Laura Camien: I love the football.

[39:11] Susan Blackwell: I love the fall.

[39:12] Laura Camien: It's my favorite too.

[39:14] Susan Blackwell: Smell of multiple pencils and football weather.

[39:17] Laura Camien: Whether or not you watch football doesn't really matter.

[39:19] Susan Blackwell: I just call it football weather.

[39:21] Laura Camien: I love it.

[39:22] Susan Blackwell: Concussion season.

[39:23] Laura Camien: It's the best.

[39:30] Susan Blackwell: And it was cold out.

[39:31] Laura Camien: It was the fall.

[39:32] Susan Blackwell: And it was, and we were just cozy inside having story times.

[39:36] Laura Camien: Love it.

[39:37] Susan Blackwell: So we'll be back in the fall.

[39:39] Laura Camien: And until the next time we connect with you, we hope that you remained healthy and well and that your creativity flourishes.

[39:48] Susan Blackwell: We'd like to leave you with the words of the poet Rumi.

[39:53] Laura Camien: Before we share this poem, hey.

[39:56] Susan Blackwell: We were talking before we started recording about how I'm still working on naming the four characters in my brain.

[40:04] Laura Camien: Jill Boltitaylor.

[40:05] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[40:05] Laura Camien: And but one that just landed that I love is Rumi.

[40:10] Susan Blackwell: I named the character four in my brain after the poet Rumi, but also because the word roomy connotes expansiveness.

[40:19] Laura Camien: So Roomy R-U-M-I or Rumi R-O-O-M-Y.

[40:24] Susan Blackwell: That's right.

[40:25] Laura Camien: And I'm jealous.

[40:26] Susan Blackwell: And Susan said, because she already took that name, and now I can't think of another name for my character four that I want more than the name Rumi.

[40:33] Laura Camien: And Susan said I could name it Roomy 2.

[40:36] Susan Blackwell: I'm thinking maybe Rumi2 Electric Boogaloo.

[40:40] Laura Camien: But you can call it Rumi for short.

[40:42] Susan Blackwell: In any event, we thought that we would wrap this up with this poem by Rumi.

[40:48] Laura Camien: And this is how we also concluded our final meeting of this round of the Sparks File Select Group Creativity Coaching Program.

[40:58] Susan Blackwell: And we were just in love with this poem, so we're gonna share it with you now.

[41:02] Laura Camien: We are.

[41:09] Susan Blackwell: In your light, I learn how to love.

[41:12] Laura Camien: In your beauty, how to make poems.

[41:16] Susan Blackwell: You dance inside my chest where no one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art.

[41:26] Laura Camien: You and I have spoken all the words, but for the way we have to go, words are no preparation.

[41:33] Susan Blackwell: I have one small drop of knowing in my soul.

[41:38] Laura Camien: Let it dissolve in your ocean.

[41:41] Susan Blackwell: A mountain keeps an echo deep inside.

[41:45] Laura Camien: That's how I hold your voice.

[41:48] Susan Blackwell: Do not feel lonely.

[41:50] Laura Camien: The entire universe is inside you.

[41:54] Susan Blackwell: Stop acting so small.

[41:56] Laura Camien: You are the universe in ecstatic motion.

[42:00] Susan Blackwell: Set your life on fire.

[42:03] Laura Camien: Seek those who fan your flames.

[42:08] Susan Blackwell: Seek those who fan your flames.

[42:12] Laura Camien: I feel like that should be the tagline for the Sparkfile Select Group Creativity Coaching Program and this podcast.

[42:20] Susan Blackwell: 100%.

[42:21] Laura Camien: Seek those who fan your flames.

[42:23] Susan Blackwell: And set your life on fire.

[42:25] Laura Camien: Set your life on fire.

[42:27] Susan Blackwell: We are going to put that on a t-shirt.

[42:30] Laura Camien: Seek those who fan your flames.

[42:32] Susan Blackwell: And we're going to credit Rumi.

[42:34] Laura Camien: Yes, we will.

[42:35] Susan Blackwell: That is I just got a little spark.

[42:38] Laura Camien: That's happening.

[42:39] Susan Blackwell: Done.

[42:40] Laura Camien: That'll be in the merch shop coming soon to a website near you.

[42:43] Susan Blackwell: But friends, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

[42:46] Laura Camien: I think that's it.

[42:47] Susan Blackwell: I think that's it.

[42:50] Laura Camien: This season two finale episode of the Sparks File was made on the lands of the Lenape people.

[42:57] Susan Blackwell: And as always, we hope that it put another bunch of sparks in your file.

[43:01] Laura Camien: If there is a spark you'd like us to explore on season three, or if you've taken a spark and fanned it into a creative flame and you'd like to share that, email us at thesparkfile@gmail.com or submit it through our website, thesparkfile.com.

[43:16] Susan Blackwell: We will even happily take your feedback.

[43:19] Laura Camien: But you know the price of admission.

[43:21] Susan Blackwell: First, you have to share a creative risk that you've taken recently.

[43:26] Laura Camien: You can follow us on social at the Sparkfile and be sure to subscribe, rate, and five-star review this podcast, babies.

[43:33] Susan Blackwell: It really helps other listeners find us, especially the subscribe part.

[43:38] Laura Camien: If you like this podcast, we do hope you'll share it with people that you love.

[43:41] Susan Blackwell: And if you didn't like it, you're in luck because we won't be back until the fall.

[43:45] Laura Camien: So you had a nice break.

[43:47] Susan Blackwell: Ah.

[43:48] Laura Camien: If something tickles your fancy, though, if something gets your creative juices flowing, we're writing you a forever permission slip to make that thing that's been knocking at your door.

[44:00] Susan Blackwell: It's your turn to take a spark and fan it into a flame.

[44:04] Laura Camien: You know you gotta take it and make it.

[44:09] Susan Blackwell: Make it bye, friends.

[44:12] Laura Camien: Bye, everybody.

[44:13] Susan Blackwell: See you soon.

[44:14] Laura Camien: When I bump into something that inspires me, I dump it in the spark fire.

[44:23] Susan Blackwell: Sparflies could be something that I wanna pick or how I wanna be.

[44:29] Laura Camien: I'll pump it in the spark fire.

[44:34] Susan Blackwell: I jump into my spark flag.

[44:38] Laura Camien: Let's open up the spark fire.