This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

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

[0:18] Laura Camien: Spark!

[0:19] Susan Blackwell: To be something that I wanna make or how I wanna be. I pump it in my spark spa.

[0:26] Laura Camien: Spark!

[0:28] Susan Blackwell: I jump into my sparks. Let's open up the spark file.

[0:36] Laura Camien: Welcome to the Sparks File, where we believe that everyone is creative, but smart creative people don't go it alone.

[0:42] Susan Blackwell: I'm Laura Camien.

[0:44] Susan Blackwell: And I'm Susan Blackwell. And we are creativity coaches who help people fear less, create more, and bring their creative visions to life.

[0:52] Laura Camien: That's right. If you're an OG member of the Sparks File community, welcome back, Sparkler.

[0:57] Laura Camien: If you're joining us for the first time, what welcome, friend? Know that just by listening to this podcast, you're joining a warm and wonderful clan of creatives.

[1:06] Susan Blackwell: But hold up, you may be asking yourself, what exactly is a spark file?

[1:06] Laura Camien: A spark file is a place where you consistently collect all your inspirations and fascinations.

[1:15] Susan Blackwell: If you're like us and you're making stuff all the time, or you want to be making stuff all the time, you know if you're not careful, your little campfire of creativity can flicker out.

[1:24] Laura Camien: Aww, but don't despair. We're collecting kindling in the form of fresh ideas, images, and inspiration that spark creativity and pique curiosity.

[1:34] Susan Blackwell: To light a fire under our collective asses to make things like this podcast.

[1:39] Laura Camien: Or a new daily creative practice that taps deep into your inner wisdom while you glide through the streets of your city.

[1:48] Susan Blackwell: Oh my god.

[1:51] Laura Camien: I'm so excited.

[1:52] Susan Blackwell: I'm excited for you.

[1:53] Laura Camien: Hey, every episode, we're gonna reach into our spark files and exchange some sparks.

[1:57] Susan Blackwell: And from time to time, we're gonna talk to some folks who spark us too.

[2:01] Laura Camien: That means we have more sparks than we can possibly use in this lifetime, friends.

[2:05] Susan Blackwell: So if something lights you up, we encourage you to take that thing and make something out of it.

[2:11] Laura Camien: So without further ado, let's open up the Sparks file.

[2:17] Susan Blackwell: What if the sound of the Sparks file opening was just like a big creaky door that was just like hopper?

[2:23] Laura Camien: That would sound like a file that hadn't been opened in a long time.

[2:27] Susan Blackwell: Just blow the dust off of it.

[2:29] Laura Camien: The mobby style.

[2:31] Susan Blackwell: That's right. There's some ideas in here somewhere.

[2:35] Laura Camien: When you were little, did you all have that Walt Disney scary haunted sound effects record?

[2:40] Susan Blackwell: I think we did.

[2:41] Laura Camien: Yes. We had several little Disney sound effect records, which were amazing.

[2:46] Susan Blackwell: But there was one that was real scary, and it's the sound of like creaky doors and the sound of the long fuse.

[2:52] Laura Camien: I might actually still bob it. I'm gonna look for that.

[2:55] Susan Blackwell: Oh, that would be amazing.

[2:58] Laura Camien: Um, friend, is there anything that we need to say to the people before we kick it into gear?

[3:05] Susan Blackwell: Well, we've been announcing some exciting things, and we'll, you know, talk about them.

[3:12] Laura Camien: Well, I'm sure we'll like run some ads and stuff about them, but I do want to say how special it is to like launch a merch store.

[3:21] Susan Blackwell: It's really special.

[3:23] Laura Camien: I it is a little bit like dreams coming true, and it's gonna be fun to so many parts of this are gonna be fun.

[3:31] Susan Blackwell: First of all, I just want to give a shout out to Juliet Gray, who's been Sherpa throughout the merching process.

[3:37] Laura Camien: Could not and would not have gotten it done without Juliet Gray.

[3:42] Susan Blackwell: So now there's so many ways that the fun keeps on coming.

[3:47] Laura Camien: I am thrilled at the thought of getting like a 2XL hoodie with the Sparks File logo on the front.

[3:57] Susan Blackwell: That as you know, I enjoy putting my chihuahuas in my sweatshirt while I work.

[4:03] Laura Camien: And I love the idea of getting to do that with Sparks File branded merchandise.

[4:08] Susan Blackwell: So moving from Kansas to New York, I'd never seen a dog in a sweatshirt before.

[4:14] Laura Camien: But I can now say if you also start doing it for 30 years, I have worked among those who put dogs in their sweatshirts.

[4:24] Susan Blackwell: And I think that's a really special kind of person.

[4:27] Laura Camien: I really do.

[4:28] Susan Blackwell: You know, you're right.

[4:29] Laura Camien: I feel like the first time I didn't have a dog until just a few years ago, but the first time I saw somebody put a dog in a sweatshirt, I think it might have been Chris Wink, who was one of the founders of Blue Man Group, and he would cut just picture like on a sweatshirt, down near the belly, but then take a trip to the left or the right so that the little dog could be kind of like against your belly, and its little face could be like poking out the side.

[4:57] Susan Blackwell: Meetings in conference rooms or meetings in the theater or in the rehearsal rooms, wherein we're seated in a circle.

[5:04] Laura Camien: You're listening very intently to Chris Wink.

[5:07] Susan Blackwell: As we did.

[5:08] Laura Camien: I would call him like the Pied Piper.

[5:10] Susan Blackwell: He was the like this creative genius that you're just like, where are we headed today?

[5:14] Laura Camien: Very exciting.

[5:16] Susan Blackwell: But kind of hard to focus when you would then like look down and see bodies wriggling inside of a sweatshirt, and then eventually a little face popping out.

[5:28] Laura Camien: I mean, who can compete with that?

[5:29] Susan Blackwell: I was just watching.

[5:30] Laura Camien: This is actually connected to um a spark that I was recently developing.

[5:37] Susan Blackwell: Oh, and uh I just caught a little bit of Helen Mirren's masterclass on masterclass.com in the teaser for her masterclass.

[5:46] Laura Camien: She was talking about dogs and babies.

[5:48] Susan Blackwell: And when she thinks about acting, she thinks a lot about really aspiring to that energy of the dog or the baby because on camera or in a meeting room or in a theater, you cannot take your eyes off a dog or a baby because they are just so present and they are so themselves.

[6:05] Laura Camien: Now she acknowledges that she'll never attain that because she has responsibilities, she has a story that she has to tell, etc.

[6:13] Susan Blackwell: But I was like, yeah, yeah, I love the idea.

[6:16] Laura Camien: I've had many a work session with you, and I've taught now that we work in the virtual sphere with many a dog and many a sweatshirt.

[6:24] Susan Blackwell: Dog in your sweatshirt, and dogs are like speaking of that training, like the blue men 100% follow that rule of like the dog-like energy is like fully present, fully curious.

[6:37] Laura Camien: What's happening over here?

[6:39] Susan Blackwell: I don't know. I have forgotten what happened a moment ago, and I don't know what's coming up next.

[6:43] Laura Camien: I'm just right here and I'm ready to play.

[6:46] Susan Blackwell: It's a really charming and wonderful thing, and I think there's no greater reminder of that than having the dog right there in your sweatshirt with you.

[6:53] Laura Camien: In your sweatshirt, and it just makes me think maybe I'll get an extra 2XL Spark File branded hoodie, and I'll have one that is dog modified so it has a porthole where they can stick their little face out of it.

[7:06] Susan Blackwell: Or maybe we should just sell them like that.

[7:08] Laura Camien: I don't know. Let's not get ahead of ourselves.

[7:10] Susan Blackwell: That's the same thing. We're just beginning with our merch store, so we're starting with the basics, but I'm really excited because another way that this is going to be so fun and so joyous is incorporating, you know, Sparks File isms into the merch.

[7:25] Laura Camien: And we'll get there.

[7:25] Susan Blackwell: And I'm so excited.

[7:26] Laura Camien: It's gonna be a creative expression that we get to enjoy partaking in.

[7:32] Susan Blackwell: Um, you know, like you said, we're starting with the basics on the site right now, which will all be lovely, but expect it to expand from there because every little thought that crosses our mind that we're like that would be a really fun merch idea.

[7:46] Laura Camien: Merch, merch, merch.

[7:47] Susan Blackwell: Oh my gosh.

[7:48] Laura Camien: I just wrote in my Sparks File an idea for a t-shirt that I had just while we were talking.

[7:53] Susan Blackwell: See?

[7:54] Laura Camien: So for all your holiday gift giving needs and beyond the Sparks File merch store.

[7:59] Susan Blackwell: The Sparks File merch store.

[8:00] Laura Camien: Suze, uh another thing I'm excited about is to share the spark with you today that I've got in my back pocket.

[8:07] Susan Blackwell: It's ready.

[8:08] Laura Camien: Anything else we want to talk about before your back pocket bursts with.

[8:12] Susan Blackwell: No, my back pocket's about to explode.

[8:15] Laura Camien: The January 1st and 2nd Sparks File annual creations take off.

[8:20] Susan Blackwell: That's happening.

[8:21] Laura Camien: That's happening.

[8:22] Susan Blackwell: We don't need to beat you over the head with it.

[8:24] Laura Camien: You heard the promo.

[8:25] Susan Blackwell: That's right. Go to thesparkfile.com and register.

[8:27] Laura Camien: We would love to see you there.

[8:29] Susan Blackwell: We are like busy little elves over here working hard to ensure that all of us have a creatively expansive 2022.

[8:40] Laura Camien: Absolutely.

[8:40] Susan Blackwell: That's our mission.

[8:41] Laura Camien: It's a joyous mission.

[8:43] Susan Blackwell: It really is.

[8:44] Laura Camien: It really is.

[8:45] Susan Blackwell: I just want to say because I keep using the word joyous.

[8:48] Laura Camien: We had in the Sparks File Select Group, we were in another round of creativity shares today.

[8:54] Susan Blackwell: And there was a share.

[8:56] Laura Camien: I'm not for the purposes of you know confidentiality.

[8:59] Susan Blackwell: I won't say specifically what it was, but there was a share today, and it was so joyous, and it put this big, dumb smile on my face that it just remains and lingers.

[9:12] Laura Camien: So I just want to tip my tiny invisible spark file bucket hat available at the Sparks File Word store, and then getting to roll into a recording of this podcast with you.

[9:22] Susan Blackwell: I just feel like my creative dreams are just coming true.

[9:27] Laura Camien: It's just so wonderful.

[9:28] Susan Blackwell: I'm I'm I'm very joyous, and I'm so excited because I know you got a spark that's just burning a hole in your butt.

[9:34] Laura Camien: It is, it is.

[9:36] Susan Blackwell: I'm very joyous.

[9:37] Laura Camien: I'm I'm I'm joyous right there with you.

[9:39] Susan Blackwell: But listen, spark me, baby.

[9:41] Laura Camien: Listen, on the morning that I wrote this spark, Suze.

[9:45] Laura Camien: First of all, let me paint a picture for you.

[9:48] Laura Camien: It was my absolute favorite kind of morning. There was this like dim gray light shining through the windows at 6:45 a.m.

[9:58] Laura Camien: And the sound of rain, like really hard sounding rain was streaming through, and the smell of warm, fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen.

[10:10] Susan Blackwell: Which I mean, if you know me, is a smell I actually literally like all day, any time of day.

[10:16] Laura Camien: Suze, I noticed something.

[10:17] Laura Camien: What I realized about that, I think I like to live in the possibility of coffee, even if I don't actually drink it all day.

[10:17] Susan Blackwell: To live in the possibility of it, yeah.

[10:26] Susan Blackwell: I like for there to be a pot brewing, and I can smell it, and I know it's there if I want it.

[10:32] Susan Blackwell: But I do end up throwing, I do end up wasting a lot of coffee for the just to live in the possibility of it.

[10:40] Laura Camien: So there's that. But on this morning, I particularly loved it. That scent wafting in with all the other senses popping off, and I had my spark file journal handy.

[10:52] Laura Camien: I wrote my morning pages, and then I prepared myself for a new adventure, a creative adventure specifically.

[11:00] Susan Blackwell: And I was so excited because I knew then that if this experience was even half of what I was hoping for, I knew I was gonna share it with our listeners.

[11:09] Laura Camien: I just knew it.

[11:10] Susan Blackwell: But as you know, Suze, there's still like a tiny little voice in my head, you know, doing what it does, which is saying, like, don't get your hopes up, don't hinge your entire spark episode on this because if it falls through, you're gonna be empty-handed and you're gonna not have a spark to write about.

[11:30] Laura Camien: So I was juggling those emotions.

[11:33] Susan Blackwell: But guess what? It all worked out.

[11:35] Laura Camien: This fucking adventure was everything I hoped for and more.

[11:40] Susan Blackwell: So here I am, and I'm about to share all of it with you.

[11:43] Laura Camien: I cannot wait.

[11:44] Susan Blackwell: I'm just gonna jump in.

[11:45] Laura Camien: A few months ago, my friend Pam Harris.

[11:48] Susan Blackwell: Hi, Pamela.

[11:49] Laura Camien: Pamela told me about an organization called Creative Mornings.

[11:54] Susan Blackwell: And it sounded so interesting, but I was in the midst of a move, and I I think like I kind of clocked it, but then I couldn't commit to doing anything about it right then in that moment.

[12:07] Laura Camien: You know how it is.

[12:07] Susan Blackwell: But this week, Pam sent me an invite to one of their events, and I signed up.

[12:13] Laura Camien: I'm gonna tell you all about it, but first let me tell you what I discovered about Creative Mornings.

[12:18] Susan Blackwell: Pause one second.

[12:19] Laura Camien: I have to say, I'm super excited because this spark already has the promise and possibility of a it the makings of a different kind of spark because it's not something you read.

[12:32] Susan Blackwell: It's not something that you watched.

[12:34] Laura Camien: That's something you did.

[12:36] Susan Blackwell: That is correct.

[12:37] Laura Camien: Get into it.

[12:39] Susan Blackwell: I'm sparked by that spark.

[12:40] Laura Camien: And I'm I'm like, this I feel emboldened.

[12:44] Susan Blackwell: That there's a few things where I'm like, I'm interested in doing something that is more experiential and reporting back.

[12:50] Laura Camien: Hey.

[12:51] Susan Blackwell: And I feel like this is giving me that blitz permission slip.

[12:56] Laura Camien: That's right.

[12:57] Susan Blackwell: You've got a permission slip, Suze. Let's pave the way for it.

[13:00] Susan Blackwell: All right. Here's what I learned about Creative Mornings. They call themselves a breakfast lecture series for the creative community. It was created by Tina Roth Eisenberg in 2008. Now Tina is a Swiss designer based in Brooklyn. Side note, she is the founder of Swiss Miss Design Blog and Studio, which was selected by the Times as one of the top 50 design blogs in the world. In the world, people in the world. So in 2008, Tina began Creative Mornings by hosting one short talk for free, just one Friday morning per month. That's it. Their mantra is that everyone is creative and everyone is welcome. I love it. Come on. My heart just like fucking synced up with them right then and started beating in unison the minute I read that.

So they're incredibly aligned with the Sparks File belief system, suffice to say. So that's how they started. But now they gather in 224 cities across 67 countries every month. It's still for free, thanks to their partners MailChimp and Skillshare, but they now have expanded, like they have a database of creative companies that you can access and find on their website. They have a job board of creative jobs if you're looking. Either you're looking to hire someone or you're looking for a job, a newsletter chock full of great creative ideas, field trips where they meet up in real life. I think they don't do that as often. It's a very vibrant community, but I think it really is this focus on once per month.

So these monthly events that they have had like they've had so many different speakers and leaders create these experiences. Past guests have included David White, who calls poetry, quote, language against which you have no defense, which I fucking love. Language against which you have no defense. I was like, I'll take some of that, please. And they've had Esther Perel on the power of relational intelligence. They've had Priya Parker and so many more. All stars, all stars, all stars, and so many people whose names I have not recognized up to this point in my life, but everything about this says to me like I need to know who they are. I need to listen and watch their events.

[15:23] Susan Blackwell: So this week, Sweet Pamela sends me an invite to their monthly event, and this one is called Street Wisdom with David Pearl. Here was the description. Have your daily routines, both in and outside your home, become humdrum and lost their spark after months of the same? Grab your headphones and join us from anywhere in the world on Friday, November 12th from 8:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time to experience the magic of Street Wisdom with David Pearl. Street Wisdom is an everyday creative practice you use as you walk, whether outside on a stroll or wandering through the inside of your home. Pearl's immersive audio guidance will prime us for a richness of observation, unlocking our minds and unblocking our creativity with every step.

You'll see your immediate surroundings with fresh eyes, and whatever your questions, you're finding answers everywhere. I mean, you know that was an invitation I was going to accept. I mean, not so much because my roots have become humdrum, but more because this sounded like a guided spark finding expedition, and I'm always down for that.

[16:30] Susan Blackwell: Yeah. So I'm telling you, this event was a delight in every effing way. For anyone who's ever taken a Sparks File workshop or a class with us, you know that we work really hard and we take pride in the fact that meaningful connections really can form over Zoom. There is an art to it, absolutely, and it doesn't happen by chance. It's a very concerted effort to structure the class for optimal human connection and interpersonal dynamics. But I have to say, Creative Mornings also takes care in this area, which I really appreciated. And I know you would too, Suze.

[17:09] Laura Camien: I do love that thoughtfulness.

[17:11] Susan Blackwell: When I jumped on, it was high energy. I think they said they made a habit of like dancing into and dancing out of every Zoom call. I'm not sure if they were joking or half joking, but it was super fun energy while everyone gathered. And then they opened the event with music. So we were introduced to a beautiful singer named Veronica Stern who brought us in with a song from Les Mis. Wow. I know. She was most recently seen at several different events at 54 Below, but she's part of Sing for Hope, which is not only a partner of Creative Mornings, but they're a New York City based organization who utilize the power of the arts to create a better world. I was super excited to learn about them too.

They have a real mission of Arts for All, and 100% of the donations that they receive go to supporting working artists while stages have been dark. According to their website, Sing for Hope is the official cultural partner of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. And that's right. Did you even know that Nobel Peace Laureates had a cultural partner?

[18:18] Laura Camien: I did not.

[18:19] Susan Blackwell: Well, there you go. But it turns out it's Sing for Hope. And they champion Arts for All because they believe the arts have an unmatched capacity to uplift, unite, and heal. And to that, we would say, hell yes.

[18:36] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[18:36] Susan Blackwell: We agree. We're 100% in.

[18:39] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[18:39] Susan Blackwell: So I discovered from there that Sing for Hope has recently launched a free online art platform called Open Arts, which features over a hundred live performances every month. Every month, a hundred live performances from Broadway performers, opera, dance, children's programming, visual arts. I mean, come on. And you can learn all about that on SingforHope.org. So that was just the opening. That was just the opening. So Veronica brings us in with song. It was very beautiful and grounding. And then we heard from Tina, the founder of Creative Mornings. And in case you're wondering, yes, I am going to just give you the play by play of this whole event. So Tina spoke to us for a few minutes, and I really loved her.

She had this very warm energy and her obviously authentic belief in creativity and human connection. And I felt really, I just felt really happy to be there. She introduced the special guest, David Pearl from Street Wisdom. And wow, the mutual respect between them was really exciting to witness and experience and teed me up to get super excited for the kind of adventure that David was going to take us on.

[19:55] Susan Blackwell: And this is all on Zoom. This is on Zoom. I have my headphones on with my phone, right? I was not seated at my computer. Now, remember how I said it was raining? Well, there was an option. You could do the adventure around your house, or you could walk the streets. Guess what I did, Suze?

[20:11] Laura Camien: I can't even guess.

[20:14] Susan Blackwell: Because part of me thinks if it was me, my ass would stay dry and warm in my house. But I also think there's something that happens. Some people call it camera balls. You might call it spark balls. When like you're preparing a spark or you know someone is watching, you will be emboldened to make the choice you wouldn't make if it you were just like on your own, unobserved, and you knew you were not gonna tell.

[20:39] Laura Camien: Oh, interesting.

[20:41] Susan Blackwell: Like you might be like, I'm gonna take one for the team, I'm gonna suit up, and I'm going out into the wet streets of New York City.

[20:48] Laura Camien: Well, you are correct. I walked the streets in the rain, Suze.

[20:52] Susan Blackwell: Wow.

[20:53] Susan Blackwell: But I did it for me. I was in heaven. I fucking loved it. I really did. I put on my rain poncho.

[21:00] Laura Camien: You really like rain.

[21:02] Susan Blackwell: I love it. I love it.

[21:04] Laura Camien: There's a bit.

[21:06] Susan Blackwell: Yeah, yes. Well, that's how we're different. You love rain. I like being like dry, and also I don't do anything unless there's a camera watching.

[21:18] Laura Camien: These are the two ways you can keep track of hoofs, everybody.

[21:22] Susan Blackwell: No, but you were just moved to do it. And I mean, I was on Zoom, but I just had I had my camera off. Not everyone did. Some people like kept their cameras on because they were everywhere in the world. They were like, turn your camera out. So if you're walking, we can see what you're seeing. But because I was walking, I couldn't really do that. You know, I acknowledged that that was happening on my phone. Too much stuff going on. Yeah, it was raining, so I kept my phone underneath my poncho. But I had my Sparks File journal tucked into the front of my little poncho in case I found a shelter and I wanted to write something down. I would be ready. I would be prepared for that. So out I went. There were 147 people on the call.

Many of the people were from New York, but a lot of people were from around the world. And again, all are welcome. I really loved that aspect to it. So first of all, David told us a little bit about Street Wisdom. I'm in love with this company and this idea and these people. I hope that doesn't sound weird because I barely know them. But here's what I know. This is how they describe themselves. Street Wisdom is an everyday creative practice you use as you walk. A smart fusion of mindfulness, neuroscience, and wellness. It unlocks our minds and unblocks our creativity with every step. So on their site, they offer free downloads of these audio guides and walkshops. Get it? Walkshops. They have them in many cities around the world.

And they also have a podcast called The Wonderful Podcast, which that might be more like conversations than it is this walking experience, but TBD on that, I literally just found out about it, so I'm not sure. But you'll notice the idea of wandering comes into play frequently. David Pearl has written a book called Wanderful: Human Navigation for a Complex World. Again, I just learned of it. So although I've ordered it, I have not yet read it. But I like everything about David today. And I love this concept of using our ability to wander to light up our ability to wonder and feel wonder in the things around us. And you know, it really feels akin to keeping your eyes open for sparks of ideas and inspirations.

[23:43] Susan Blackwell: And speaking of, can I just say for the record for my Sparks File? I love the name Pearl. I love the name Pearl for our first name. I love the name Pearl for a last name. I love it for a middle name. I love it for a confirmation name. I think Pearl is so because Pearls are, I just think that's so beautiful. I do pearls of wisdom, pearls. It's like a delightful discovery inside of a discovery. You know, where pearls actually exist. I just feel like there's so many positive connotations to that name. It just has so much beauty in it. And now here's one more, David. And here's one more. Pop that in your Sparks File, David Pearl. Sorry, you were saying.

[24:27] Susan Blackwell: So back to today. So we learned about Street Wisdom, and of course, I was hooked, but here I was walking in the pouring rain, listening to the sweet sounds of David Pearl. And I come upon Washington Square Park. I'll be honest, who's on a normal day, at best, I walk the outer edges of Washington Square Park. It is beautiful, but it is crowded. And I always feel like there are very, very, very high odds that I'm gonna get plowed over by a skateboarder. I don't want to break their flow, Suze. I admire their skills, but I do like to stay out of their way.

[25:04] Laura Camien: So I walk around the park. I, Ed again, interrupting you, will say having scootered through that park on the hundreds of occasions. There are parts of that park that are so smooth. There are no cracks in the sidewalk. It's it is a great place to skate and scooter.

[25:23] Laura Camien: You would be the exact person I would be like dodging and weaving because I would so not want to break your flow.

[25:29] Susan Blackwell: I wouldn't be that person because I was always like a very conscientious scooter. But it is, no, I really was because I always half the people now, half the people that you're weaving through are have their heads down on cell phones. So you have to really, really keep your eyes out.

[25:46] Laura Camien: But I just want to say a thought that I had that I never acted on was how beautiful it would be to have like a GoPro camera on your body or on your scooter as you move through the park because it is the smoothest uninterrupted dolly shot. Yeah, it's a beautiful place to be on wheels, but maybe not so much if you're a pedestrian.

[26:07] Susan Blackwell: Well, that's I mean, that's on a normal day, but on this particular day, it was pouring down rain. So the park was almost empty. It looked literally sparkling clean. The leaves on the trees were like 14 different colors. The fountain was going full force despite the rain. The arch was literally gleaming. It was gorgeous. Gorgeous.

[26:35] Laura Camien: And of course, the walk that I was on was intended to get us looking at and really seeing the beauty all around us. So as far as I was concerned, like we're off to a really good start here. So, and this is where I don't know if this is a spoiler or not, because I don't know if all the warm-ups are the same for Street Wisdom. I doubt it. I bet they keep them fresh. But nonetheless, I'll share what we did at this particular event. David first took us through what he called a tune-up exercise. And it happened in three phases. First, we connected with our senses, minus our eyes. This made me laugh because it's so true. David told us, close your eyes. And he called them the fascists of our face. I literally laughed out loud because he was like, they are.

Our eyes are wonderful, but they really do think they are in charge. And if you think about it, we often act like everything we see is a fact. And so what we see often overrides the other sensory information that we're receiving.

[27:43] Susan Blackwell: Yeah. Yeah. I just loved all of that. I just couldn't stop thinking about it. So our goal today was to invite our other senses to come out to play. So I found a seat again in the rain and I listened and I felt. You know what I felt, Suze? I felt alive. I just felt one of my most favorite feelings. Rain and a chill in the air make me feel alive. Oh my God, I've got that big dumb smile on my face again. Fucking loved it. I just felt so alive.

[28:17] Laura Camien: So we sat for three glorious luxurious minutes. But one thing that David did, um, he would always say, Don't worry about the time, I've got it. Like I've got you covered. So you get to really just step into. Oh my God, this is so magical. I'm telling you, Suze, you would have loved it. So three glorious minutes. And then next up, I got to moving again. And this time the tune up asked us to change our pace, slowing it right down. And this is a keeper too. David reminded us that we do not have to move at the prevailing tempo. You do not have to move at the prevailing tempo. I mean, come on. We can move at our own pace. It just resonated to me in so many circles of my life. You can move at your own pace.

[29:16] Susan Blackwell: So we slowed it down, and our assignment was to move toward those things that interested us and move away from those things that did not interest us. It's that simple. And just make a note. So I slowed it right down and I moved toward the steam coming out of a laundromat because it was warm and it smelled really good. And then I'm not gonna lie, what interested me most at that moment was shelter above my head. I was over by Tish School of the Arts at that point. So I found an area with an overhang and I hung out there for a moment while the squall passed over. Really, I had to squeegee my glasses at that point because I love the rain, but I could not see anything at all. So I had a little three minute respite there.

[30:03] Laura Camien: And then part three of the tune up, we were instructed to wander and simply look for beauty. In particular, were there things that we typically don't notice, or if we do, we typically don't find them beautiful. Might we notice them today? Might we notice them today? And just planting this seed in your mind is so powerful. So I found several little bits of beauty, but one that I want to mention is I noticed these posters on a vacant building. And if you know New York as you do, Suze, you know there are a million posters everywhere. It's very easy to walk right by them. Like they really have to have like extraordinary design to get your attention. Something bright or something surprising might get you to snap into focus, but mostly you tune them out. It's just too many, it's too much.

[30:57] Susan Blackwell: So I'm walking along and I notice these posters. The posters themselves, respectfully, are not particularly beautiful, but there is a beautiful idea on the posters. The building was vacant, and the posters were asking what the neighborhood would like to see go into this location. Interesting. Which I think is amazing. They had like a QR code on them too. So I looked it up when I got home. This organization is called localist.buzz. And you go to this website, localist.buzz, you can click on any of the vacant buildings that they have listed. And there's hundreds of them, and you can write in what you'd like to see go there, or you can upvote something that someone else has written. I mean, Suze, it's like the old Tower Records on Broadway, or No Host R. What used to be no host art is sitting right there, and you can write in as members of the neighborhood, what would you like to see this tune into?

[31:58] Laura Camien: Yeah. So that was super, super exciting. I think this organization might be really new because I looked them up on social and they don't have any posts on there yet. But I think the concept is fantastic. So I wanted to shout them out. Here's how they describe themselves. Localists is a community-driven platform offering residents a say over what happens in their communities. We work to create more inclusive placemaking by offering a platform to connect landlords, developers, local governments, and business owners to the voice of locals. They say on the website, we are two artists who believe that civics, freedom, art, and ideas are interdependent. Without strong communities, ideas can't flourish. So amen to that.

[32:44] Susan Blackwell: Here and now I have been introduced to yet another organization to which I feel a kinship and some alignment. But back to Street Wisdom Experience. Now that we have finished our tune up, we began what David called our quest. This is where we hold in our mind a question that we've been grappling with. Now he kind of advised against going with anything too big, like where do we come from? Or why do we exist? And he also advised against going with a question that seems too small, like ketchup or mayonnaise. But it's more like something you've been grappling with, playing over in your mind, questions about relationships, career choices, communication, life choices. So we were whole, we were told to hold that question in our mind, just hold it there, and then wander for 15 minutes and just look and see what was around us and stay open to the answers.

[33:43] Laura Camien: It was absolutely wonderful. The whole experience. So into this, Suze, I am telling you, afterwards, people shared things that they noticed. So they, you know, they engaged in chat and bringing people on screen to answer. And things like a woman who saw an old building with a new modern building built like above it and around it, over it, kind of thing. And she'd been holding in her mind a question about the growth of her company. And it made her reflect on how the foundation of her company was still there at the heart of it, but it could grow up and out without losing its origins and the center of it. Another woman was wandering in her house, and she said that she went into the utility room and she said that she saw a sign on the HVAC system that gave instructions on how to reset it if it wasn't working.

And then it clearly stated, do not be alarmed. It may take more than one reset. It may take more than one reset, Suze. I fucking laughed out loud at that. A lot of people on the call did. I mean, it's just so true. It's true for your HVAC system, it's true for us. It may take more than one reset.

[34:57] Susan Blackwell: It might. So I really loved how David talked about allowing the world around you to be your partner or co-conspirator, as I like to think of it. You're working together. And I like to think that the world is conspiring on my behalf. David reminded us how Freud said that those things that are flirting with you, those ideas that are kind of calling for your attention, perhaps they're in your periphery, those are the messages from your future self. And always loved that idea. I know you love that idea that future you know how happy you're going to be if you follow this path. If only future you can get your attention and convince present you to do it. Those messages are saying, hey, try this out. You're gonna love it. Trust me, I'm you.

[35:46] Laura Camien: Of course, I believe wholeheartedly in this entire approach and the idea of listening to yourself and the answers are already within you. David shared a quote from Arthur Kursler. Creativity is one of the rare phenomenon where the teacher and the pupil reside in the same human. The teacher and the pupil reside in the same human. I love that. Yeah, right. We talk about it a lot in terms of like the mind that that asks the question, has the answer. We often talk about the teacher teaches what they need to learn. Same concept is the teacher and the pupil residing in the same human.

[36:27] Susan Blackwell: Oh, overall, Suze, I have to say, every single company I was introduced to, from creative mornings to sing for hope, street wisdom, and even localists, everyone felt so aligned with the Sparks File. I mean, it's not a hundred percent overlap, but many shared values and missions. I felt uh like a real kinship, which made me realize: I don't think we've ever stated our mission and values on the podcast, Suze, but I kind of feel the urge to share them now. I want to just say if it's okay with you, like we'll share this. These are works in progress trying to articulate the essence of everything, but this is how we articulated our mission and values to ourselves.

[37:12] Laura Camien: And if you've ever taken a class from us or workshop or engaged with our community in any way, hopefully you have felt these values. So the Sparks File mission is to spark creativity, free innate self-expression, and grant permission to fear less and create more. Word. Word. Our values. We believe in the power of creativity to heal, uplift, and improve lives. We free self-expression and possibility for ourselves and our community. We use our time and talents in service of making the world a better place. We make space for everyone to be their weird, imperfect, authentic selves. We foster healthy minds, bodies, collaborations, communication, and community.

[38:04] Susan Blackwell: We support and celebrate those in the arena engaged in real-time creating.

[38:10] Laura Camien: The possibility of transformation lives in everything we do.

[38:15] Susan Blackwell: We live, work, and create with integrity.

[38:19] Laura Camien: We create deeply joyful experiences and we honor the value of our work.

[38:26] Susan Blackwell: Yay!

[38:27] Laura Camien: Yay!

[38:28] Susan Blackwell: It's been a minute since we said those out loud to each other, even.

[38:33] Laura Camien: Exactly.

[38:34] Susan Blackwell: And I when I was feeling the urge to drop them into this spark, I was like, these all still feel very true.

[38:42] Laura Camien: We could wordsmith them and craft like how we want to put them on our website and stuff, but every single bit of these feels true.

[38:50] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[38:51] Laura Camien: And real.

[38:53] Susan Blackwell: Yeah, I love it.

[38:54] Laura Camien: So I realize that this entire episode may feel like a paid sponsorship by Creative Mornings and Street Wisdom, but I promise you it was not a dog.

[39:05] Susan Blackwell: They these people do not know me.

[39:07] Laura Camien: Uh, to my knowledge, they don't know the Sparks File, but I sure hope to know them better in the future.

[39:13] Susan Blackwell: So, what do we make of this, Suze?

[39:15] Laura Camien: First of all, I think we make a mad dash to CreativeMornings.com to find out what is going on in our city.

[39:21] Susan Blackwell: We follow Streetwise on all the socials, we download their audio guides and we go on some walks.

[39:26] Laura Camien: We tune up our senses and practice gathering sparks of inspiration.

[39:31] Susan Blackwell: Love that.

[39:31] Laura Camien: We give ourselves permission to go at our own pace in our walks and in our creativity and in our life.

[39:40] Susan Blackwell: We remember we do not have to move at the prevailing tempo.

[39:44] Laura Camien: Thank you, David Pearl.

[39:46] Susan Blackwell: We grant ourselves grace and know that it might take more than one reset.

[39:51] Laura Camien: We make a true practice of wandering and wondering and trusting that the answers are within us.

[39:59] Susan Blackwell: I'll leave you with this lovely thought that Tina shared at the close of the event.

[40:04] Laura Camien: This is a quote from Ernst Haas.

[40:07] Susan Blackwell: If the beautiful were not in us, how would we ever recognize it?

[40:12] Laura Camien: It's all in there, babe.

[40:13] Susan Blackwell: It's all inside of us.

[40:16] Laura Camien: What do you think we make of it, Suze?

[40:18] Susan Blackwell: Well, I was just thinking if we get a third dog and it's just a little, again, just a little, like sandy colored dog, I think Pearl would be a great name for the dog.

[40:29] Laura Camien: Oh my gosh, Pearl.

[40:31] Susan Blackwell: Just a little applehead chihuahua with the name Pearl.

[40:34] Laura Camien: Come on.

[40:35] Susan Blackwell: There you go.

[40:35] Laura Camien: There you go.

[40:36] Susan Blackwell: Thank you, David Pearl.

[40:38] Laura Camien: I love this thing that you said.

[40:40] Susan Blackwell: Don't worry about the time.

[40:42] Laura Camien: I've got it.

[40:43] Susan Blackwell: And you know, as teachers, as coaches, as facilitators, we are always making space for folks to, you know, advance their creativity and sort of get in there and muck about and experiment creatively and see what uh comes from it.

[41:02] Laura Camien: But I love that idea of not only are we making space for people, but also sort of handling time for them.

[41:10] Susan Blackwell: And I think we already do it, but I love that it was stated so directly and consciously and clearly.

[41:16] Laura Camien: I love that so much.

[41:18] Susan Blackwell: He stated it so clearly, and I felt in my body a sense of relief.

[41:22] Laura Camien: It created a sense of like I'm in good hands here.

[41:26] Susan Blackwell: Somebody else is driving.

[41:28] Laura Camien: Someone else is driving.

[41:29] Susan Blackwell: I get to relax.

[41:31] Laura Camien: Yes.

[41:31] Susan Blackwell: That is correct.

[41:32] Laura Camien: I wonder how many times that somebody must have done a study about this.

[41:35] Susan Blackwell: Like, how many times a day do we check the time?

[41:38] Laura Camien: Because I am marching to the tempo of the clock.

[41:41] Susan Blackwell: And I just love the idea that for periods of time.

[41:45] Laura Camien: You know what it made me think of actually when you were talking about it?

[41:48] Susan Blackwell: It gives adults, grown-ass adults with responsibilities, a chance to return to a more childlike space because somebody else you don't have to worry when it's time to change class.

[42:01] Laura Camien: Somebody else, there's a teacher or a bell, or somebody's gonna be like, okay, that concludes this.

[42:06] Susan Blackwell: Now we're moving on to that.

[42:08] Laura Camien: It's so true.

[42:09] Susan Blackwell: I think that is exactly what it did for me.

[42:13] Laura Camien: You know, I didn't mention this, but he did another thing that is very aligned with what we do in our classes, and that is um, we might say, however, you're doing it, you're doing it right.

[42:24] Susan Blackwell: Yeah, he talked about, you know, when we first were doing the tune-up, that sort of like the perfectionists in us will sometimes be like, I want to do this the most right way that anyone's ever done it.

[42:35] Laura Camien: And he he's like, I want to see the Buddha first.

[42:37] Susan Blackwell: His version of that is essentially like you can't do it wrong.

[42:37] Laura Camien: You can't do it wrong.

[42:43] Susan Blackwell: No one's gonna win.

[42:44] Laura Camien: Yeah, like we're not there is not a winner at the time.

[42:46] Susan Blackwell: It's not a contest, it's not a contest, but you can't do it wrong.

[42:49] Laura Camien: Part of me is like, do we need to collaborate with Creative Mornings?

[42:52] Susan Blackwell: Um we do, Suze.

[42:54] Laura Camien: That I really hope.

[42:56] Susan Blackwell: I mean, I can't wait for you to read up on them.

[42:58] Laura Camien: I it would be a fantasy.

[42:59] Susan Blackwell: I would love it.

[43:00] Laura Camien: They sound so great.

[43:02] Susan Blackwell: I love what they're making.

[43:04] Laura Camien: And I also just had this spark while you were talking.

[43:07] Susan Blackwell: When you were saying that thing about future us sending messages and directives back to present us, if we can pay attention to it, that thought continued for me.

[43:19] Laura Camien: And I wondered, is there a part of us that remains in sort of a transcendent state, unfixed by time, that helps not only to pull you to the future, but helps to guide you when you pass, like when you transition from living to dying.

[43:34] Susan Blackwell: Interesting.

[43:35] Laura Camien: Are you also on the other side with your arms extended?

[43:39] Susan Blackwell: Like over here.

[43:41] Laura Camien: Yeah, yeah, right this way, like helping yourself transition.

[43:45] Susan Blackwell: And even if it's not true, I like the idea of it.

[43:45] Laura Camien: I like the idea of having a certain measure of, I don't think personal agency is the right term, but I will say, in addition to whatever other love you may have around you to help you during that transition, that you can also help guide yourself as well, a part of you.

[44:07] Susan Blackwell: Beautiful idea.

[44:08] Laura Camien: Like, you know, when they ask that question, who do you want to meet you at the Pearlie Gates?

[44:13] Susan Blackwell: Me.

[44:14] Laura Camien: Me.

[44:14] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[44:15] Laura Camien: I want me to, I want to meet me.

[44:18] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[44:18] Laura Camien: I like me for the job because I feel like I'm just solid and I'm cool under pressure.

[44:25] Susan Blackwell: And I just, I don't know.

[44:27] Laura Camien: I just like the idea of meeting oneself.

[44:30] Susan Blackwell: I like me for the job because like I just had such a visceral.

[44:34] Laura Camien: I love it.

[44:34] Susan Blackwell: We're pitching for this job now.

[44:37] Laura Camien: We're in the job interview.

[44:39] Susan Blackwell: Um, but I had a visceral feeling about my expansive self and this idea that like I really, you know how they say we only use a fraction of our brain.

[44:50] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[44:51] Susan Blackwell: It it's a correlation for me of like it's very possible, incredibly likely.

[44:56] Laura Camien: I know just a sliver of myself, even with all the work I'm doing to try to know myself.

[45:02] Susan Blackwell: It's just a sliver.

[45:04] Laura Camien: And there's a whole expansive me that will be like, welcome home.

[45:10] Susan Blackwell: Now we can all be together.

[45:13] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[45:14] Susan Blackwell: I like that.

[45:15] Laura Camien: Wow, Suze, I like that a lot.

[45:18] Susan Blackwell: I love some of the language that you've described that David Pearl uses around the tune up and then the quest.

[45:25] Laura Camien: I'm not sure if you did like a cool down, but I just love, I just love this.

[45:30] Susan Blackwell: This sounds like time, really, really well spent.

[45:34] Laura Camien: And again, it reminds me of sort of going back into sort of a more childlike, present dogs and babies kind of.

[45:44] Susan Blackwell: Everything's taken care of.

[45:45] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[45:46] Susan Blackwell: You are alone and yet you are rolling deep with people from around the world and having this experience.

[45:52] Laura Camien: That's right.

[45:53] Susan Blackwell: And your mind gets to wander.

[45:55] Laura Camien: People harsh on Zoom, but I have to say, I think that's a magical use of the technology.

[46:01] Susan Blackwell: It was absolutely magical.

[46:03] Laura Camien: And this again, yes to everything you said about being taken care of so that we could wander safely.

[46:12] Susan Blackwell: You know, he kept coming back to this idea that all of those messages that you're seeing at maybe for the first time, or maybe as a memory or a reminder of something that you once knew but had let go of.

[46:27] Laura Camien: All of that is you talking to you.

[46:31] Susan Blackwell: It's an ongoing conversation.

[46:33] Laura Camien: Again, like the idea of like let the world be your partner or co-conspirator, as I think of it.

[46:41] Susan Blackwell: Can we conspire together to make great things happen?

[46:46] Laura Camien: It feels really good.

[46:47] Susan Blackwell: I love it.

[46:48] Laura Camien: So now I'm going to tell you a spark of an idea that I had for our merch store, but this conversation has really brought it into focus.

[46:55] Susan Blackwell: You know that classic, there's a classic design.

[46:59] Laura Camien: Anyone who's ever visited New York as a tourist, there's that t-shirt that says I, Heart, New York.

[47:05] Susan Blackwell: And it's been taken and it's been used in different contexts.

[47:09] Laura Camien: When we host a live SparkFile creativity retreat in New York, I think it'd be cool to have a t-shirt that says I, the Sparkfile logo, New York.

[47:20] Susan Blackwell: Oh, let's do it.

[47:23] Laura Camien: Come on.

[47:24] Susan Blackwell: Let's it all comes back to merch.

[47:27] Laura Camien: I would like to say to all of our friends listening, if you're in New York City or around the world, and you are attending a Creative Mornings event.

[47:38] Susan Blackwell: I'll see you there.

[47:39] Laura Camien: Oh, nice.

[47:41] Susan Blackwell: I'll see you there.

[47:42] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[47:42] Susan Blackwell: Maybe I'll see you there too.

[47:44] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[47:44] Susan Blackwell: Suze, I'm gonna send you the I'm gonna send you all the stuff.

[47:48] Laura Camien: I love it.

[47:49] Susan Blackwell: What a good spark.

[47:50] Laura Camien: That's the spark.

[47:51] Susan Blackwell: And also again, I am sparked to I had some ideas for having some sort of an adventure and then reporting back on it.

[48:00] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[48:01] Susan Blackwell: Like being sparked by things, having some sort of experiential adventure, and then sparking it up on you guys.

[48:08] Laura Camien: So this could have gone completely wrong.

[48:11] Susan Blackwell: Honestly, this could have been like a well, I went, I went on this thing, and I was hoping that it might be sparkish enough to share with everyone, but it wasn't the absolute opposite.

[48:24] Laura Camien: Like there are uh four different companies that I just became aware of for the first time ever that share our ethos.

[48:37] Susan Blackwell: That I just was like, this was meant to happen, and we're meant to know of these organizations and we're meant to share them with people.

[48:45] Laura Camien: I love it.

[48:46] Susan Blackwell: I love it.

[48:47] Laura Camien: That's a beautiful spark.

[48:48] Susan Blackwell: Thanks.

[48:50] Laura Camien: I think that's it.

[48:51] Susan Blackwell: I think that is it.

[48:53] Laura Camien: This episode of the Sparks File was made on the lands of the Lenape people.

[48:57] Susan Blackwell: And as always, we hope that it put another bunch of sparks in your file.

[49:00] Laura Camien: Hey now, if there's a spark that you'd like us to explore, or if you'd like to learn more about how to coach with us to bring your creative ideas to life, you can email us at the sparkfile at gmail.com or you can submit an inquiry through our website, the sparkfile.com.

[49:16] Susan Blackwell: We will even happily take your feedback, but you know the price of admission.

[49:20] Laura Camien: First, you gotta share a creative risk that you've taken recently.

[49:24] Susan Blackwell: Follow us on social at the Sparkfile and be sure to subscribe, rate, and five star review this podcast.

[49:30] Laura Camien: It really does help other listeners to find us.

[49:33] Susan Blackwell: Also, if you like this podcast, we hope that you'll share it with people you love.

[49:36] Laura Camien: And if you didn't like it, we just invite you to live in the possibility of one day liking it.

[49:45] Susan Blackwell: Live in that possibility.

[49:47] Laura Camien: If something lights you up and gets your creative sparks flying, we are writing you a forever permission slip to make that thing that's been knocking at your door.

[49:56] Susan Blackwell: It's your turn to take a spark and fan it into a flame.

[50:01] Laura Camien: You know you gotta take it and make it.

[50:07] Susan Blackwell: Bye.

[50:08] Laura Camien: Bye.

[50:09] Susan Blackwell: Creative Mornings, call us.

[50:11] Laura Camien: Bye.

[50:11] Susan Blackwell: Bye.

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