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

[0:18] Susan Blackwell: Spark!

[0:19] Laura Camien: To be something that I wanna make or how I wanna be. I pump it in my spark style.

[0:26] Susan Blackwell: Spark!

[0:28] Laura Camien: I jump into my spark style!

[0:32] Susan Blackwell: Let's open up the spark file.

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

[0:44] Susan Blackwell: I'm Laura Camien.

[0:45] 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.

[0:53] Laura Camien: If you are an OG member of the Sparkvile community, welcome back, Sparkler.

[0:58] Susan Blackwell: Ah, but if you're joining us for the first time, welcome to you, friend.

[0:58] Laura Camien: Welcome to you, friend.

[1:04] Laura Camien: Know that just by listening to this podcast, you're joining a warm and wonderful clan of creatives.

[1:10] Susan Blackwell: But hold up. You may be asking yourself, what exactly is a sparkvile?

[1:14] Laura Camien: A sparkvile is a place where you consistently collect all your inspirations and fascinations.

[1:21] 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 that if you're not careful, your campfire of creativity can flicker out.

[1:30] Laura Camien: But do not despair. We're collecting kindling in the form of fresh ideas, images, and inspiration that spark creativity and pique curiosity to light a fire under our collective asses to make things like this podcast.

[1:47] Susan Blackwell: Or a wide-ranging shower of fresh sparks, courtesy of our friend social media.

[1:56] Laura Camien: Oh.

[1:57] Susan Blackwell: Every episode, we're gonna reach into our spark files and exchange some sparks.

[2:01] Laura Camien: And from time to time, we're gonna talk to some folks who spark us too.

[2:05] Susan Blackwell: That means we have more sparks than we can possibly use in this lifetime.

[2:09] Laura Camien: So please, if something lights you up, we encourage you to take that thing and make something out of it.

[2:18] Susan Blackwell: And without further ado, let's open up the Sparks file.

[2:25] Laura Camien: Hi, Susie Q.

[2:27] Susan Blackwell: Little baby Cam's, little baby black whale.

[2:31] Laura Camien: Here we are, near the beginning of season three.

[2:35] Susan Blackwell: Here we are.

[2:36] Laura Camien: Can you believe it?

[2:37] Susan Blackwell: Season three, Laura Camien.

[2:40] Laura Camien: We're in a new canoe, a season three canoe.

[2:44] Susan Blackwell: We are really pushing this whole campfire campaign.

[2:49] Laura Camien: But yeah, we really are.

[2:50] Susan Blackwell: Listen, Laura.

[2:52] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[2:52] Susan Blackwell: Before we dig in to some sparks, I believe I'm sparking you.

[2:57] Laura Camien: You're sparking me today.

[2:58] Susan Blackwell: Sparking you today.

[2:59] Laura Camien: Is there anything to know, to share, to talk about?

[3:04] Susan Blackwell: Oh my goodness. There always is.

[3:05] Laura Camien: There's no shortage of things to talk about.

[3:10] Susan Blackwell: I'm gonna say something about our SparkFile Select group that is running right now.

[3:16] Laura Camien: What a group.

[3:17] Susan Blackwell: We just had on the day that we've recorded this, we just started our creativity shares.

[3:22] Laura Camien: That's the name we have for the external deadlines that sorry, but light a fire under people.

[3:29] Susan Blackwell: Oh my god.

[3:31] Laura Camien: And you know, you know, it's their opportunity to show their work and get feedback.

[3:35] Susan Blackwell: And we just started this round of shares.

[3:39] Laura Camien: And I have to just say, I'm jazzed.

[3:41] Susan Blackwell: Like I get so energized by it.

[3:44] Laura Camien: Everyone is not only working on fucking fantastic projects, yes, but they're getting the work done.

[3:50] Susan Blackwell: They're getting it done and they're showing up.

[3:53] Laura Camien: Yes.

[3:53] Susan Blackwell: It's thrilling.

[3:54] Laura Camien: I just find it to be thrilling.

[3:56] Susan Blackwell: It is absolutely thrilling.

[3:58] Laura Camien: I'm so excited too because we get to go back, we record every, you know, we record the shares so that we can go back and re-watch them and share feedback.

[4:08] Susan Blackwell: And the creative projects that people are working on are so varied, really wide-ranging, yes, really exciting.

[4:18] Laura Camien: The thing that unites all of them is that people are taking big risks and big vulnerable swings in their work, no matter what that work is.

[4:30] Susan Blackwell: And it is it's it's an honor to be in the presence of it.

[4:34] Laura Camien: It really is.

[4:35] Susan Blackwell: Yeah, it's an absolute honor, and it is inspiring and incredible to watch how each one inspires another one.

[4:44] Laura Camien: You know, we're all feeding in the whole it's a collective energy that rises all ships, all little baby boats rise.

[4:51] Susan Blackwell: Another thing, this is connected to the Sparkfile Select Group, the annual annual New Year creativity kickoff, yes, which will be right at the beginning of 2022.

[5:04] Laura Camien: I think it's gonna be a two-day shenanigan this year, and that will be something that is open to folks who want to register for it, and it's just a great way, it's a really, really great way to get your head on right.

[5:22] Susan Blackwell: If you were talking the other day about how 2021 and 2020, a little bit of the lost years, a little bit, a little bit just because of all the things that were going on.

[5:34] Laura Camien: So if you want to get your head right, get your mind right to make 2022 a really great flowing creative year.

[5:46] Susan Blackwell: A great way to hedge your bets would be to attend the Sparks File annual New Year creativity kickoff.

[5:53] Laura Camien: This year we will be like ensuring that 2022 is not another lost year.

[5:59] Susan Blackwell: We were having this conversation with a friend of the pod, Bo Gostomsky, and we were talking about, we were telling Bo about the Sparkfile Select Group and some of the workshops that we run.

[6:11] Laura Camien: And he had taken, hi Bo, by the way.

[6:15] Susan Blackwell: He had taken an art class online during the pandemic.

[6:20] Laura Camien: And there was a lot of homework, and he was sort of like, well, how is this going to be different?

[6:24] Susan Blackwell: And you know, how our Sparkfile course is going to be different.

[6:27] Laura Camien: And you know, one of the big ways that I think it's different is there's a sense of overwhelming positivity and kindness that we really prioritize in those spaces, but also it's fucking fun.

[6:40] Susan Blackwell: Yes.

[6:41] Laura Camien: So if you also want to just have some fun, want to learn some stuff and have some fun to kick off the new year, come along to the Sparks File annual New Year creativity kickoff.

[6:52] Susan Blackwell: It's so much fun.

[6:52] Laura Camien: There's our tagline.

[6:54] Susan Blackwell: It's so much fun.

[6:55] Laura Camien: So much fucking fun.

[6:56] Susan Blackwell: Oh, sorry. I added the profanity.

[6:58] Laura Camien: So those are some things that are happening.

[7:00] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[7:01] Laura Camien: Anything else?

[7:02] Susan Blackwell: No, I want to hear your spark.

[7:03] Laura Camien: I am so ready to get back on the spark train.

[7:07] Susan Blackwell: Laura Camien and you gentle sparklers, if you've listened to this podcast for a while, you might know that I have a really strained relationship with social media.

[7:19] Laura Camien: I didn't say strange, I said strained.

[7:22] Susan Blackwell: I have said, I think on this podcast before, sometimes I'm sort of like, shall we just cut ties? Shall we shake hands and go our separate ways?

[7:32] Laura Camien: Social media is really complicated and challenging.

[7:35] Susan Blackwell: And I have said maybe on this podcast before, I do believe that social media is it can be elemental like water or fire.

[7:44] Laura Camien: You can use it for good.

[7:46] Susan Blackwell: Yes.

[7:47] Laura Camien: And you can also wield it for destruction.

[7:50] Susan Blackwell: So, like fire, since we're extending our fire metaphors, you can light a candle, you can light the way for someone else, you can build a fire to warm the house, or you can burn the fucking house down.

[8:02] Laura Camien: Yes, which is also like I think is true of say television.

[8:07] Susan Blackwell: You know, when television were first, you know, introduced into our homes, and as you can see, when it exploded into 300 channels, you know when it's being used for good or when it's being used for not so good.

[8:19] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[8:20] Susan Blackwell: Now we have it in our pocket, basically.

[8:22] Laura Camien: Yeah, that's exactly right.

[8:24] Susan Blackwell: We don't all have to like gather around and manually change the channels anymore.

[8:28] Laura Camien: It's just right there, right there in our little faces.

[8:32] Susan Blackwell: And unlike fire or water, which are elemental and essential for survival, social media is not necessary for our survival.

[8:42] Laura Camien: We have survived for centuries without it.

[8:45] Susan Blackwell: But it can be elemental in that it's it can be connecting and inspiring and educating and entertaining.

[8:52] Laura Camien: For instance, it can help kick start and crowdfund creative projects, or it can be used as a conduit.

[8:59] Susan Blackwell: You can bully a person, you can cancel a human being, you can undermine a democracy.

[9:06] Laura Camien: So it really is the person who wields it.

[9:09] Susan Blackwell: And if you're using it, we're all wielding it.

[9:12] Laura Camien: Really, you have a choice to make about if you're gonna use it for the powers of good or the powers of the dark.

[9:18] Susan Blackwell: So I will say, and I've said this before, I know I've said this on the podcast.

[9:23] Laura Camien: There are times when I see people like I'll be at work and I'll lift up my head and I'll look around me and I'll be surrounded by people, and they're all looking at their phones, and it makes me sad because there's such a disconnection from other human beings.

[9:39] Susan Blackwell: So as I've explored on this podcast and in IRL, I know about the dark side of social media, but today I want to talk about the spark side of social media.

[9:53] Laura Camien: No, you didn't.

[9:54] Susan Blackwell: Yes, I did.

[9:55] Laura Camien: What I mean is those great ideas or sparks of inspiration that come from social media that have filled up my spark file.

[10:04] Susan Blackwell: And full disclosure, today I wanted to have all the fun.

[10:08] Laura Camien: And here's what I did, Laura.

[10:10] Susan Blackwell: Take a little peek behind the scenes.

[10:13] Laura Camien: I went into my Sparks file, I was cleaning it up and pruning it up and you know, in preparation for season three.

[10:20] Susan Blackwell: I turned it upside down and I shook out all these little sparks that I've collected off social media.

[10:25] Laura Camien: So I gotta, I'm gonna tell you right now, this spark is gonna be all over the fucking place.

[10:29] Susan Blackwell: Okay.

[10:30] Laura Camien: So strap in and keep going.

[10:31] Susan Blackwell: I am prepared and excited for this ride.

[10:34] Laura Camien: You ready?

[10:35] Susan Blackwell: I mean, we are going all over the place.

[10:38] Laura Camien: So the first thing that I wanted to share is actually a post from my aforementioned friend, Bo Gostomsky.

[10:45] Susan Blackwell: Again.

[10:46] Laura Camien: Um, Bo had re-grammed on his Insta stories this post, and I loved it so much.

[10:53] Susan Blackwell: It's from the Insta account Mortician in the Kitchen, which is owned by Amber Carvalli.

[11:00] Laura Camien: Amber, I hope I'm saying your last name right.

[11:02] Susan Blackwell: Amber's bio says, Hi, I'm a mortician, and welcome to my kitchen. Let's discuss death and dying while I whip up some curated meals to go along.

[11:11] Laura Camien: Oh my God.

[11:13] Susan Blackwell: Yes.

[11:14] Laura Camien: So, in addition to being passionate about death and dying and curated meals, Amber is passionate about the Golden Girls and brewing beer.

[11:23] Susan Blackwell: Good stuff.

[11:24] Laura Camien: Come on.

[11:25] Susan Blackwell: Many delightful special interests.

[11:27] Laura Camien: But this the post that sparked my attention had a photo of a real life tombstone.

[11:33] Susan Blackwell: This is the caption on the post.

[11:36] Laura Camien: The award for best tombstone clearly goes to Catherine K Andrews, whose fudge recipe was such a gift that she wanted to make sure it didn't die with her.

[11:46] Susan Blackwell: I love, love, love this so much because it really goes to show that there are so many ways to leave a legacy, and this woman knew some of hers was chocolate.

[11:56] Laura Camien: Hashtag death positive, hashtag funeral food, hashtag memento mori.

[12:02] Susan Blackwell: So that's the post.

[12:03] Laura Camien: Amazing.

[12:04] Susan Blackwell: Laura Camien, have you seen this post?

[12:06] Laura Camien: I've never seen this post.

[12:08] Susan Blackwell: This is extraordinary.

[12:10] Laura Camien: I learned after seeing Bo's post, this totally went viral.

[12:14] Susan Blackwell: But let me describe this tombstone for you, and maybe we could also repost it when this episode airs.

[12:19] Laura Camien: Oh, yeah.

[12:20] Susan Blackwell: This tombstone, it's sort of conjoined two parts. It's contemporary. One part is shiny polished black granite, and the other part looks sort of like that whitish gray angular granite, and it looks to be engraved with things that were important to the deceased, Kay Andrews and her husband Wade.

[12:46] Susan Blackwell: So that includes the name of their children, clip art pictures engraved into the stone of a cowboy and an airplane and a graduate's mortarboard hat and a church, which I did some reading, and these were all pieces of their lives that were important.

[13:02] Laura Camien: So that's that that's Wade's part of the marker.

[13:06] Susan Blackwell: And on Kay's part of the marker, it's the recipe for Kay's fudge.

[13:13] Laura Camien: Wow.

[13:14] Susan Blackwell: Just complete great big, clear like if you took a picture of it or if you saw this post, you would have a recipe for Kay's fudge, which I have to imagine is great since it's been memorialized, literally carved in stone.

[13:29] Laura Camien: Oh amazing.

[13:30] Susan Blackwell: In an article on KSL.com by Ashley Imlay, Kay Andrews' son said his mom often worked part-time but always put her children first.

[13:39] Susan Blackwell: Kay grew up during the depression and knew how to make good food on a low budget, keeping her four sons and daughter well fed.

[13:46] Susan Blackwell: Kay's son is quoted as saying, "She was a worker bee as well as a great mom. You always knew she cared about you, and her neighbors always knew she cared about them as well."

[13:56] Laura Camien: She made a ton of fudge.

[13:57] Susan Blackwell: She did.

[13:59] Susan Blackwell: So the article goes on to say that when the family discussed what they should engrave on the couple's headstone, Kay was still alive.

[14:05] Susan Blackwell: Kay and Wade were participants. They weighed in on this. They weighed in on what they wanted on their marker, which I think is great.

[14:12] Susan Blackwell: And Kay said, you know what I want? I want my fudge recipe on there. And if as if we didn't love Kay enough, her son is quoted as saying she had a sense of humor that was infectious.

[14:22] Susan Blackwell: And that's why the headstone also says, "wherever she goes, there's laughter."

[14:28] Laura Camien: Now, Cammy, I don't plan on having a tombstone, but I think it is so great that Kay made the choice.

[14:37] Susan Blackwell: I think it's so creative that she had this fudge recipe engraved on hers. I think it's amazing that it's gone viral because it is a legacy and it's sparking people to make and share something wonderful that honors Kay and her life.

[14:53] Laura Camien: You know what? Yes to all of that. And thanks to social media, the word can be spread far and wide.

[15:00] Susan Blackwell: That's right. Like it's one of those that like Kay's fudge, maybe in the neighborhood, or if you happen to, you know, see her gravestone, you would uh, you know, get the recipe.

[15:10] Susan Blackwell: But how extraordinary is it? And the message of wherever she goes, there's laughter, like all of that can be conveyed to literally millions of people almost instantly.

[15:21] Laura Camien: That is the spark side of social media. So if you'd like to take it and make it, I'm just gonna read you Kay's fudge recipe from her tombstone.

[15:29] Susan Blackwell: It's located at the Logan Cemetery in Logan, Utah.

[15:32] Laura Camien: Oh my god, someone makes this fucking fudge.

[15:36] Susan Blackwell: I want to make this fudge.

[15:37] Laura Camien: I've never made fudge.

[15:39] Susan Blackwell: Oh Laura, I will make you this fudge for Christmas.

[15:45] Laura Camien: What do you get? The woman who has everything: a tray of Kay's fudge.

[15:45] Susan Blackwell: A tray of Kay's fudge. Two squares of chocolate, which is not very much.

[15:49] Susan Blackwell: Two squares of chocolate, two tablespoons of butter. You melt that on low heat. You stir in one cup of milk. You bring that to a boil. Then you add three cups of sugar. One tist of vanilla, little pinch of salt.

[16:11] Susan Blackwell: You cook it to softball stage. That's a that's a that's a real confectioner's term.

[16:17] Laura Camien: Yep.

[16:18] Susan Blackwell: You pour that on a marble slab. It cools, you beat it, you eat it. I love that this recipe directs you to pour it onto a marble slab because you could. I'm not advocating that you should, but you could conceivably make some pretty great fudge on a smooth marble tombstone.

[16:36] Laura Camien: And there's a spark for you. Tombstone fudge.

[16:40] Susan Blackwell: And here's your tagline small batch crafted on genuine tombstone. Somebody please trademark that.

[16:47] Laura Camien: There's a spark for you. I'm making you that for Christmas, Laura Canyon. That's what I'm making.

[16:51] Susan Blackwell: You do not have to use a tombstone though. I just want you to know I would be happy with just marble.

[16:57] Laura Camien: If you are going to use a tombstone, please use one that is just like one of those smooth polished tombstones.

[17:03] Susan Blackwell: Don't use one of those like credsy old pocked tombstones from 1863.

[17:08] Laura Camien: No, you're gonna get moss in your fudge.

[17:11] Susan Blackwell: Nobody wants that in their tombstone for it. It's really gonna change the flavor of it.

[17:14] Laura Camien: It is. It is.

[17:16] Susan Blackwell: Um, this is one of the many great recipes and household tips that I have picked up on social media. Laura, are you are you into any of that? Are you like, I don't need recipes, I don't need household tips.

[17:27] Laura Camien: There's that, and also I have a similarly strained relationship with social. So I'm not gonna say I haven't like stumbled upon something. I'm sure I've saved. I actually think I saved something the other day that I saw about like how to unclog a drain with like vinegar or something.

[17:43] Laura Camien: I mean, super, super simple. But nonetheless, for me, it was like, oh, I might use that someday. And I saved it somewhere that I'm not sure I'll ever remember to love. I'll never make my way back.

[17:55] Susan Blackwell: I I love that stuff. I love, especially when it is something that our grandparents would have done.

[18:01] Laura Camien: Oh, like it's something that I love that.

[18:03] Susan Blackwell: Yeah. There's something I learned on social media recently. This was on TikTok, and I wish I had the account. I it would have been the responsible thing to be able to credit the person.

[18:15] Susan Blackwell: This person has a TikTok account, and they are it's a young woman who is a professional appliance repair person. And they shared that for a high efficiency front load clothes washer, that's what I have.

[18:31] Susan Blackwell: You only need two tablespoons of detergent.

[18:35] Laura Camien: Well, wow.

[18:36] Susan Blackwell: Yeah, because the explanation was this is not our grandmother's washing machine, and it's not our grandmother's detergent. You only need this small concentrated amount.

[18:45] Susan Blackwell: And if you use more, like when we learned how to do laundry and you use like a quarter of a cup, a half of a cup, you know. If you use that much, your washing machine, especially a high-efficiency washing machine, cannot rinse out all the soap.

[18:57] Susan Blackwell: So I started doing this using two tablespoons of detergent in my high-efficiency front load clothes washer, and my clothes are cleaner, they're less stiff, and I'm like, oh, there's not suds in the washing machine at the end of the cycle.

[19:14] Laura Camien: Thank you, social media.

[19:15] Susan Blackwell: Thanks, social media. That is super useful. So another social media arena where I learn so many things is in the realm of creative craft.

[19:27] Laura Camien: Yes.

[19:28] Susan Blackwell: So this could be painting or drawing or makeup application, woodworking, renovating. So many experts sharing insight into their wisdom.

[19:39] Susan Blackwell: I think of Andy Berkey, who is a woodworker. I love hi Andy. Like I love seeing makers make. And I learn so much.

[19:52] Laura Camien: Me too.

[19:53] Susan Blackwell: Here's something I learned just this morning in preparation. Actually, no, I wasn't even, I was preparing for the spark, but it just so happens. Nathan, my husband, sent me a TikTok that opened up this whole trend I was unaware of called four-edge painting, for F-O-R-E, four-edge painting.

[20:14] Susan Blackwell: And if you search the hashtag, hashtag for F-O-R-E edge painting, you can see what I'm talking about. The edge, the fore edge is the edge of the book that is opposite a spine.

[20:28] Susan Blackwell: So if you hold a book in your hands and you have the spine in one hand, the fore edge is the edges of the page opposite that.

[20:36] Susan Blackwell: So four-edge painting is where an artist will clamp a book in a four-edge painting press, which you can buy on Etsy, and you paint the sides of the book.

[20:50] Susan Blackwell: You paint the fore edge of the book. And Laura, there's a twist on this where you can fan angle the pages of the book and hold them in the press just like that, hold them steady.

[21:03] Laura Camien: Uh-huh.

[21:04] Susan Blackwell: And then when you paint the edges of that fanned angle edge, when the book is completely closed, you can't see the painting.

[21:14] Laura Camien: It's a hidden painting.

[21:16] Susan Blackwell: Whoa!

[21:18] Susan Blackwell: And furthermore, you can paint the fore edge of the book, complete that, then you sort of create that fanned angle, you hold it in your four-edge painting press, you paint the edges of that, and so you have a painting that is totally visible on the fore edge of the book, and you have a second painting that is hidden and then surprise painting.

[21:43] Laura Camien: And then you have a surprise.

[21:44] Susan Blackwell: Oh, I would have this. I don't think I would have ever known this had I not, you know, been exposed to that on social media.

[21:53] Susan Blackwell: Now, according to Wikipedia, the earliest four-edge paintings date back as far as the 10th century.

[21:59] Laura Camien: How are we hearing about this for the first time?

[22:02] Susan Blackwell: Apparently, these earliest paintings were symbolic designs. And then early English four-edge painting, believed to date back to the 14th century, presented herald heraldic designs in gold and other colors.

[22:17] Susan Blackwell: The first known example of a disappearing four-edge painting, so that's a painting that's not visible when the book is closed, dates back to 1649.

[22:27] Laura Camien: Come on.

[22:28] Susan Blackwell: 1649. And so it's possible if you have an old book in your house, you could either do some four-edge painting or some disappearing four-edge painting, or you may already have a disappearing four edge painting in your house and you may not know it, Laura Camien.

[22:45] Laura Camien: Your nose, you know I'm checking a few books.

[22:47] Susan Blackwell: It would be so exciting to discover that.

[22:50] Laura Camien: Four edge painting. Is it a precursor to you know, like gold leaf? A lot of books have that sort of gold edge.

[22:56] Susan Blackwell: Yeah. I wonder which came first. Did the painting sort of devolve into just a solid gold or the other way around?

[23:06] Laura Camien: I don't know the answer to that, but I have seen some gold edged books that have those disappearing four-edge paintings within them.

[23:16] Susan Blackwell: Only since you knew about this or before?

[23:20] Laura Camien: Since I knew about it.

[23:21] Susan Blackwell: Oh wow. I couldn't have known before. But another beautiful thing, I've seen where artists will the paintings that are on the fore edge of the book are inspired by the contents of the book.

[23:33] Susan Blackwell: So for instance, The Hobbit or Harry Potter. If you have your Harry Potter books, for example, you will have the four edges painted with themes or scenes that are from that volume of the story.

[23:46] Laura Camien: And then you can arrange them forech out so that these little paintings are on your bookshelf.

[23:52] Susan Blackwell: Oh, how freaking delightful.

[23:55] Laura Camien: Isn't that cute? I I was really inspired by that. As somebody who I'm always sort of looking for surfaces to paint.

[24:02] Susan Blackwell: I as you know, I paint a lot on thrift store paintings. I I paint on wood. I'll just like, you know, take a piece of wood and wipe it out and paint on it. This is a whole I think of Kate Quaffert, who's been on our podcast.

[24:14] Susan Blackwell: She paints the pages of books. I wonder if Kate has ever painted the fore edge of a book.

[24:20] Laura Camien: I think we need to ask her.

[24:21] Susan Blackwell: I really love it. I'm so into this. I'm so into it.

[24:25] Laura Camien: Love it.

[24:30] Susan Blackwell: This is one of this found on social media. All of like, yes, you're using it for good.

[24:34] Laura Camien: Yes.

[24:35] Susan Blackwell: I've got more for you. And because I want to take you now into something that I'm we're going, get ready, strap in because we're headed in a whole different direction.

[24:45] Susan Blackwell: Next up is something that I learned on Twitter from a user named Julia Yorks, Y-O-R-K-S. Julia is a screenwriter, and she shared some wisdom about log lines.

[24:59] Susan Blackwell: Log lines, for those of you who aren't familiar with them, according to Wikipedia. A log line is a brief, usually one sentence summary of a television program, film, or book that states the central conflict of the story, often providing both a synopsis of the story's plot and an emotional hook to stimulate interest.

[25:20] Susan Blackwell: So I popped this straight into my Sparks file because I was like, this is genius. Julia York's tweet thread was incredibly insightful. In nine brief tweets, she breaks down log lines. Here we go. Nice. This is Julia's. This is all Julia's writing. Lots of chatter on the timeline about log lines, why they're annoying to write, why they're important to write, but I didn't see any advice on how to actually write them. So here's what works for me. Hopefully, it can soothe your log line writing anxiety. A thread. First, the basics. A log line is a short one to two sentence premise of your story. In my USC screenwriting classes, I learned that the perfect length of a log line was 26 words. Why 26? IDK.

I'm sure 24 or twenty-eight words work equally well. The point is not to get too lengthy. Unless it's a biopic and the protagonists slash villains are well-known people. Don't include character names in your log line. Give us the concept, aka the promise of the premise, not the plot points. Intriguing but vague is good. Convoluted is not. So how do you write a standard log line? I usually start by plugging my story into a generic template like this. And again, I just want to say all of this is Julia York's tweeting. Yeah, thank you, Julia. Here's Julia's generic template. A descriptive adjective, main character's profession, must do something antithetical to their nature in order to solve a big problem.

You're probably like, huh? But plug in the premise of a movie you know. For example, Silence of the Lambs. I'm gonna repeat that template one more time for listeners at home. A descriptive adjective, main character's profession must do something antithetical to their nature in order to solve a big problem. So here is Julia's example from Silence of the Lambs. A young female FBI agent must rely on the help of an incarcerated and manipulative murderer to catch a like-minded serial killer before he strikes again. Boom. Ta-da! Like boom. There you go. There's your log line. Julia goes on. If my story centers around a big event, I'll use a when slash then template like this one. When a big event in our setting, comma, our descriptive adjective, main character's profession, must solve the problem.

I'm gonna say that one more time. When a big event in our setting, comma, our descriptive adjective, main character's profession must solve the problem. So to pray to break this one down, plug in the premise of Jaws. When a killer shark unleashes terror on a small beach town, it's up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to stop the beast. Shabbat! Shaba. I love it. When then? When then? So good. Julia goes on. Personally, my work has a lot of world building. So the majority of my log lines follow the in a worldware template. You get it. In a worldware template. And that one goes like this. In a world where rule of the world, our descriptive adjective, main character's profession, has to do something that goes against that rule.

I'm gonna say the template one more time. In a world where rule of the world, our descriptive adjective, main character's profession, has to do something that goes against that rule. And here's the example that Julia Yorks gives. Think about a quiet place. In a world that is overrun with deadly extraterrestrials with ultra-sensitive hearing, a pregnant woman and her family are forced to live in silence. She closes by saying, That's all I got. Julia Yorks, that's all you got in nine tweets. You have broken down log lines. You sparked it in nine tweets. And three different kinds of log lines. Three different kinds of log lines. Laura Camien, you've got some experience with log lines. Does that track in your log line experience?

[29:58] Laura Camien: It all tracks. I think it's so I think one of the just the biggest temptations is how much people are trying to say in their log line, like jam it in. And you don't need as much as you think, but I think it's hard. Like people are, you know, it's like killing your babies. Like, but I have I need to say this. But this is what she's referring to when she says intriguing but vague is good. Convoluted is not. And the thing is, like, again, what people won't know, you can take that log line and give it to 10 writers and still get 10 different scripts, even though the log line was the same.

[30:39] Susan Blackwell: That's so beautiful though. The spark, like they each, you know, anything you do, let it come from you, then it will be new. So through the lens of each of those writers, that one log line spark could, you know, spark a million screenplays. I mean, that's what I'm saying, though, that there's the temptation to be like, let me get enough in here that people know how unique my script is. But in actuality, the log line is like it needs to be captivating and capture your attention, but it isn't going to tell us how uniquely Susan Blackwell is gonna write that. That's not its job. Also, thank you, Julia.

[31:14] Laura Camien: Thank you, Julia. Save you save me that tuition at USC and that film major that you that degree. What do we have now? Do you think we have an MFA in writing? Or what what are we working on?

[31:25] Susan Blackwell: I was also so fascinated. The perfect length of a log line was 26 words. That I've never heard. There's new information for me. I jotted that down. Love that. And also, I love that unless it's a biopic and the protagonists or villains or well-known people, do not include the character name. So if it's not about Cruella Deville, we don't need to hear that.

[31:46] Laura Camien: That is correct. I love this. Cool. Julia Yorks. Thank you so much. Nine tweets save me that tuition. Thank you, Julia Yorks. Um, another thing that I've been collecting from social is all sorts of learnings and curiosities around language. I love it. And we actually implement some of it in our house. So here's one that we currently, this is in hot rotation in our house. This is a tweet from at Suzy underscore dent. Herkel Dirkle from 18th Century Scots is to lounge in bed long after it's time to get moving.

[32:25] Susan Blackwell: Cammian, we we use Herkel Dirkle, I'm gonna say three times a day in our house. I'm just gonna Herkel Dirkle a little longer. I'm just gonna have another cup of coffee in bed and Herkel Dirkle, and then I'm gonna get moving.

[32:39] Laura Camien: I'm gonna confess to you that your husband said this to me, and I thought it was a cute little, like just something kind of made up, right? Of like, oh, Herkel Dirkle, how cute. And he was like, it's a real thing.

[32:53] Susan Blackwell: That wise Al. Well, everything is made up, but this particular thing was made up by 18th century Scots, I believe, according to Susie underscore Dent on Twitter. I think it's amazing. Will you read the definition one more time?

[33:06] Laura Camien: I will. I will. Herkel Dirkle from 18th Century Scots is to lounge in bed long after it's time to get moving. I'm Herkeling, I'm Durkling. Now, can I Herkel Dirkle on the couch? Because I'm I do sometimes get up early so that I can just move from the bed to the couch with my coffee and Herkel Dirkle there.

[33:28] Susan Blackwell: Is that true? I didn't know that about you.

[33:30] Laura Camien: Oh my god, yeah. I feel like I feel like Herkel Durkle has legs, and you can lock those legs straight over to the couch and Herkel and Dirkle over there.

[33:37] Susan Blackwell: I'm gonna Herkel Dirkle on the couch, yeah. I love it. Let's get it trending. Thank you, Susie Dent. In this language bucket, there's some accounts that really examine language, and I just love it. There's an account I follow called Shit You Should Care About, which is not exclusively about language. Their handle is at S Y S C A about shit you should care about. And um, they shared this Twitter thread on language that went straight into my spark file, and it goes a little something like this.

[34:09] Laura Camien: No one asked, but here's a list of the best words in the world that have no English equivalent.

[34:15] Susan Blackwell: Ooh, I love this list. I love this, and I'm gonna give you some of the highlights, and I'm going to mispronounce some of these words. I'm certain, and I apologize for my ignorance in advance.

[34:25] Laura Camien: You're forgiven in advance.

[34:27] Susan Blackwell: Shimama Jamo. Shimamajamo is Georgian, and it's a word meaning when you're really full, but you just can't stop eating.

[34:38] Laura Camien: Oh.

[34:39] Susan Blackwell: Shimama Jamo. Every Thanksgiving, the English speaking world needs this word.

[34:45] Laura Camien: Exactly. Shimama Jamo. I feel like I do this in the evening when I'm full, but I want to eat a sweet treat because I want a sweet treat. Probably because I I'm trying to stave off sleep, but like shimama jamo. Thank you. Thank you for that word.

[35:00] Susan Blackwell: Wow. Um, this is this is amazing. It's there's two words, two phrases. One is from the French, l'esprit de l'escalaire, and from the German Treppenwitz. When you think of the perfect comeback, but it's already too late. We need these words.

[35:18] Laura Camien: Well, we have them now.

[35:19] Susan Blackwell: Treppenwitz, l'esprit de l'escalé. This is an amazing one from the German. Backpfeifing. Bach Pfeifen gesicht. A face badly in need of a fist.

[35:32] Laura Camien: Ooh.

[35:34] Susan Blackwell: Whoa. There's some politicians who have backpfeifen.

[35:41] Laura Camien: Oh my god. Some spawn of some politicians that have those faces.

[35:49] Susan Blackwell: We're getting political up in here. Okay. That's the extent of our political talk. Next up from the Inuit, Iksuarpak. Literally that feeling of anticipation when you're waiting for someone to show up at your house and you keep going outside to see if they've arrived.

[36:05] Laura Camien: Oh, when you're so excited.

[36:08] Susan Blackwell: Isn't that sweet?

[36:09] Laura Camien: Oh, I like that.

[36:11] Susan Blackwell: I like it too. I like that it has a word to describe it. This is from the Arabic, and I this I relate to deeply. Being hopeful that you will die before someone you love deeply because the world would suck without them. And it literally means, may you bury me. Put that in a poem. My poem today is entitled Ya Aberni. Isn't that beautiful? Um believable. This is from the Indonesian, and it's menkalek or menik, menkolik. This is literally a word for that trick where you tap someone lightly on the opposite shoulder from behind to fool them.

[37:00] Laura Camien: Mencolic. Can you believe there's a word for that?

[37:02] Susan Blackwell: Oh my god. Wow. That needed to be named instead of just an annoying little habit that someone who's like your little brother's trying to drive you crazy with.

[37:12] Laura Camien: That's right. That's right. This next word is from the Filipino Gijil or Gigil, the urge to pinch or squeeze something that is irresistibly cute.

[37:22] Susan Blackwell: Okay, come on.

[37:24] Laura Camien: Come on. I like to think that it's pronounced giggil, like you make me gigil.

[37:29] Susan Blackwell: This is from the Japanese koi, no yokan. The sense upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love.

[37:38] Laura Camien: Oh.

[37:40] Susan Blackwell: Laura, when when I barged up to you the first time I met you, did you have a sense of Koi? No, Yokan. Or were you just terrified?

[37:55] Susan Blackwell: I feel like I come on, I come in way too hot when I'm excited about somebody.

[38:00] Laura Camien: Well, first of all, it feels really great for you to be excited about a person.

[38:06] Susan Blackwell: I say it was just the right temperature.

[38:09] Laura Camien: I think it was really wonderful.

[38:11] Susan Blackwell: I feel like I need a word about what it's like when I come in way too hot the first time that I meet somebody because I'm excited. It's gonna be related to Khoi, no, Yo Khan, but maybe not exactly that.

[38:21] Laura Camien: The next word, oh, this is rough.

[38:23] Susan Blackwell: This is from the Tagalog. Leogenic, a person who is attractive from a distance but not close up.

[38:34] Laura Camien: Come on.

[38:34] Susan Blackwell: Come on. Tagalog.

[38:37] Laura Camien: Um, this is amazing from the Hawaiian Panapo. When you scratch your head to help you remember something you've forgotten, panapo.

[38:46] Susan Blackwell: Oh. You ever do that? So it's like it's a verb. It's the scratching of the head. When you scratch your head to rem this uh I'm telling you what I've got. I'm not sure if it's a verb, a noun. Scratching.

[38:59] Laura Camien: I'm sorry, but I'm still on the one before this, the like attractive from far away, but it's a good setup.

[39:06] Susan Blackwell: Yeah, tag a thinking about like is there a word for that phenomenon of like the more you get to know someone, the more attractive they are they become.

[39:21] Laura Camien: That is a great question.

[39:25] Susan Blackwell: That is a great question. And I remember the first time I heard somebody describing that. They were seated at a dinner party. I feel like I should do this as a blind item because some of these people are public figures. They were seated as a dinner at a dinner party next to um an artist who is talented.

[39:47] Laura Camien: Attracted from a bar.

[39:49] Susan Blackwell: Uh that physically, externally, they you know, no, they look like a human being. They look like what a real human being was. They said it was like watching a Polaroid develop, and that Polaroid kept getting more and more attractive because the person was so charming, so funny. The personality, the humor, the intelligence, like it, and then suddenly you're like this is like the most attractive person I've ever met.

[40:22] Laura Camien: You should make up that word.

[40:24] Susan Blackwell: Okay, let's think on it. We're gonna work on it. Okay, if you want to base it off Tagalog, that word is laogenic, but you could come up with something, and maybe it ends with the word genic.

[40:33] Laura Camien: Okay.

[40:34] Susan Blackwell: I'm gonna work on this. Work on it. Take that spark, fan it. Next up, the Japanese give you tsundoku, buying new books and letting them pile up on red.

[40:44] Laura Camien: Oh do you feel seen?

[40:46] Susan Blackwell: This uh yes feel called out.

[40:47] Laura Camien: Yeah, do you feel called in?

[40:49] Susan Blackwell: Feel someone is pointing a finger at me and these piles of books. The minute someone mentions a recommended read, you will go on Amazon and purchase it.

[40:59] Laura Camien: I've never seen somebody with you, you are not fucking around.

[41:03] Susan Blackwell: I'm not fucking around, but that's been new. That's like a new habit of the last like year and a half. I think it's a great habit.

[41:10] Laura Camien: Then I gotta pause, read, and then like catch up a little bit.

[41:14] Susan Blackwell: Yeah. Sundoku from the Japanese. Buying new books, letting them pile up on red. Oh. Here's another one from the Scots Tartle.

[41:20] Laura Camien: Tartle Tartle.

[41:24] Susan Blackwell: That panicky feeling you get right before you have to introduce someone and you can't remember their name.

[41:30] Laura Camien: Ah, there's a name for that.

[41:33] Susan Blackwell: I got a bad case of the tartles.

[41:35] Laura Camien: Tartles.

[41:36] Susan Blackwell: I was Herkelderkling over there so long. I got a case of the Tartarus. I jumped up off the bed. I got a bad case of the tartles. That is something I oh my gosh. I feel like I do so much like hosting, and as a function of that, not just socially hosting, but also like hosting groups and moderating and facilitating and stuff like that, where it would be a natural extension of that that I would be responsible for making clear introductions of people.

[42:07] Laura Camien: And I have to tell you, one of the sunny sides of the pandemic is doing it on Zoom.

[42:14] Susan Blackwell: Everybody's name is right there below their faces.

[42:18] Laura Camien: Tartle.

[42:18] Susan Blackwell: That totally feeling all of those came from again, shit you should care about at S Y S C About, which is um, it's not exclusively a language account, but they from time to time will have some nice languagey things.

[42:35] Laura Camien: I like it.

[42:36] Susan Blackwell: There is another account that focuses almost entirely on language. Laura, do you follow on Twitter Haggard Hawks?

[42:46] Laura Camien: No, because I don't follow anyone.

[42:48] Susan Blackwell: Oh, you you you're like, I don't tread into Twitter.

[42:52] Laura Camien: I I mean it's rare, but okay.

[42:55] Susan Blackwell: I respect it. Listen, who you're talking to, I totally respect it. There's this account on Twitter called Haggard Hawks, and it is all about language, and it just completely delights in language, which completely delights me.

[43:09] Laura Camien: And you could take a deep fun dive.

[43:11] Susan Blackwell: This person also, the person, the the guy who runs this account has written books, and it's just like language, the most delightful language, arcane language. It's so great. So I'm just gonna share a few examples, but they're so delicious to me. They're so sparkish to me. In 18th century folklore, unspoken water was water fetched beneath a bridge, the road over which leads into a cemetery.

[43:39] Laura Camien: The water was supposed to have exceptional curative properties so long as the person collecting it remained silent the entire time.

[43:48] Susan Blackwell: Unspoken water. Tell me that unspoken water isn't the name of a book, an album, like it unspoken water. Come on.

[43:59] Laura Camien: Yes, I'm silent over here because I'm stunned into it.

[44:03] Susan Blackwell: Isn't it beautiful?

[44:04] Laura Camien: Yes.

[44:05] Susan Blackwell: This is the kind of the sparky gems that ha Haggard Hawks is serving up for you. This one, I saved it in my Sparks file back in March of 2020, waiting for this moment to tell you.

[44:18] Laura Camien: Oh, thank you.

[44:20] Susan Blackwell: A lacramist is someone who cries easily.

[44:24] Laura Camien: Ah, say it again.

[44:26] Susan Blackwell: Lacrimist.

[44:27] Laura Camien: Can you spell it?

[44:28] Susan Blackwell: I sure can. L-A-C-H-R-Y M-I-S-T. So it looks like Latch Ry Mist, Lacrimist is someone who cries easily.

[44:40] Laura Camien: Oh, now I feel seen between this and the books.

[44:43] Susan Blackwell: That's right. You are a wait, let me get them all cued up here. You are a lacrimist who engages in Sundoku.

[44:53] Laura Camien: With occasional fits of the tartles.

[44:55] Susan Blackwell: When you were Herkelderkeling this morning when you woke up, you were not expecting to hear that sentence, Aim Dechu, were you? That you are a lacrimin who engages in Sundoku.

[45:05] Laura Camien: Oh my God.

[45:06] Susan Blackwell: And I'll just want to give you one more example from Haggard Hawks. And I don't know if I'm pronouncing this right because it has a distinct punctuation over the character A, one of the characters A. So the Swedish word mangata or manjata or manjata, the line of silvery white light cast by the moon on the surface of a body of water.

[45:29] Laura Camien: It literally means moon street.

[45:33] Susan Blackwell: Oh mangata or manjata. God, I guess. And that is Swedish. Now, isn't that beautiful? And even the word is beautiful. It's M-A-N-G-A-T-A. Like it would be so beautiful on the cover of something.

[45:45] Laura Camien: It would be so beautiful.

[45:51] Susan Blackwell: Like if you're a neon artist, like shape it into neon. The thing is, like some of these words, they're one word, but they're like entire poems.

[46:02] Laura Camien: That's right.

[46:03] Susan Blackwell: It's poetry. Just the one word.

[46:07] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[46:08] Susan Blackwell: Wow. Isn't that beautiful? And can't you just picture it? The moon reflecting on water and it creates that silvery stripe.

[46:15] Laura Camien: Oh, yeah.

[46:16] Susan Blackwell: It's a moon street. Aka a manjata. Moon street. Like you could. I just want to go walking down Moon Street.

[46:24] Laura Camien: A careful splish flash.

[46:26] Susan Blackwell: Splish, yeah. I just want to jump over. This is a user I'm not familiar super familiar with, but Adam C. Sharp on Twitter did this post, and I loved it so much that I saved it. And this is the entire post. A whatchama call it in different languages. Number seven, thingamajig, English.

[46:47] Laura Camien: Number six, chingadera, Spanish.

[46:50] Susan Blackwell: Number five, Hinstergims, Danish. Number four, Nani Nani, Japanese. Number three, Zamazingo, Turkish. Number two, Dingsbums, German. And number one, coming in at number one, Adam C. Sharp on Twitter. Hupple Deep Pup. And that's Dutch.

[47:15] Laura Camien: I just love those. Like different words for whatchima call it.

[47:19] Susan Blackwell: Hobbled pup. I feel like I heard that word. We had a show in Amsterdam. I think it was.

[47:25] Laura Camien: Oh.

[47:25] Susan Blackwell: And so I got to spend some time in Amsterdam when we opened the blue man show there. I think I heard that.

[47:29] Laura Camien: I am certain I had no idea what they were saying, but it turns out they were saying a whatchamacallit.

[47:36] Susan Blackwell: A watchama call it. Isn't that so much? I heard, and I don't have this here. I'm just pulling this up out of my butt. I remember hearing all the different uh words that are used to represent cockadoodle-doo in other languages, the sound of a rooster crowing, and it's like cookly loo. And all of these, like all of these different sounds, like whether it's French or Spanish or whatever it is, and I love that for the same reason. Human beings have adapted that an mana poetic language into their own.

[48:11] Laura Camien: And I just delights me.

[48:13] Susan Blackwell: Oh, I am loving these words. I'm I'm like, oh uh not even able to really talk because I'm like furiously taking notes and just thinking about how I can incorporate these words into my daily life.

[48:30] Laura Camien: Until you figure it out. Just tuck it into your spark file and they'll be waiting for you.

[48:34] Susan Blackwell: I swear, Laura, I at a certain point, like I was shaking out my spark file and just any little social media scrap that I was like, oh, I actually love this. Oh, social media isn't the antichrist. Like I was I was putting him in the spark, and I was like, at some point I just had to call it because I was like, come on.

[48:52] Laura Camien: I could go on and on and on and on, but I'll conclude with this post. You know, Laura, you and I have been working on our finances.

[49:01] Laura Camien: We have.

[49:02] Susan Blackwell: We have. And there's this whole realm. If the if your algorithm is attuned with it, there's this whole realm on social media around money and finances and the use of Excel and all of this, like all of this really great, useful stuff.

[49:17] Laura Camien: And I always save it and I tuck it into my Sparks file.

[49:21] Susan Blackwell: But little sparklers, if you're listening, Laura and I have really been working on tracking our money and caring for it and affirming it and cleaning up old blocks because we want to be good to our money. We want our money to be good to us. And so we've really, it's just something we've been working on lightly ongoingly. And this is probably another spark for another day, but there's this book that we enjoy called Get Rich Lucky Bitch.

[49:46] Laura Camien: I know it's kind of a saucy title, but it's um, but we're saucy ladies.

[49:50] Susan Blackwell: And her take on it is when you're like cleaning up money blocks, she's like, some of the stuff may sound woo-woo to you, but throw the kitchen sink at it. Like try it all, see what works for you, see what doesn't. And I really like that. I'm sort of like discard what doesn't work for you, maintain the stuff that does. And so, in the spirit of that, I want to share this post with you.

[50:12] Laura Camien: This was on TikTok.

[50:14] Susan Blackwell: Oh my God. While we were on our hiatus from the podcast, I really had been resistant to getting into TikTok because I was like, you, Laura, told me the reason it's called TikTok is because it just sucks time and it does.

[50:32] Laura Camien: They should that should be the reason.

[50:34] Susan Blackwell: It's just like TikTok and watch your time fly away, which I do not condone, though I sometimes uh fall prey to it.

[50:43] Laura Camien: But there's there's something about TikTok that I I enjoy, and I have to, I just have to use it in moderation and enjoy it and consume it in moderation.

[50:54] Susan Blackwell: Otherwise, I wouldn't have time left to create.

[50:56] Laura Camien: But there was something that I saw, it was created on a an account called at King Soon 4774. K-I-N-G-S-O-O-N 4774.

[51:10] Laura Camien: And this TikToker creates all of these sort of mantras and affirmations and curse breakers. And this is a money curse breaker.

[51:21] Laura Camien: And the original poster, King Soon 4774, recommends that you hold four pennies together and shake them while you listen.

[51:29] Laura Camien: But I am going to do my best. They do a beautiful job of like they do it medium tempo, they do it fast tempo, they do it slow tempo, and even on a separate post, they do an extended dance mix of this.

[51:42] Laura Camien: And I was like, I'm learning this. And when my mind has free time, this is what I'm doing with my mind now.

[51:47] Susan Blackwell: So you ready, Laura Camien? So this is King Soon 4774's money curse breaker.

[51:53] Laura Camien: Ching ching ching goes to the money tree. And every time it chings, money comes to me. It all flows in so abundantly from top, left, right, and up under me. Wave, wave, wave. I'm a money wave. Money flow, money flow, money made. Flowing in and out plus money saved. Debt, debt, debt, all debt is paid. Ching ching ching goes the money tree. And every time it ching, money comes to me. And it all flows in so abundantly from top, left, right, and up under me. Wave, wave, wave. I'm on a money wave. Money flow, money flow, money made. Flowing in and out plus money saved. Debt, debt, debt, all debt is paid. And then he slows it down and he goes, ching, ching, ching goes the money tree. And every time it ching, money comes to me. It all flows in so abundantly from top left, right, and up under me. Wave, wave, wave. I'm a money wave. Money flow, money flow, money made. Flowing in and out plus money saved. Debt, debt, debt, all debt is paid.

[52:55] Laura Camien: And I was like, I will learn that. And I will sing that in my car when I'm driving.

[53:00] Susan Blackwell: Yes.

[53:01] Laura Camien: When I have a little free time, instead of being like, I'm worried about this or I'm creating problems. Oh, let's sing the money tree song. I'll sing the money tree song. I loved it. I was just like, this is, I just thought it was delightful. I want the lyrics to it. We're making a video of this.

[53:22] Susan Blackwell: This will be our social.

[53:27] Laura Camien: On TikTok, I could I could stitch together a little duet. I could do it with um King Soon 4774.

[53:34] Susan Blackwell: I love that so much. It's so delightful. It's so fun. What a fun thing to repeat. Just to create those new neural pathways. Think of how many times your little pathway to I don't have any money. There's no money in the account. I'm not gonna be able to pay all my bills. That is a well-tread path in your brain. So let's all start singing this song and move in a different direction.

[53:59] Laura Camien: Ching ching ching goes to the money tree. And every time it ching money comes to me, it all flows in so abundantly from top left, right, and up under me. Wave, wave, wave, I'm in a money wave. Money flow, money flow, money made, flowing in and out, plus money saved, debt, debt, debt, all debt is paid. Like it's so happy making. I love it. I love it. Amazing.

[54:17] Susan Blackwell: So what do we make of this, Laura Camien? What do we make of it?

[54:21] Laura Camien: Well, I feel like it's it's a buffet. It's a feast, it's a smorgasbord. There are write yourself a log line, make yourself some fudge, paint the edge of a book, make some money. Suze, one of the things that keeps coming to mind for me is that I mean, obviously, I'm in complete agreement with what your your overall thesis that there is a spark side to social media and there's good things that can happen.

[54:51] Susan Blackwell: Um, and you can use it for the powers of good.

[54:54] Laura Camien: But I think that another thing that's coming to me now is just how something that you may think is an obscure tiny niche idea that might appeal to like three people in the world. If your your passion is true for it, you can put that on social, and either those three people are all gonna come together and say, I'm so happy we found each other, us three people in love with this thing, but you more likely are going to find that there are thousands upon thousands of little word nerds and uh uh you know, kitchen morticians, four edge book painters, and it's amazing, it's amazing.

[55:38] Laura Camien: And whereas I think we've been taught to at least I feel as as a creative, I've been taught to constantly analyze things from the point of view of like, but what are you gonna do with that? Okay, yeah, you can paint the edge of it, but what are you gonna do with that? Who's that gonna appeal to? How do you capitalize on that? Will it make money? How can you scale it? Which none of that, none of that needs to happen. You can post it on social media and find your people.

[56:09] Susan Blackwell: Yes, it can bring people together.

[56:12] Laura Camien: I also love, you know, when you were saying that, I know that there are people that respond to potential creativity in that way. I I've met some of those people who are sort of like, yeah, but can you make money or blah blah blah? And I don't mean by being a social media influencer. I mean by being somebody who loves to paint the fore edge of a book.

[56:30] Susan Blackwell: That's right.

[56:30] Laura Camien: Or being somebody who loves to just bask in the splendor of words. And my feeling about it is there's so much bounty in it. Not only the great feeling that you have when you're engaging with the creativity, but also I'm gonna make that fudge for you. And it's going to be fun to know that I am making this fudge that Kay Andrews, this is her legacy to so fudge. That I'm engaging with something from this woman in Utah who I never knew.

[57:04] Susan Blackwell: Yeah, but also wherever she goes, there's laughter.

[57:07] Laura Camien: And we know when you give me that fudge, there will be laughter. So you're continuing that.

[57:12] Susan Blackwell: Yes, no, no, I love it. And the pleasure, not only the pleasure of the creating, but then the pleasure of the sharing.

[57:18] Laura Camien: Yes.

[57:18] Susan Blackwell: And whatever pleasure that will bring to you, to the to the people in your household that you love, the people that you share that with, the story that you get to tell about Kay.

[57:28] Laura Camien: Yeah.

[57:29] Susan Blackwell: And I just think there's there's the value. There's the value. And I think something else we can make out of it from this lesson from you, Suze, is that we can remind ourselves that we are in control to a large degree, not completely, but to a large degree of what crosses our feed.

[57:51] Laura Camien: And we can curate so that we cut out those things that make us feel bad or or make us feel like we've just wasted time, and we can make our feed be like spools of inspiration and little bursts of joy.

[58:10] Susan Blackwell: I think that might be one of the strongest takeaways, the strongest what do we make of this out of this whole thing is if you are going to engage with social media to really do it responsibly and to curate it in a way that makes you feel better for having engaged with it, and also that you have to remember.

[58:34] Laura Camien: I have to, I'm talking to myself here.

[58:36] Susan Blackwell: I have to remember that consuming that consumption is the lazy counterfeit to actual creativity. Like take in as much as you need to get inspired and then put the fucking screen down and get to work. I'm talking to me. That's I'm talking to myself. But if you're listening and you relate, like I know the power of like all of a sudden looking up and being like, oh my God, I have lost 90 minutes to TikTok.

[59:01] Laura Camien: That's right.

[59:02] Susan Blackwell: And I could have gotten started on that painting I've been wanting to do, or I could have written 10 more pages of my script, et cetera.

[59:09] Laura Camien: Oh my god, yes.

[59:10] Susan Blackwell: Yes. So please enjoy responsibly, as they say about all of these types of things.

[59:17] Laura Camien: Um, but that is my little baby spark. You really illustrated the lightness and the brightness of social media.

[59:28] Susan Blackwell: The spark side, you mean to say?

[59:29] Laura Camien: The spark side of social media. Let's get that trending.

[59:33] Susan Blackwell: You did. Thanks, Laura. I feel like you've given me really, really positive feelings about it. It makes me honestly kind of inspired to be like, I should seek out more channels that uh bring me joy that elicit this kind of emotion in me. Thank you for these tips.

[59:50] Laura Camien: You're welcome. And thank you for telling me exactly what to get you for Christmas.

[59:55] Susan Blackwell: And a four-edge painted book.

[59:59] Laura Camien: I will I would totally lose my shit if you find a four-edge painted book. Find it, girl.

[1:00:06] Susan Blackwell: I'm gonna paint it. Come on. Who are you talking to? Wonder what it will be.

[1:00:11] Laura Camien: What will that?

[1:00:11] Susan Blackwell: I need to think of what that picture will be that I could paint on that book.

[1:00:16] Laura Camien: It might have monsters.

[1:00:17] Susan Blackwell: What book is it gonna be?

[1:00:18] Laura Camien: And what book is it gonna be? People are going to be on the edge of their seats to know what my holiday gift will be from you.

[1:00:28] Susan Blackwell: Really? Because I'm pretty sure they're gonna listen to this episode of the podcast and then forget immediately that this conversation ever happens.

[1:00:36] Laura Camien: I think you could be right about that.

[1:00:39] Susan Blackwell: But nonetheless, we will report back.

[1:00:42] Laura Camien: Let's also let's just modify, let's just dial down our expectations and just know that I might get the fudge made. Probably won't get the book painted, but um, but you have time if you stop with the TikTok, you have time.

[1:00:55] Susan Blackwell: Oh God, you're probably right.

[1:00:58] Laura Camien: Oh I've been caught in a web of my own making.

[1:01:02] Susan Blackwell: You're the gift, Susie Q.

[1:01:04] Laura Camien: You're the gift.

[1:01:07] Susan Blackwell: And on that note, friends, I think that's it.

[1:01:07] Laura Camien: That's it.

[1:01:11] Susan Blackwell: This episode of the Sparks File was made on the lands of the Lenape people, and as always, we hope this put another bunch of sparks in your file. Listen, 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, email us at the sparkfile at gmail.com, or you can contact us through our website, thesparkfile.com.

[1:01:33] Laura Camien: We will even happily take your feedback, but you know the price of admission. First, you have to share a creative risk that you have taken recently. You can follow us on social media.

[1:01:45] Susan Blackwell: At the SparkFile.

[1:01:47] Laura Camien: And be sure to subscribe, rate, and five star review this podcast if you are so moved. It really helps other listeners to find us. If you like this podcast, we do hope you'll share it with people that you loved. And if you didn't like it, it's season three. Why are you still here?

[1:02:01] Susan Blackwell: What are you doing?

[1:02:04] Laura Camien: What are you doing? If something lights you up and you know, gets your creative sparks flying. We're writing you a forever permission slip to make that thing that's been knocking at your door.

[1:02:18] Susan Blackwell: It's your turn to take that spark and fan it into a flame. You know, you gotta take it and make it make it.

[1:02:28] Laura Camien: I would love it if a listener would tally up how many times we said the word spark during the episode and just let us know.

[1:02:34] Susan Blackwell: Tote it up, toters when I bumped into something that inspires me. I dump it in the spark files. Sparkfiles could be something that I wanna make or how I wanna be. I'll pump it in the spark files.

[1:02:51] Laura Camien: Sparkfile.

[1:02:56] Susan Blackwell: I jump into my spark files.

[1:02:59] Laura Camien: Sparkfiles.

[1:03:01] Susan Blackwell: Let's open up the spark files.