This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Susan Blackwell: This is part two of our conversation with Heidi Blickenstaff. You might want to go back and give part one a listen. Or not. However, you're doing it, you're doing it right. Enjoy the show. The Spark File Podcast may contain profanity and other adult content. Please use your discretion.

[0:19] Heidi Blickenstaff: When I bump into something that inspires me, I dump it in my sparks. I pump it in my sparks. I jump into my sparks. Let's open up this box. Up to a certain point, you spent your life being an interpretive artist.

[0:46] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[0:51] Heidi Blickenstaff: And then you have transitioned into being a creative, an originating artist.

[0:58] Susan Blackwell: Yes.

[0:59] Heidi Blickenstaff: And producer, I want to hear about this. Can you produce it?

[1:01] Susan Blackwell: And a producer.

[1:04] Heidi Blickenstaff: Tell us about how, like what it is and how it came to be. I will. I would love to. I, you know, doing title of show, I started to grow my little baby creative balls. Because up until that point...

[1:17] Susan Blackwell: Little nuts.

[1:21] Heidi Blickenstaff: Little baby nuts. That's what we used to call her little nuts. Little baby balls. Um, little nuts. Um, but I had not ever created anything up until that point. And um, you know, I was I would not say I was not the book writer that Hunter Bell was, and I was not the composer lyricist that Jeff Bowen was, and Susan, you contributed so much to that process too. I think your balls were bigger than mine at that point. And um, but being inside that collaboration, I was encouraged to um say, I feel like I would say it like this. I gave myself a little baby balls voice. And um, and over the years, that experience has ruined me because then I would get into other situations and feel like I think it would be better if you listened to my idea.

And um, and you know, when you're making a Broadway show and you're an actor, there's really no place for that. Um, sometimes there is with Freaky Friday actually had I actually had a lot of um people, those creatives are such wonderful genius people, and that was a very collaborative experience. But um I think title of show gave me the it planted this seed in me that I do love to create things.

[2:49] Heidi Blickenstaff: And so where that grew was I started um creating my own concerts and writing and writing all the banter in between, and people would say to me after the concerts, you know, the banter is the best part. You deliver on the singing too, which is a bonus, but really the banter is the best part. If they're coming to your concert, if they're coming to your concert, they probably know that you can like sing your face off and blow their wig back, yeah, but they may not know how what a funny writer you are and what a funny storyteller you are.

[3:22] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[3:23] Heidi Blickenstaff: And that really began me sitting down and writing. And that's hard, as you two both know, to actually like sit down and write takes not only discipline, but um a certain amount of like just start, just start, and if it sucks, it's okay, but just like try to catch a vibe of something, don't judge yourself just like write something and then maybe read it to someone you trust get some feedback and then go back in but that is a real it's very difficult to develop that um confidence to be able to write um but with my concerts I started doing that so um I always you know from title of show I had this desire to create and there was also always a part of me uh there's been a part of me forever that has wanted to as silly as it may sound I've wanted to make a difference I've wanted to be able to um not just be like everybody sit back and relax and enjoy this big belt that was given to me um I've actually wanted to see if I could um use my superpowers for good in the world and um, you know over the years uh doing things with Broadway Care's Equity Fights AIDS has always been a highlight you guys both know we've we've done things for them and and um that was always like that feels really good and really important and so whenever anybody at the Actors Fund or anybody at BCE FA would say how do you feel about helping us with this before they would finish the sentence I would say yes.

[5:01] Heidi Blickenstaff: So the way um this particular project started was I when when we all started to be quarantined um I had a certainly a few days um of you know, doing what everybody was doing, binge watching stuff on Netflix and and doing a puzzle and cooking and doing all that stuff, which is very valuable. And then I started to get um, I don't know, it wasn't enough. I needed a project, I needed, I needed focus, I needed to feel useful. And so um I knew that BCE FA was um raising money for a COVID-19 fund for people in the theater community who were suffering or going to suffer, which is going to be all of us. Um, and I was like, what can I do to help? And so completely unsolicitedly, they didn't ask me to, I started singing songs for BCE FA for donations.

[5:56] Heidi Blickenstaff: And I just sat in my living room where I'm sitting now. And I was like, And how were you getting those songs out there?

[6:02] Susan Blackwell: Were you on uh...

[6:05] Heidi Blickenstaff: I was on Instagram, and I thought that's when I learned how to do Instagram TV, Suze, which I'm gonna teach you.

[6:11] Susan Blackwell: I need to learn.

[6:15] Heidi Blickenstaff: So um I was I sang the songs, got donations, and I did it for like, I don't know, I want to say like 10 or 11 days straight. And then I just want to pause to say that was those songs and those videos were such a I I know that it feels like it's been three years, but it hasn't been that long. And during those first dark days when we were trying to wrap our minds around the tidal wave that was coming, um, those days were fucking hard. Like it was hard to get uh just speaking for myself, it was hard to get out of bed. And those songs were real bright lights in those days.

[6:57] Susan Blackwell: Sorry please go.

[6:59] Heidi Blickenstaff: That was a real tree, yeah. It was, thanks, guys. I I, of course, did it for everybody else, but I also did it for me because it was not just a matter of like, let me turn on the camera and just open my mouth and sing. It actually took a lot of prep.

[7:12] Susan Blackwell: Tell about it.

[7:17] Heidi Blickenstaff: I think people think like it's magic because you've been on Broadway.

[7:21] Susan Blackwell: Yeah, that's not magic.

[7:22] Heidi Blickenstaff: No, it's not. So I I really did like go through all of the um requests people gave. And um I, you know, I made it, I made the rules up front because I knew that if I said, I'll sing every song you request that I was I did not want to spend time learning music I didn't know or learning music that wasn't in my wheelhouse. And so I every the deal was was that you make a request, I'll go through the requests and I'll ping a s I'll sing a song that I think I can do justice to in some way. And um, and in some cases, I didn't sing requests. Uh like the day Terrence McNally died, I sang from the full Monty. I sang um You gotta love that man from the Full Monty. And you know, sometimes just the spirit would move me and I would sing what I wanted to sing. Um, but lots of people were like, I don't care what you sing, just sing something. I and I've made a donation.

[8:13] Heidi Blickenstaff: But but even on those days where I picked my own thing, regardless, I would have to go through the song. Obviously, I would have to warm up. I would have to I I also played this game where I would do things in the original key. So um I would have which was I don't know why in the hell I decided to do that, but I added another layer of challenge sauce on that. But that was also fun. Like I was singing the Star To Bee part in NYC, which is like wildly irresponsible belting, but I was like, that'll be fun. And I'm singing Sheena Easton that was ridiculously high, but I was like, that'll be fun. And I and and I did not make myself have to be perfect. Like the idea was to really make it homemade and um oh yeah, and those are all one take. Those are all like a single take of you talking and storytelling and talking about uh BCFA and all and the rules of engagement and then going straight into the song. Just one take.

[9:06] Heidi Blickenstaff: Uh and trying to also be succinct in my storytelling so people are like, boo, just get on with it, you know. Like I just I wanted to, I wanted for the stories to have relevance and and also another thing that I was particularly concerned about was tone, because this, you know, God bless everybody who's uh the artists that are putting stuff out there. Um I think it's of course we want to laugh, and of course we want we want moments where we're forgetting what's happening, but also you guys like like there's this we're in the middle of a pandemic and people are dying. And so I never wanted to lose sight of the seriousness of what was happening, and I just wanted to always kind of let that in to my space without letting it overwhelm my space, but um and so many people in New York were suffering that I wanted to be very sensitive to that. So we we did all of that, and that was awesome.

[10:06] Heidi Blickenstaff: And um then raised a lot of money, yeah.

[10:11] Susan Blackwell: I mean, they raised a BCE FA. I think uh they have raised almost I I I'll check again today, certainly more than three million. I think they're well on their way to four million.

[10:21] Heidi Blickenstaff: And you were just like, this is something I want to do, and I'm gonna get other people to do it too.

[10:25] Susan Blackwell: And yeah, and a lot of like Heidi.

[10:29] Heidi Blickenstaff: I know.

[10:30] Susan Blackwell: I don't know.

[10:30] Heidi Blickenstaff: I just like I I had a spark, you guys.

[10:34] Susan Blackwell: And I had a good...

[10:37] Heidi Blickenstaff: I caught a spark and expanded into a flame. And the great thing about it was that it not only like um, you know, I think raised a little money and and made some people happy, but it also gave me such purpose. And so and it also scratched that itch of mine that has been there to help people.

[10:56] Susan Blackwell: But correct me if I'm wrong, you were sort of organizing your days around it in a way.

[11:00] Heidi Blickenstaff: 100%.

[11:01] Heidi Blickenstaff: 100%. And um, much like going to the gym, if I haven't done it by like one o'clock, it's not gonna happen. And so like I knew I needed to do it early. Um and I it also was a good excuse for me not to get on the Peloton.

[11:18] Heidi Blickenstaff: Oh my god, that's a whole other I need to get my ass back on that Peloton. It's not even funny. But um, but uh so about 11 or 12 or 13, I don't know how many I did in a row. Um, Nicholas and I were making cook uh making um turkey chili in the kitchen, and Nicholas had an idea to um make this PSA, and there were a couple of things that were cooking in our lives. I mean, I had done this stuff for BCF, BCE F A, and I both of us were feeling like how can we be of use? That was definitely in the air, but also um it was right at the time, and I'm sure most of us remember, it was right at the moment in the pandemic when um those those kids on the beach in Florida were like, I don't care if I have it.

Yeah, the spring break kids were like, if I've got it, I've got it, it's not gonna get in the way of my partying, and like, you know, going to Mardi Gras and like um the renting a jet to go to Mexico for spring break. And um that enraged me. And um, and then on a much more personal level, Nicholas and I have a nephew who was not, and he's 17, and he himself was not taking the stay at home order seriously at all. And he was also aided and abetted by a friend, and that friend's family who were absolutely convinced that this whole thing is a democratic hoax. And so, yeah, so um my nephew was very much um, you know, he's such a sensitive, awesome person. But for some reason, and maybe it's because he's a teenager, I don't know.

Maybe because there was another option that was way awesomer than staying home watching reruns with his sister. But um, reruns, I just dated myself. You don't have to watch a rerun ever again. What a rerun. What's a rerun? Everything is a rerun immediately all the time now. I know. Rerun. Um, but anyway, so we were very concerned about him and and angry, if I'm honest. And so there we are making turkey chili, and Nicholas says, I have an idea for a public service announcement. And he was the one with the spark for this, but he quickly quickly lit my pants, and then my pants were on fire. And before we knew it, we had started this thing. But Nicholas's idea was to have Gen Z kids talk to their own generation about why they should stay home.

And there won't be an adult in sight in the in the PSA, because everybody knows that when you're that age, you don't want to listen to an adult tell you what to do. If you are going to listen, you are going to listen to your peers. So and we also, you know, my stepsons are 16 and 19, and and so that's very much our like we're in it right now with all with a lot of the kids in our lives. Um, thank goodness our our boys are um they're stuck on a farm outside of Albany, so they can't do anything even if they wanted to. But um they're a good boy. For the uninitiated, Gen Z is between what, 12 and 22?

[14:40] Heidi Blickenstaff: Yeah, it's I yeah, I it it is it depends on who you ask. Um uh yeah, 14, 22, but I was reading, I was reading something yesterday that said seven and twenty-two. So, you know, it's it's um, yeah, I know it goes even younger. Um, but we focused on on Gen Z of the age that they actually have the autonomy for their parents prior to the pandemic to have let them out of the house unattended, you know, kids that had that kind of freedom that now are missing it and and also aren't necessarily getting sick, even if they have it, and so they just want to be out with their friends.

[15:21] Susan Blackwell: So it's amazing, Heidi, because what you have made um is gorgeous, it's very moving. I don't despite what you listeners to this podcast may think, I actually don't cry that easily. And it totally, I've just found it to be so moving. Um, but we were sort of uh, you know, you were doing all the heavy lifting, and we were sort of walking alongside you as you were doing it, um and helping when we could and cheering you on. How long did it take you to make that?

[15:57] Heidi Blickenstaff: From the spark of the idea to sharing it with the world, how long did it take you to make that? I think it was 13 days. And I know. And that was, I think Nicholas and I did not shower once. I know. Gosh. I still have not showered. Um, I think initially we thought that it was gonna take like four days, and we were shocked. I know we were idiots. We were shocked um uh how long it actually ended up taking. But the reason it took as long as it did was because we kept looping in our friends who have these mad skills, and our madly gifted friends weren't gonna do this half-ass. Everybody was like, Right, I'm gonna do this, but I'm gonna do it the right way. And um, and so, you know, one of our first uh, you know, like Saturn rings as they go out, you know, you keep stuff really tight at first, but then you have the next Saturn ring, and that was Susan, the whole title of show family, because I trust you guys as my collaborative partners and your sensitivity level, your in your intellect, your idea capabilities are all so not only ragingly off the charts, but they are my taste.

And so I knew that I could trust you guys to uh support me, give me good ideas, point me in directions, and just be a general safety net when I was when Nicholas and I were like, now what do we do? Um, so that was the first Saturn ring. Uh, and you guys were consultants the entire time, which was wildly helpful. And then um, the very next Saturn ring was I involved a producer friend of mine named Scott Silberstein, who is um the executive director of HMS Media, who I um met along my journey um as a singer actor doing a symphonic concert for PBS of Candor and Ebb music, and Scott and his company filmed that and produced it.

[18:03] Heidi Blickenstaff: And Scott and I have just remained friends, and Scott is a super awesome person who cares about the world, and we are uh very we line up uh with our not just our politics, but also just in what we care about and uh how we love to experience the arts. And and so Scott, faster than I could finish the question, said yes, we're in. And um, yeah, and and I was a little shocked because I actually first called him because I was like, can you give us advice as to how to do this? And he was like, not only can I give you advice how to do this, but I'm gonna give you me, I'm giving you my editor, I'm giving you her editing thing. And um, yeah, and so we just had these amazing tools. Jeff Bowen from Title of Show did our logo. Um we had, I know we it was very wizard of oz, where we just like had these friends along the way that were getting us to Oz.

[19:04] Heidi Blickenstaff: And um, we amassed this army of creative, awesome friends, and um and and they helped us, you know, make this PSA. Um one of the biggest uh things that was so necessary and helpful was we needed the kids. And I'm connected to several pots of Gen Z kids, but um we put the word out to uh many of our trusted friends who are teachers. Um they have access to, you know, uh some kind they we ended up calling them liaisons because they had access to large groups of Gen Zers. And that could range from I teach dance and I have 10 kids that I can put the word out to I I do master classes for Broadway Dreams, which is a nonprofit organization that goes all over the world literally and teaches uh kids from every stripe all kinds of theater skills. And I went to them and said, Can you guys put this out to them? They said yes. And so we thought we were going to get like, I don't know, 40 videos back, and we got more than 300.

[20:17] Heidi Blickenstaff: Oh my God. I know it was bananas. As they kept coming in, you know, it it's that like cartoon. Yeah, like the numbers kept ticking up, ticking up, ticking up, and we had to keep increasing the drop box file, like like paying for it to be bigger and bigger. And amazing. Yeah, and and all of these kids, literally from all over the world made made us these videos. And the thing that I was also struck me about it is you're also because of the time sensitivity around the spread of the virus. I was keenly aware for you of the ticking clock.

[20:50] Susan Blackwell: Yes.

[20:55] Heidi Blickenstaff: Yeah, that was you were working as fast as you could.

[20:58] Susan Blackwell: Yeah, that always felt like, you know, there's nothing like a little pressure to to keep you up at night and wake you up at four in the morning. And um, you know, to push you, you know, push you forward.

[21:11] Heidi Blickenstaff: And and inspire and motivate for sure, but you know, I was so grateful to be uh to be working on something that I cared about because I was reading in social media, a lot of my friends were like, Well, I'm trying a new bread recipe today. And not this that's awesome. That is awesome, but I was like, I was working harder than I've worked in a year and a half. And I not only was I working hard, but I was learning like every day I was learning 20 new things, which sometimes made me want to jump out of my window. But most of the time, at the end of the day, I was like, oh my God, I learned I learned how to um use all kinds of coding and a website. I learned how to write a script today for kids and give directions to those kids so that they won't shoot it in front of a window and get backlit so we can't use their video. Like I I amassed all of these skills like on the job. And um now I've got those, now I've got those in my tool belt forever.

[22:17] Heidi Blickenstaff: So um and I didn't hate it.

[22:19] Susan Blackwell: Yes, you loved it.

[22:21] Heidi Blickenstaff: Yeah, the podcast we talked to Simone Policano, who just because she saw a need, she created invisible hands, which is a service that is getting groceries to elderly and immunocompromised people in the New York, New Jersey area.

[22:40] Heidi Blickenstaff: And it went from a spark of an idea she had walking by a grocery store and seeing old people trepidatiously going in at the beginning of the pandemic. And she was like, Oh, that's not good. And so she started by building a Google spreadsheet of volunteers, and it has since grown to they have thousands of volunteers, and they're getting food to thousands and thousands of people. And the mayor's office is telling them, oh, you're filling a need. You're filling this, there was a hole and you're filling it. And I just see she's used this phrase, and I thought of it the whole time you were doing your project, which is we're building the plane and flying it simultaneously.

[23:21] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[23:22] Heidi Blickenstaff: You were building essentially a not-for-profit, yeah, and making work simultaneously.

[23:31] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[23:32] Heidi Blickenstaff: Crazy.

[23:32] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[23:33] Heidi Blickenstaff: But you're also describing the phenomenon of being onto something. You're onto something. To be onto something is everything. And to not be onto something is to be in despair. And I think that a lot of people are craving, like, if I could just get onto something, it's what gets me up in the morning and out jumping out of bed because I know what my purpose is today.

[23:55] Susan Blackwell: For sure.

[23:55] Heidi Blickenstaff: Yeah. And it continues. I can feel it as you describe your experience. Like it's really palpable.

[24:01] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[24:02] Heidi Blickenstaff: Every single day, because it wasn't just like, um, okay, we put it on YouTube and God bless America. Like it was like, okay, now we're working with a PR firm because we want to see how what this reaches like. Okay, now we're doing press for it. Okay, now how can we like, um, reinvigorate the kids to want to share it? And that's where all of my new social media skills. I'm like, you guys, if I'm on, I was asking my stepson yesterday, I was like, is TikTok something that I should be learning how to do for this project?

[24:39] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[24:39] Heidi Blickenstaff: And he was like, I don't know. And like I was started to Google it and I was like, oh, sweet, wounded Jesus. Like, I don't quite understand TikTok yet. But that's my next thing that I'm gonna see if that's I I'm a little eluded by um not just by TikTok, but also what's the other one? Snapchat. And I understand like all of the fun filters that you can use. And that's certainly I please I could waste a whole day on that. And and it's totally not wasted. I don't know why I said that word. It's amazing to like have arrow hearts shooting over your head. And like, I mean, I could enjoy a whole day on that. A whole day.

[25:16] Heidi Blickenstaff: Um, but uh that is how the kids talk to each other. And so I was like, I think I need to get fluent in Snapchat and TikTok. So that's on that's definitely on the list.

[25:27] Susan Blackwell: There you go.

[25:28] Heidi Blickenstaff: But every day, yeah, every day there is something, there is something new to do with this thing. And um, that is really exciting to me. And what this thing also did, which we were uh kind of anticipating, I guess it sort of went hand in hand, is that because the so the project is called Gen Z Stay Home, and um it is the first initiative of what Nicholas and I have now um started, which is a nonprofit organization called Broadway Because. I know it's it's talk about like catching a catching a spark and like feeling so motivated by it.

[26:16] Heidi Blickenstaff: Like over all these years that I've been working with BC EFA, I've had all of these ideas. Some of them are stupid, some of them are less stupid, some of them are awesome. And I've just like stuck them in my pocket as like, wouldn't it be great if blank? And so when we got clear on the Gen Z stay home, I was like, babe, we should do Gen Z Go Vote. We should do I had like I my brain was filled with all of these other ideas to um continue with this work. And that's when we were like, so we need a nonprofit. So now Gen Z has become the first initiative of Broadway Because, which is our non-profit.

[27:03] Susan Blackwell: There it is.

[27:04] Heidi Blickenstaff: How about that?

[27:05] Susan Blackwell: How about that?

[27:06] Heidi Blickenstaff: And we have been mentored by Tom Viola at the Actors Fund, who um gave us seed money to start our nonprofit organization. And because doing things, number one, doing things means doing things.

[27:21] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[27:21] Heidi Blickenstaff: And number two, doing things costs money.

[27:24] Susan Blackwell: Yeah.

[27:25] Heidi Blickenstaff: Yeah, that is totally true. Because it's not like um, so we are we are accepting donations through the gen z stayhome.org website, but that is also this is so like hot and gooey, fresh out of the oven that the Broadway Because website is still under construction, but that should be launching momentarily. But so we're accepting donations, but I was literally like, wait a minute, but it's not going Nicholas and I were talking it through. By the way, my co-captain on this on this MoFo is my husband, Nicholas Rolfing, who is an entertainment attorney who has the same passion for giving back that I do, and we're lucky enough to be in a situation where we have the means, we have the platform, we have the connections.

[28:09] Heidi Blickenstaff: So it seems like everything is lining up, but um, but uh anyway, we're we're so excited that this is actually it's it's a thing. It's actually happening. And we um already this morning, we have been amassing our our next army of um experts, if you will, and people who we know have had a lot of experience with um, you know, uh people who are trying to get other people to vote. Um we're gonna educate ourselves with that, and before you know it, I'm gonna know more about that than I ever thought I would know. And that is invigorating.

[28:50] Heidi Blickenstaff: Erica Henning said, we just talked to Erica Hennings about that too.

[28:54] Susan Blackwell: Yeah, you guys gotta connect because she is passionate about that.

[28:58] Heidi Blickenstaff: Yeah, I think it's so important in the times that we are living in to make sure, you know, it's not it's I'm not pushing a political agenda, I'm pushing a neutral principles, baby.

[29:11] Susan Blackwell: Yes, we learned that from Donna Lieberman at the NYCLU.

[29:14] Heidi Blickenstaff: Neutral principles, baby. Get passionate about it.

[29:17] Susan Blackwell: Yes, 100%.

[29:19] Heidi Blickenstaff: Love it. Yeah, Heine, this is like insanity. I'm so excited. I can't even like honestly, my I I can feel like my hands are tingling. I feel so excited for you.

[29:31] Susan Blackwell: And how like how big this is, yeah, and how doable it is. It's one of those big, big dreams that, like you said, like you have all of the building blocks that you need to accomplish this.

[29:44] Heidi Blickenstaff: Yeah, that is.

[29:46] Susan Blackwell: You've talked a little bit about this, Heidi, but uh real talk, real real talk. Because somebody may be listening to you right now and they be maybe thinking, I had that idea and I put it in my pocket, but maybe I can pull that spark out and maybe I could link arms with some like-minded people and make something out of it.

[30:08] Heidi Blickenstaff: Yeah.

[30:09] Susan Blackwell: Talk to us about what are some of the biggest challenges you have come up against in this creative journey.

[30:17] Heidi Blickenstaff: Oh, that's such a good question. I, you know, we're so so lucky in that we have built our careers in such a way that we are so connected um to these people who happen to be able to um lead lead the way if there was something we didn't know. But I do think that um not being afraid to um ask questions, not being like that, that's a big one.

[30:47] Heidi Blickenstaff: Um that is great. I well, I think that you know, there's so much that I'm not good at, and um uh I am so lucky to have so many smart people around me that um if I if I just wasn't afraid to not say it perfectly, you know, if but if I just said okay, like to to the title of show Circle Seuss, like I I had all of these ideas that I would put to the group and say, this is all very half baked, and I need a little guidance, I need a little um just a little uh mentorship, I need your opinion on this.

[31:24] Heidi Blickenstaff: And you guys always came back with um uh, you know, uh uh ideas, uh help of some sort. And I think surrounding yourself with people that are are smarter than you, willing to help you, um, that's always that has been such a plus in this situation. But I was never afraid to ask a dumb question. And I assumed I would be asking all the dumb questions. And I really was okay with people hearing me not know. And because I was generally asking someone who did know.

[32:03] Heidi Blickenstaff: And I think, you know, not being afraid to ask someone who you think may have the answer. And we asked people, we went out to um not just our friends, like our friends were definitely our first ask for things. And my friends are so talented and smart that it wasn't like we were getting bargain basement um uh deliveries uh from my friends. My friends are so awesome that you know they would always not only say yes immediately and most of the time do it for free, but they would also deliver something so cherry that I, you know, we were just so lucky.

[32:44] Heidi Blickenstaff: But when we when we um our friend list was exhausted or um we just didn't have a friend who specialized in something, we cold called people. I had to not be afraid and and to just keep surfing the wave of this spark that was constantly motivating me, but to not be afraid of what I don't know and in and and circle up with people that I love and trust whose work I know is um work that is like mine and I and I would be very proud to serve.

[33:19] Heidi Blickenstaff: And then when you've exhausted that, go cold call some people. Like find people who have an agenda similar to yours. Like now we're in the getting it out to press. And I'm literally like Googling things like Gen Z and coronavirus. And I'm seeing the articles that come up. And I'm sending our press release to people at the Washington Times or Washington Post who wrote an article about Gen Z and the coronavirus. Because I'm like, well, clearly you cared about this enough to write an article.

[33:52] Heidi Blickenstaff: Would you like to double down on your piece and talk about my PSA? And so, you know, I'm, you know, sometimes you use people you know and sometimes you don't, and don't be afraid. Um, this Gen Z generation is in inside this news story of the coronavirus. I think that they are underseen. And so far, they have just been kind of like um those crazy spring breakers on the beach. But these kids are, I believe the children are our future, you guys. And they these are the kids that um they are going to rule the world. And they are not just, you know, a bunch of kids taking their tops off at Mardi Gras, even though they're doing that too. But but I I think these kids are caring, thoughtful individuals who are very concerned about about their world.

And, you know, yeah, the fact that we got 300 submissions in a hot second um from kids all over the world. It wasn't a hard ask. It was like, and and we had to shut the drop box down. And we had kids say the drop box is locked. And I was like, yes, it is locked. You may not submit anymore. Because all of these kids were like, I have, I want to be in this. I want, I wanna, I want my voice to be heard. And so it is not just a bunch of irresponsible ding dongs that don't care about their grandparents. This is an entire generation of kids who are thoughtful, who do care about politics, who do care about social issues, who do not want to contract the coronavirus. And so uh Nicholas and I, and I'm surrounded by these kids right now because of my stepsons, because of my nieces and nephews, they're all in that age group.

And I love them so much. And if we could do something to even it sounds so corny, but if we can even turn one kid around, one kid, that's it. That's all we needed to do. And to me, that was so like it was like a total, you know, spark. I was like, that's it. That's what I want to do. I wanna, I wanna make a difference, I wanna collaborate with people that I love, I wanna make things I'm proud of that will make a difference in the world. And, you know, occasionally if I get to sing a little bit too, that would be great. Um give the people what they want. But but this has given me so much uh meaning and and it's exciting to think that it's just the beginning.

[36:35] Susan Blackwell: We can hear it in your voice. And I think it's gonna change the course of your life, Heidi. I really do. I think you're you're gonna lives.

[36:44] Heidi Blickenstaff: I agree. I think you're gonna save some lives. I think you're gonna change your own life. And I hope when people hear this, they'll know that they also can get onto something. They can catch a spark, and they can they can make something happen.

[37:01] Susan Blackwell: Yeah, just make some turkey chili and let it flow.

[37:04] Heidi Blickenstaff: And some turkey chili too and a new bread recipe.

[37:07] Susan Blackwell: Yes. Heidi, in regard to Broadway because or in any creative aspect, is there a particular thing that you have in your mind that you know you need to do before you're done?

[37:21] Heidi Blickenstaff: Before it's all said and done. Yeah. For you know, I the Gen Z go vote thing is definitely that is that's the next initiative. But here's and and that's sort of that's kind of like a no brainer. That one, I sort of I know it's gonna be a lot of work because doing things means doing things. I love that. But um, but I've had this idea for something, and it's still like it's like raw, raw hamburger meat still. But I've had this idea for years, and now that this is happening, uh as God is my witness, I'm going I am going to do this. I have no idea how this is gonna work yet, but um one of the one of the ideas that I have had literally for years is um, you know, uh being on getting lucky enough to be in Broadway shows, uh, especially if you get to be the first one to do one, you get a lot of fancy opening nights and you get you you you end up um wearing a lot of fancy clothes, and so um once you've been photographed in those clothes, you certainly can wear them again.

But um, you know, and when I was younger, I wore things over and over and over again. But um my idea has been once uh a Broadway actor is done with um said dress or or even like fancy clothes. I would like to do something to collect those clothes. I can my husband already, I can I can tell he's gonna be like, Where where are we gonna put those clothes? But that's that's later.

[38:56] Susan Blackwell: And listen, you are gonna figure that out.

[38:58] Heidi Blickenstaff: That's right. And um I want to somehow I want to give them to people who otherwise they would not be able to have a prom dress or a dress for a fancy occasion or a tuxedo or a whatever. But that is something that I have wanted to, I know details. That's something that I have wanted to do forever. Um forever. And now you have you have a vehicle to do it.

[39:24] Susan Blackwell: And I'm gonna do it. And you know that you can everything is figure outable.

[39:27] Heidi Blickenstaff: Yeah, and you're gonna do it.

[39:29] Susan Blackwell: Yeah, that's right.

[39:30] Heidi Blickenstaff: That's right. So uh that is that is hot. You are you are lit up. You are lit up so much.

[39:38] Susan Blackwell: You've already said this, but uh just bear with us. What's it all for?

[39:44] Heidi Blickenstaff: I I really do feel like there has been something in me that has always wanted to um be able to make some kind of a difference. And I think the things that I have been the most proud of in my career are the things that um on the other side of doing them have actually changed changed a life. And um, and and sometimes that's that's um, you guys know from doing Title of Show, that show was so inclusive and so spoke for the misfit toy in all of us that um how many kids did we talk to who said because of title of show, I now have the blank to do blank, you know. Like we we talked to so many um pretty uh unhappy kids who title of show gave hope to and direction to, and making that kind of work always um the feedback from from knowing that the work I made made someone feel better in some way or pulled them out of a hole or sparked creativity in them.

That I was like, wait a minute, wait a minute. So I have the power to not just entertain, which is worth a lot, and is and is fun and is satisfying, but I also have the power to um actually plant a seed on the other side of this fence and watch it grow for someone else, and um that is that's uh I don't very powerful in my life. Um, and I want to do more of that.

[41:33] Susan Blackwell: This is so exciting because you are like it's a great answer, but you are literally um personifying the entire purpose of this podcast right now. You are a spark, you are throwing off sparks literally at every breath, and anyone in your sphere can be like, I caught one, I caught one, now I'm gonna run with it. And that's like the whole idea behind all of this, and I'm just feeling so grateful and so so excited for you and so thankful that you're sharing the story with all of uh our sparklers who can now, you know, just feel emboldened to run off and uh fan their own flames.

[42:21] Heidi Blickenstaff: Spark it up, spark.

[42:22] Susan Blackwell: Really exciting. Well done.

[42:23] Heidi Blickenstaff: Spark it up, sparks.

[42:25] Susan Blackwell: Thank you so much, sweet Heidi.

[42:27] Heidi Blickenstaff: Heidi, thank you.

[42:28] Susan Blackwell: Thank you for asking me to talk to y'all. This has been just so great. I love you both so much.

[42:33] Heidi Blickenstaff: We love you too.

[42:34] Susan Blackwell: We love you too. This is great.

[42:36] Heidi Blickenstaff: That's our little nut.

[42:38] Susan Blackwell: That's that's a little little nuts.

[42:43] Heidi Blickenstaff: Someone grew some little nuts.

[42:45] Susan Blackwell: They're kind of like they're growing.

[42:47] Heidi Blickenstaff: They're like little junior balls now.

[42:49] Susan Blackwell: Yes, yes. Every day and every way, your little nuts are getting bigger and bigger.

[42:55] Susan Blackwell: Well, that's it. That's all we have time for, everybody.

[43:00] Susan Blackwell: You like that said? We hope it's put another bunch of sparks in your file. Listen, listen to us. If there's a spark you'd like us to explore, or if like Heidi Blickenstaff, you've taken a spark and you fanned it up into a bonfire and you'd like us to share that, email us at thesparkfile@gmail.com or submit it through our website, thesparkfile.com. We will even happily take your feedback, but you know the price of admission. First, you have to share creative risk that you have taken recently.

[43:28] Heidi Blickenstaff: That's right. And if you need us, you can find us on social media at the Sparkfile. And if you want more Sparky Num Nums, be sure to subscribe to this podcast wherever you get your podcast.

[43:37] Susan Blackwell: Subscribe. Great. Five star review it. If you like this podcast, share it with people you love. And if you didn't like it, I don't know. Heidi, what do you say to your critics?

[43:46] Heidi Blickenstaff: Um, y'all can go fuck yourself. I'm just kidding.

[43:52] Susan Blackwell: Our favorite, our favorite expression. Y'all, if something tickles your fancy and gets your creative juices flowing, we are writing you a forever permission slip to make that thing that has been knocking at your door. It's your turn to take a spark and fan it into a flame. You gotta get up and choreograph it. You gotta get Shakespearean and fall staff it. You gotta choose to make some change and Heidi Blickenstaff it. You gotta take it.

[44:24] Heidi Blickenstaff: That's amazing. And make it Heidi.

[44:32] Susan Blackwell: We love you, Heidi.

[44:33] Heidi Blickenstaff: We love you, Heidi.

[44:34] Heidi Blickenstaff: I love you, guys.

[44:35] Heidi Blickenstaff: When I bump into something that inspires me, I dump it in the spark file. Spark could be something that I wanna make or how I wanna be. I'll pump it in the spark fire. Spark. I jump into my spark five. Spark five. Let's open up the spark five.