Nataly Dawn and Jack Conte started the band Pomplamoose together in 2008. The band found success with their viral YouTube videos, which have hundreds of millions of views. And while we usually tell the story of a single work on this show, in this episode, Jack and Nataly share the story of the band itself. The story of Pomplamoose is one of constant iteration, which is a skill any creative can take into their own practice. As Nataly and Jack take you through the journey of Pomplamoose, you’ll hear how — through years of starts, stops, and iterations – they adapt what they make and how they make it so they’re able to keep creating — with everything life throws at them. You’ll see that in order to keep creating, you have to continually adapt your work to the conditions of your life. 

Follow along (with transcript and photos) at https://sparkandfire.com/pomplamoose/

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a creativity master. Many of us know him as an actor and director, but Joseph also co-created the collaborative media platform HitRECord. Joseph shares the journey of developing HitRECord: how it evolved from a single page of HTML to a global community of creative collaborators. Joseph’s story reveals that you have to take responsibility for your own creativity. Don’t stand by until an opportunity finds you. It’s in your power to participate, find collaborators you love, and share your work with the world.

Follow along (with transcript and photos) at sparkandfire.com/hitrecord/

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There’s an intimidating blank page. A blinking cursor staring you down. A looming deadline for a project you haven’t touched. Sometimes, starting something new is the hardest part of the creative process. In this episode, you’ll hear from 5 creative people in 5 different fields offering 5 different strategies for how to start something new.

Featuring novelist Ann Patchett on “The Dutch House,” Pixar director Domee Shi talking about “Turning Red,” “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz, the designer Thomas Heatherwick, and salsa legend Rubén Blades.

Follow along (with transcript and photos) at sparkandfire.com.

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Stephen Schwartz has a motto for songwriting: Tell the truth, and make it rhyme. In this episode, Stephen tells the story of composing the Broadway musical Wicked. Not only does Stephen reinvent a beloved classic for the stage, he also commits to drawing out the universal truths — like the experience of friendship, betrayal, and love — that connect us all. This allowed Wicked to resonate with audiences in a real way, making it one of the most successful musicals of all time. Stephen’s story shows that when your work expresses a universal truth, the widest audience will respond. 

Follow along (with transcript and photos) at sparkandfire.com/stephenschwartz

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Felix Barrett, MBE, is the artistic director of Punchdrunk, a British theater company that specializes in immersive storytelling. In this episode, Felix shares the story of Sleep No More, Punchdrunk’s most famous and longest-running show. Sleep No More is a reimagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth through a film noir lens. As Felix experiments with the production, he doesn’t get lost in the grandeur of it. He stays focused on the details: from finding the perfect abandoned building, to secret passageways, to the music playing in the background. Getting those small details just right — again and again — created a larger-than-life experience for audiences. 

Follow along (with transcript and photos) at sparkandfire.com/punchdrunk

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When Pixar asked Domee Shi to create a feature film, she ran to her friend’s office and rolled on the floor with joy. It was a dream come true. But Domee had to learn how to own her unique creative voice with all eyes on her, which meant embracing her inner weirdo. As Domee shares the story of directing Turning Red, you'll hear how she commits to seeing her outlandish ideas through and surrounds herself with people who can recognize a great, weird idea when they see one. When Turning Red released on Disney+ in 2022, it immediately broke viewership records on the platform, showing Domee that her specific quirks were more universal than she thought. 

Follow along (with transcript and photos) at https://sparkandfire.com/turningred

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Finding the right collaborator, and growing together, is a creative feat. While songwriting duo Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez were writing the iconic songs to "Frozen," they discovered the key ingredient to a successful and lasting collaboration: generosity. Kristen and Robert offer insight on how to be a generous collaborator — from not walking out the door when things get tough, to offering space to play together. Being generous with your collaborator creates an alchemy that is truly magical. For Kristen and Robert, that meant writing songs like "Let It Go" for two of the most successful animated films of all time. 

Follow along (with transcript and photos) at sparkandfire.com/frozen

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Musician Kayhan Kalhor shares the story of composing and performing “Silent City,” his epic 25-minute piece for the kamancheh (Persian spiked fiddle) and ensemble. It’s a specific story about writing music to memorialize a devastating event, the massacre of innocents in Halabja, Iraq. But the takeaway is universal: When life feels too much to bear, create art that means something — for yourself and for others. As Kayhan takes us on the journey of creating “Silent City,” you’ll hear him find ways to bear witness to tragedy — and also celebrate the life that comes after. You’ll also hear how music-making, for him, is an ongoing quest for beauty, humanity, and meaning. 

Follow along (with transcript and photos) at sparkandfire.com/kayhan

Learn more about Silent City on Kayhan Kalhor’s website:: https://kayhankalhor.net/albums/silent-city/

You can hear the final movement of Silent City on Silkroad’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s804M9uGiAM

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