This episode of Spark Off is sponsored by spontaneous purchases.

Motion designer Mason is the proud dad of Stanley the pup, a perfectionist at heart and a buyer and collector of new gadgets and gizmos. Mason finds inspiration everywhere, from a well-designed back garden to wonderful wayfinding signage and beautiful bar menus.

When he’s not propping up the bar or spending time outdoors on long runs, Mason’s renovating the house, teaching himself new skills and learning fresh ways to tackle his DIY challenges!

This episode of Spark Off is sponsored by The Comedy Store.

Self-confessed clown, Valentina, is a graphic designer at Alive who gets her creative kicks from travelling the world and being inspired by people, books, buildings, movies, music, food... basically, everything!

Valentina’s work is fuelled by her wild imagination and crazy creativity. Which, incidentally, is the source of her other passion – tattooing (she has many of her own that she still hides from her mum)!

Listen in to find out more about what sparks her many ideas and find out about Valentina’s views on how mental health affects creativity and how creativity impacts mental health.

This episode of Spark Off is sponsored by that feeling when you finish a really good book.

Find out why comms consultant Lauren loves a good story, whether that’s from the pages of a book, the lines of a song or from a conversation with a perfect stranger.

Hiker, writer, traveller, ED&I advocate and proud champion of gender equity, Lauren loves to draw inspiration from the social justice campaigns and projects that come her way at Alive. Her creativity is fuelled by her curiosity and desire to do good things, challenge untruths and address uncomfortable issues.

This episode of Spark Off is sponsored by Milky Way.

Hear how music like retro 80s synthesiser sounds acts as a catalyst for Ian’s creative directions as he talks about his role as a web developer and logical problem solver, and, in contrast, describes how bold album covers ignite and inspire his artistic side.

Ian talks openly about his life experiences and how his son’s autism diagnosis validated his own thought patterns and processes.

This episode of Spark Off is sponsored by roast potatoes.

The theme of Alan’s episode is all about getting back to basics, whether that’s taking inspiration from roasting the humble potato, from his mum who was a maker and mender, or his dad, who loved to doodle on the bank note paper he’d swipe from work.

From morning walks with Winston the dog to watching TV funnies like Taskmaster, Alan talks about how he always keeps an open mind to remain inspired. You’ll find plenty of the material he’s discovered in his book, Imaginary Friends, which is packed with activities to get people thinking creatively.

This episode of Spark Off is sponsored by copious amounts of garlic.


Hear from garlic fanatic Kat on the people and places that have inspired her creativity. Kat covers off everything from dirt and dinosaurs to the ways in which she uses her creativity to promote her stance on social justice issues. 



Kat paints a beautiful picture of how creativity was deeply embedded into her childhood and university days when she would illustrate and bind her own sketchbooks, and the curious and crooked treasures she collects at ceramics fairs to inspire new creations.

Welcome to Spark Off!

Get ready to supercharge your creativity with this brand-new podcast from the awesome team who bring you Alive With Ideas.

You’ll hear smashing stories about their lives, passions and what fuels their creativity. And who doesn’t love a good story?

Join us biweekly to Spark Off.