Them's The Rules

The Spark File with Susan Blackwell and Laura Camien

Every so often we hear the question: what is that “special sauce” that helps make up this “warm clan of creatives.” The truth is, a healthy culture and community requires a commitment to that mission from every single person involved. As educators, we’ve spent years learning about what conditions are most optimal for connection and community.

As creatives, we’ve spent years participating in various collaborations and configurations of people working together and noting what processes and agreements bring out the best in each individual while bringing the group together.

All of this experience led to developing our own expectations for our classrooms and workshop spaces. Enter: The Spark File Course Guidelines…A Poem.

If you’ve ever been involved in a Spark File class session—whether part of a coaching cohort, participating in a one-off workshop, or kicking off the New Year with us in creative style—you’re probably familiar with these guidelines. In this week’s episode of The Spark File podcast, we’ll take a closer look at our community’s creative roadmap. Join us as we break down the course guidelines and explore the history of this living, breathing guide. We’ll discuss the educators, thought leaders and science (yes, science!) that influenced our creation of the course guidelines, and discover the “why” behind each component.

There aren’t a lot of requirements when it comes to making things, but communal creative freedom demands that we all swim in the same direction. So, as the course guidelines say: As long as you’re present when you’re present, do the work, and aren’t being a dick, however you’re doing it, you’re doing it right. Them’s the rules!

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1. The Spark File Course Guidelines (00:00:00)

2. Creating a Brave and Safe Space (00:10:34)

3. Embracing Creative Risk and Empowerment (00:21:17)

4. Igniting Creative Sparks (00:32:02)