Spark & Fire: Fuel Your Creativity artwork

Spark & Fire: Fuel Your Creativity

57 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 months ago -

Every creative work you’ve ever loved has a hero’s journey behind it. On Spark & Fire, you'll hear creators tell the story of bringing one beloved work to life. 

Iconic creatives — like Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, Pixar director Domee Shi, comedian Patton Oswald, musician Wynton Marsalis, and novelist Isabel Allende — share the endless iterations, the inevitable setbacks, and the breakthrough ideas along the epic process of creation. But this isn’t an interview show. It’s a story — told entirely in the artist's own words.

With host June Cohen, co-founder of WaitWhat and the former executive producer of TED Talks.

Transcripts and images for every episode are available at sparkandfire.com

Sign up for the weekly Spark & Fire newsletter.

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Episodes

Create from joy: Writer Phoebe Robinson on "You Can’t Touch My Hair"

April 19, 2023 09:00 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MB

There’s a commonly held belief that great creative work comes from pain. But comedian and writer Phoebe Robinson says that this is a myth. Instead, Phoebe believes great creative work comes from a place of joy. As Phoebe shares her personal story of writing her debut essay collection, You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain, she draws on the things that bring her the most joy in life, whether it’s her Peloton bike, or her obsession with the band U2. Her joy...

5 ways to handle creative conflict

March 30, 2023 09:00 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MB

Creative conflict can destroy a work-in-progress — or it can push your work beyond good to great. What matters is how you respond. We’re going to hear from 5 creators in 5 very different fields who share actionable strategies (and great stories) about how to recognize, resolve, and harness conflict to create work that is visionary. Featuring “Frozen” songwriters Kristen Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez, actor and comedian Cristela Alonzo, choreographer Bill T. Jones, salsa legend Ru...

Get to the fun part: Game creators Matthew Inman and Elan Lee on Exploding Kittens

March 23, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MB

To make something irresistible, get to the fun part — fast. That’s how Exploding Kittens became one of the world’s most popular games. When cartoonist Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal) and game developer Elan Lee (former Xbox) designed the card game Exploding Kittens, they took fun very seriously. This mindset unlocked their creativity in unexpected ways: They transformed a Kickstarter into a wildly successful interactive game, and radically simplified their instructions so their players ...

Trust creates gold: Comedian David Cross on “Arrested Development”

March 15, 2023 09:00 - 30 minutes - 28 MB

Behind every masterpiece — comedic, artistic, or otherwise — is a deep well of trust. Case in point: the legendary sit-com, Arrested Development. As Comedian David Cross shares the story of bringing to life the brilliantly absurd character Tobias Fünke, you’ll hear how every moment of comedic gold on the show was made possible by trust — trusting his collaborators, trusting the writing, and trusting his instincts (“Send the stunt double home. I can do that my own…”). See David Cros...

Let emotion be your North Star: Composer Kris Bowers

March 08, 2023 10:00 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MB

This episode follows the composer Kris Bowers’ personal story about composing the score for the culture-shifting and emotionally devastating work When They See Us. This award-winning series follows the true story of five boys, wrongfully accused in 1989 of the brutal rape of a jogger in New York’s Central Park. The narrative spans a quarter-century, from the night of the incident to their eventual exoneration as grown men.  To tackle this project, Kris let emotion be his North Star...

5 strategies for overcoming failure

February 27, 2023 10:00 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MB

Failure is a normal part — even an essential part — of any creative journey. But that probably isn’t what you want to hear after experiencing failure yourself. It’s easy to just want to crawl into a hole for a while. Today on Spark & Fire, we’re going to crawl out of that hole long enough to hear from 5 iconic creatives who have learned how to overcome failure to create something truly great.  Featuring actor and writer Randall Park on Always Be My Maybe, novelist Ann Patchett on T...

Fight for your dream: Comedian Cristela Alonzo

February 22, 2023 10:00 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MB

When the ABC show Cristela premiered in 2014, Cristela Alonzo made U.S. history, the first Latina to write, produce, and star in her own prime-time comedy. But this dream didn’t come easy: Cristela had to fight for her vision at every stage of the process. As she takes us on the journey to making the sitcom, you’ll hear how she found her first opportunities by simply doing what she loved — which “accidentally” led to a show based on her life. You’ll hear how she fights for the show ...

Find the people who see your dream: Actor Aasif Mandvi

February 15, 2023 10:00 - 33 minutes - 30.2 MB

In the 1990s, Aasif Mandvi was a struggling actor looking for roles that didn’t seem to exist. So he wrote Sakina’s Restaurant — a solo show about an Indian immigrant family who owns a restaurant in New York City. When Sakina’s Restaurant premiered off-Broadway in 1998, there was really nothing like it. In this episode, Aasif tells the story of writing and starring in this pioneering one-person play. Perhaps more than any other medium, a one-person show appears to be the work of onl...

Always be iterating: Pomplamoose’s Jack Conte & Nataly Dawn

February 08, 2023 10:00 - 39 minutes - 35.9 MB

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 Pomplamoo...

Take responsibility for your creativity: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

January 25, 2023 10:00 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MB

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 collaborato...

5 strategies for starting something new

January 23, 2023 10:00 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MB

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,...

Tell a universal truth: “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz

January 18, 2023 10:00 - 41 minutes - 37.7 MB

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...

Sweat the details: Punchdrunk artistic director Felix Barrett

January 11, 2023 10:00 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MB

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 ...

Embrace your inner weirdo: Pixar’s Domee Shi on “Turning Red”

January 04, 2023 10:00 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MB

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 Turnin...

Generosity creates magic: “Frozen” songwriters Robert Lopez & Kristen Anderson-Lopez

December 21, 2022 10:00 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MB

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 ...

Replenish your sense of meaning: Musician Kayhan Kalhor on “Silent City"

December 14, 2022 10:00 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MB

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 ...

Find what you need to fuel your work: Mark Bradford’s “Unicorn Tapestries”

December 07, 2022 10:00 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MB

Deep in the pandemic, visual artist Mark Bradford began work on an epic series called “The Unicorn Tapestries.” It’s inspired by the iconic medieval work of the same name, but created with everyday materials that speak to Mark’s experience: comic book papers, caulk, and other materials from the hardware store, layered and glued and then scratched and etched away to create a tapestry like no other. As he shares each stage of his process in his own words, Mark also shares a mindset th...

Commit to your best work (always!): Novelist Ann Patchett on “The Dutch House”

November 30, 2022 10:00 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MB

When Ann Patchett sat down to read through her first draft of The Dutch House, she realized she had made a terrible mistake. A wrong turn, on page 36, sent the entire rest of the novel careening down the wrong path. So what’d she do? Deleted it and started over. Sometimes, committing to doing your very best work means destroying it and going again. In her own words, novelist Ann Patchett shares the story of writing her award-winning novel — from the prolonged period of preparation, ...

How to recover your creative voice: Comedian Patton Oswalt on “Annihilation” & “I Love Everything”

November 21, 2022 10:00 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MB

What do you do when you fear you’ve lost touch with your creative voice? You let yourself feel it, and then open yourself up to inspiration.  When comedian Patton Oswalt suddenly lost his wife, he also feared he would lose himself. As he processes his grief, Patton takes us on the journey of finding his voice again, through the making of two very different comedy specials: “Annihilation” and “I Love Everything.” You’ll hear how grief can give way to creativity — and creativity can ...

5 ways to get creatively unstuck

November 14, 2022 10:00 - 20 minutes - 18.4 MB

You hit a creative dead end. You’re lost in the forest of thought. Let’s face it: you’re stuck. But getting stuck is part of the creative journey.  We hear it in every story on this show. So today, we’ve chosen our 5 favorite strategies on how to regain your creative momentum, and get unstuck.  Featuring Jurassic Park book designer Chip Kidd, Apollo Theatre’s Executive Producer Kamilah Forbes, Soul filmmaker Kemp Powers, as well as a sneak peek into Season 2 with comedian Patton O...

Season 2 – Coming Soon

October 20, 2022 09:00 - 2 minutes - 1.89 MB

Every creative work you’ve ever loved has a story behind it. On Season 2 of Spark & Fire, we will hear what really happens on the road to success — the moments of inspiration, setbacks, collaboration, pivots, and breakthroughs until something new is brought into the world. Regardless of your creative field, there are endless discoveries in each story that could transform the way you approach your own creative practice.  Stories from comedian Patton Oswalt, "Wicked" composer Stephen...

Be utterly honest: Ben Folds on his breakout album “Whatever and Ever Amen”

July 01, 2021 09:00 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MB

Capturing an honest moment is one of the riskiest ways to create, but the results are real, and they stand the test of time. As musician Ben Folds tells the story of creating his breakout album “Whatever and Ever Amen” with the Ben Folds Five, you'll hear a very specific story about a rock band recording an album in a house, instead of a studio, with piano instead of guitar, with lyrics drawn from newspaper clippings. But it’s also a universal story for any creative in any field at ...

Be utterly honest: Musician Ben Folds on “Whatever and Ever Amen”

July 01, 2021 09:00 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MB

Capturing an honest moment is one of the riskiest ways to create. But the results are real, and they stand the test of time. As musician Ben Folds tells the story of creating his breakout album “Whatever and Ever Amen” with the Ben Folds Five, you’ll hear a very specific story about a rock band recording an album in a house, instead of a studio, with piano instead of guitar, with lyrics drawn from newspaper clippings. But it’s also a universal story for any creative in any field at ...

How to spark others: Yo-Yo Ma on the Silk Road Project

June 24, 2021 09:00 - 55 minutes - 51 MB

The Silk Road Project was an impossibly ambitious, creatively expansive idea to not only create a category of music that had never been heard before, but also create ensembles to perform it, and audiences who were hungry to hear it. How did Yo-Yo Ma build this vision? He knew from the beginning that it wasn’t about him. You'll hear in the episode from Yo-Yo himself and four key players in the ensemble: clarinetist Kinan Azmeh; percussionist Joseph Gramley; Galician bagpiper Cristina...

Stick with it: "The Queen's Gambit" producers Allan Scott and Bill Horberg

June 10, 2021 09:00 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MB

When you fall in love with a project, stay with it – for as many years as necessary. Its time will come. When screenwriter Allan Scott acquired the film rights to the Walter Tevis novel “The Queen’s Gambit,” he couldn’t have imagined it would take almost 30 years to get that movie made. Allan, along with executive producer Bill Horberg, talk about their long road to turning the cult-favorite book into a Netflix phenomenon; the creative insights (and the key partner) that unblocked t...

Trust your instinct: Salsa legend Rubén Blades on the iconic song “Pedro Navaja”

June 01, 2021 09:00 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MB

“It’s too long. It’s too sad. It’s not danceable.” Just some of the feedback salsa legend Rubén Blades got from DJs and record labels about his iconic song "Pedro Navaja" on the album "Siembra," which went on to sell 25m copies. That’s more than the Beatles' "White Album." And his story of creating this album with Willie Colón is a testament to three words: Trust your instinct. Don’t let anyone throw you off a creative vision you believe in. But also don’t assume that instinct is in...

Stay authentic to yourself: Randall Park on making "Always Be My Maybe"

May 25, 2021 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MB

How do you create something an audience will love? Start with everything YOU love. Actor Randall Park ("Veep," "Fresh Off the Boat," "WandaVision"…) tells the story of a passion project that's become a beloved repeat-watch: the 2019 Netflix movie "Always Be My Maybe." It all started as a tossed-off remark by his friend Ali Wong: What if we made a romcom together? As Randall and Ali wrote the movie, they celebrated what mattered to them: family traditions, the food and music they lov...

Create the conditions for your own creativity: Yaa Gyasi on "Transcendent Kingdom"

May 18, 2021 09:00 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MB

To make a creative leap, get to know your creative self. After publishing a blockbuster first novel, "Homegoing," followed by a year of touring (and trying to write in hotel rooms), author Yaa Gyasi realized she needed two things to reconnect with her next story: space and time. She shares the creation process of "Transcendent Kingdom" : how she got started, how she gave herself permission to pause – and how to get the feedback she needed. Follow along (with transcript and photos) ...

Play to an elevated purpose: Wynton Marsalis on "The Democracy! Suite"

May 11, 2021 09:00 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MB

“Everything you do in the arts gives meaning to your way of life." In a year of pandemic, racial reckoning, and threats to democracy, Wynton Marsalis creates a seven-song cycle that imagines how artists can shape the times we live in. As he tells us the story of creating "The Democracy! Suite," he teaches unforgettable lessons about collaboration, preparation, and the rewards – and costs – of a creative life. When you’re playing to an elevated purpose, it opens possibilities and bro...

Cultivate a child's sense of wonder: "Knives Out" director Rian Johnson

May 04, 2021 04:00 - 38 minutes - 35.5 MB

How do you create deeply imaginative work? There’s a method behind the magic. As Rian Johnson (Last Jedi, Looper, Brick) takes us on the journey of joyfully reinventing the murder-mystery, you’ll hear the way he draws on childhood memories (like watching Agatha Christie movies in his grandparents' rambling old house) to inspire his work. You’ll also hear he rigorously structures his creative process – including when, where and how he writes – in order to be playful and present when ...

How can you create an authentic story? Kemp Powers on writing Pixar’s “Soul”

April 27, 2021 13:00 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MB

How do you create an authentic character? Start with your authentic self. When Kemp Powers joined the writers' room at Pixar, he found a story waiting to be told ... anchored within his own story. Spark & Fire follows Kemp on his own hero's journey of co-writing and co-directing Soul, Pixar's first film with a Black protagonist, from his first trip to the Pixar campus to his development of the main character – and his passionate pitch for the beloved barbershop scene that nearly got...

Tell us: Who are you? And join us on Clubhouse every Wednesday

April 01, 2021 15:00 - 1 minute - 1.68 MB

Spark & Fire is on intermission, returning May 4. Until then, we have 2 invitations for you: 1. Tell us who you are! If you have time right now – take our survey: sparkandfire.com/survey. It works great on a phone. We’re curious about your own creative practice and how we can support that with what we do! 2. Starting April 7, join us on the Clubhouse app every Wednesday at 4pm in the Creativity Club. You’ll hear from guests and advisors of the show as we dig into the creative lif...

How to build your creative vision: Photographer Stephen Wilkes on the 2021 Inauguration Photo

February 23, 2021 10:00 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MB

Making art is a distillation of all your life experiences – from the half-remembered images from your childhood to your fascination with what's happening around you right now. Photographer Stephen Wilkes developed his signature Day to Night images to share his passion for how time passes – and soon found that they also helped him explore everything else that interested him: nature, city life, even politics. Learn the backstory behind his famous photo of the 2021 Inauguration as he e...

Great collabs start with trust: Apollo Theater’s Kamilah Forbes on “Between the World and Me”

February 09, 2021 10:00 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MB

"I want to make this into theater, in a way that’s never been done before." When Kamilah Forbes first reads "Between the World and Me," by her friend Ta-Nehisi Coates, she's moved, shaken, gutted by its truth and beauty. She dreams of presenting it at Harlem's Apollo Theater, a legendary space for Black art and excellence. First step: convince Ta-Nehisi. Spark & Fire follows the journey from book to stage to HBO – during a pandemic – in a story of collaboration and trust, joy and ch...

How to move a big idea forward: Apollo Theater’s Kamilah Forbes on “Between the World and Me”

February 09, 2021 10:00 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MB

"I want to make this into theater, in a way that’s never been done before." When Kamilah Forbes first reads "Between the World and Me," by her friend Ta-Nehisi Coates, she's moved, shaken, gutted by its truth and beauty. She dreams of presenting it at Harlem's Apollo Theater, a legendary space for Black art and excellence. First step: convince Ta-Nehisi. Spark & Fire follows the journey from book to stage to HBO – during a pandemic – in a story of collaboration and trust, joy and ch...

Apollo Theater’s Kamilah Forbes on "Between the World and Me"

February 09, 2021 10:00 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MB

"I want to make this into theater, in a way that’s never been done before." When Kamilah Forbes first reads "Between the World and Me," by her friend Ta-Nehisi Coates, she's moved, shaken, gutted by its truth and beauty. She dreams of presenting it at Harlem's Apollo Theater, a legendary space for Black art and excellence. First step: convince Ta-Nehisi. Spark & Fire follows the journey from book to stage to HBO – during a pandemic – in a story of collaboration and trust, joy and ch...

Architect Thomas Heatherwick on NYC’s “Vessel”

February 02, 2021 10:00 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MB

How do you change the creative brief? You start with play. The architect Thomas Heatherwick was asked to create a monumental public work for the plaza of vast new development in the heart of Manhattan. The expected route would be to copy what’s worked before on other plazas in other cities – a statue, a fountain. But Heatherwick knew he had to push past what was expected. Spark & Fire follows the journey of “Vessel,” a massive piece of public art, from its roots in traditional India...

Designer Thomas Heatherwick on NYC’s “Vessel”

February 02, 2021 10:00 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MB

How do you change the creative brief? You start with play. The designer Thomas Heatherwick was asked to create a monumental public work for the plaza of vast new development in the heart of Manhattan. The expected route would be to copy what’s worked before on other plazas in other cities – a statue, a fountain. But Heatherwick knew he had to push past what was expected. Spark & Fire follows the journey of “Vessel,” a massive piece of public art, from its roots in traditional Indian...

Creativity starts with play: Designer Thomas Heatherwick on NYC's The Vessel

February 02, 2021 10:00 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MB

How do you change the creative brief? You start with play. The designer Thomas Heatherwick was asked to create a monumental public work for the plaza of vast new development in the heart of Manhattan. The expected route would be to copy what’s worked before on other plazas in other cities – a statue, a fountain. But Heatherwick knew he had to push past what was expected. Spark & Fire follows the journey of “Vessel,” a massive piece of public art, from its roots in traditional Indian...

How do you create? Start with play. Thomas Heatherwick on designing “Vessel”

February 02, 2021 10:00 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MB

How do you change the creative brief? You start with play. The designer Thomas Heatherwick was asked to create a monumental public work for the plaza of vast new development in the heart of Manhattan. The expected route would be to copy what’s worked before on other plazas in other cities – a statue, a fountain. But Heatherwick knew he had to push past what was expected. Spark & Fire follows the journey of “Vessel,” a massive piece of public art, from its roots in traditional Indian...

How to turn crisis into art: Choreographer Bill T. Jones on “Afterwardsness," his pandemic masterpiece

January 26, 2021 10:00 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MB

When faced with a crisis, how do you move forward? Sometimes, you look backward first. It’s March 2020, and legendary choreographer Bill T. Jones is weeks away from a world premiere, when his company is forced into lockdown. All seems lost. But what comes next paves the way for a transcendent performance at the Park Avenue Armory called “Afterwardsness” — one of the only large-scale performances held anywhere during the pandemic. On Spark & Fire, the larger-than-life Bill T. Jones t...

Turn crisis into art: Tony-winner Bill T. Jones on “Afterwardsness," his pandemic masterpiece

January 26, 2021 10:00 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MB

When faced with a crisis, how do you move forward? Sometimes, you look backward first. It’s March 2020, and legendary choreographer Bill T. Jones is weeks away from a world premiere, when his company is forced into lockdown. All seems lost. But what comes next paves the way for a transcendent performance at the Park Avenue Armory called “Afterwardsness” — one of the only large-scale performances held anywhere during the pandemic. On Spark & Fire, the larger-than-life Bill T. Jones t...

Bill T. Jones on "Afterwardsness," his pandemic masterpiece

January 26, 2021 10:00 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MB

When faced with a crisis, how do you move forward? Sometimes, you look backward first. It’s March 2020, and legendary choreographer Bill T. Jones is weeks away from a world premiere. His company is forced into lockdown. All seems lost. But what comes next paves the way for a transcendent performance at the Park Avenue Armory called “Afterwardsness” — one of the only large-scale performances held anywhere during the pandemic. On Spark & Fire, the larger-than-life Bill T. Jones tells ...

Turn crisis into art: Choreographer Bill T. Jones on “Afterwardsness," his pandemic masterpiece

January 26, 2021 10:00 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MB

When faced with a crisis, how do you move forward? Sometimes, you look backward first. It’s March 2020, and legendary choreographer Bill T. Jones is weeks away from a world premiere, when his company is forced into lockdown. All seems lost. But what comes next paves the way for a transcendent performance at the Park Avenue Armory called “Afterwardsness” — one of the only large-scale performances held anywhere during the pandemic. On Spark & Fire, the larger-than-life Bill T. Jones t...

How to keep your family stories alive: Isabel Allende on “The House of the Spirits”

January 19, 2021 10:00 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MB

How do you write the stories of your life? Any time, any place, any order. Isabel Allende was 39, and a refugee from her native Chile, when she started writing a letter to her dying grandfather — recounting the family stories he'd told her – of love, loss, memory, magic. This letter evolved into her first novel, the beloved epic "The House of the Spirits.” With her trademark warmth and wit, Isabel shares how she found the time and space to write as she rebuilt her life – and how her...

Isabel Allende on "The House of the Spirits"

January 19, 2021 10:00 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MB

How do you write the stories of your life? Any time, any place, any order. Isabel Allende was 39, and a refugee from her native Chile, when she started writing a letter to her dying grandfather — recounting the family stories he'd told her – of love, loss, memory, magic. This letter evolved into her first novel, the beloved epic "The House of the Spirits.” With her trademark warmth and wit, Isabel shares how she found the time and space to write as she rebuilt her life – and how her...

Turn memory into art: Isabel Allende on “The House of the Spirits”

January 19, 2021 10:00 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MB

How do you write the stories of your life? Any time, any place, any order. Isabel Allende was 39, and a refugee from her native Chile, when she started writing a letter to her dying grandfather – recounting the family stories he'd told her – of love, loss, memory, magic. This letter evolved into her first novel, the beloved epic "The House of the Spirits.” With her trademark warmth and wit, Isabel shares how she found the time and space to write as she rebuilt her life – and how her...

Where does inspiration lurk? Chip Kidd on designing the cover of “Jurassic Park”

January 12, 2021 10:00 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MB

What do you do when you’re stuck? Something else. Designer Chip Kidd got a dream assignment: Create the book cover for a soon-to-be-blockbuster: Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. Oh, and make it iconic. When the pressure to perform is that high, it's easy to get creatively paralyzed. Chip recounts exactly how he got started and how he got unstuck — over and over — on the journey to create one of the best-known book covers of the 20th century. He tells the story in his own fast-paced...

How to find inspiration: Chip Kidd on the "Jurassic Park" book cover

January 12, 2021 10:00 - 32 minutes - 30 MB

What do you do when you’re stuck? Something else. Designer Chip Kidd got a dream assignment: Create the book cover for a soon-to-be-blockbuster: Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. Oh, and make it iconic. When the pressure to perform is that high, it's easy to get creatively paralyzed. Chip recounts exactly how he got started and how he got unstuck — over and over — on the journey to create one of the best-known book covers of the 20th century. He tells the story in his own fast-paced...

Chip Kidd on the "Jurassic Park” book cover

January 12, 2021 10:00 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MB

What do you do when you’re stuck? Something else. Designer Chip Kidd got a dream assignment: Create the book cover for a soon-to-be-blockbuster: Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. Oh, and make it iconic. When the pressure to perform is that high, it's easy to get creatively paralyzed. Chip recounts exactly how he got started and how he got unstuck — over and over — on the journey to create one of the best-known book covers of the 20th century. He tells the story in his own fast-paced...

Twitter Mentions

@powerkeni 4 Episodes
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