Welcome to The Spark, your creative pick-me-up from The Creative Boom Podcast. Every Thursday, we bring you a shorter, snappier episode to give you that midweek boost of inspiration. We’ll share creative news, practical tips, book recommendations, and even some emails from our listeners. Whether you’re looking for a quick shot of creativity or need some insights to carry you into the weekend, The Spark has got you covered.
What we discussed
We looked back on Monday’s interview with Brian Cannon and the incredible listener feedback we received about the golden days of designing for Oasis in the '90s. Plus, we teased our next guest, Seema Sharma, and the fascinating conversation we’ll have about creativity and AI—exploring what it means for the industry, and whether AI is a friend or foe.
Creative News
We discussed Mozilla's new retro-inspired brand identity designed by JKR, and Meta's latest AI innovations, including celebrity-voiced chatbots and AR glasses. Closer to home, Factory International's creative skills training in Manchester is making waves in local venues. And we revealed the UK creative industries' impressive £124.6 billion contribution to the economy.
The Spotlight
This week, we shone on Shaping Tomorrow, a groundbreaking new podcast series produced by Hear Art that amplifies the voices of deaf creatives in the industry. Each of its four episodes explores the career journeys of deaf professionals, uncovering the challenges they've faced and how the landscape has evolved over time.
The first episode is exclusively available on YouTube, with the rest to be released every two weeks. At the start of November, each episode will follow on Spotify, Audible, and Apple Podcasts.
Book of the Week
We highly recommend The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop this week. It's a memoir that goes beyond acting to explore resilience, women's rights, and personal triumphs.
Tip of the Week
We had a mental health reminder from Liam Hopkins of Lazerian Studio on nurturing your mind and embracing rest as a creative tool. We also mention a great advice piece on Creative Boom this week, titled 6 good habits every creative should develop, to protect your mental health. Make sure you check it out.
Letters to the Editor
We shared thoughtful listener emails about balancing work, managing perfectionism, and why it’s refreshing to have platforms that don’t always focus on the bigger industry names.
If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, or any from our show, send your thoughts to [email protected], and we'll do our best to read them out during next week's The Spark.
Our Next Guest
On Monday, Seema Sharma joins us to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the creative industry. With AI advancing at an incredible pace, it's clear that the tools we use and the roles we play as creatives are evolving.
We discuss how AI is helping streamline workflows, generate new ideas, and even open doors to previously unimaginable innovations. But along with these opportunities come significant challenges. Seema will share her considered thoughts on the technology, and you might be pleasantly surprised.
