Welcome to The Spark—your weekly creative pick-me-up from The Creative Boom Podcast. Each Thursday, we bring you a shorter, snappier episode packed with inspiration, creative news, and practical tips to fuel your creative journey as the week winds down. Whether you need a quick shot of motivation or insights to carry you through, we've got you covered.
What We Discussed
This week on The Spark, we reflect on our conversation with Lisa Smith, global executive creative director at JKR in New York. Lisa was open and honest, sharing her experiences in the creative industry, the challenges faced by women, and the value of hard work. We discussed the importance of community, cultural differences in design, and what it takes to reach the top. If you haven't listened yet, download the episode—it's a brutally honest chat with which many of you will resonate.
Creative News
For this week's highlights, marketing budgets are on hold. The latest IPA Bellwether Report reveals a pause in UK marketing budget growth due to uncertainty surrounding the upcoming Budget, marking the first stall in 14 quarters.
We also shared cosy games for mental health. Games like Animal Crossing and Pokémon are helping players cope with anxiety and depression, offering a soothing escape and a sense of community.
And Bluesky surges in popularity. Jack Dorsey's decentralised social network, Bluesky, is now a top-five social app following changes at X (formerly Twitter), driving users to seek alternatives.
The Spotlight
This week's featured article on Creative Boom tackles a question that many creatives face: where's the best place to work as a creative—agency, in-house, or freelance? It explores the pros and cons of working in these different scenarios. It's a must-read for anyone considering a change or starting out in the industry.
Book of the Week
Our Book of the Week is Legal Roadmap for your Creative Business by Kiffanie Stahle. This guide simplifies the legal side of running a creative business, offering clear steps to protect your assets without getting lost in jargon. Inside, you'll find a 144-page guide filled with clear action steps, plus access to an interactive online version of the book with videos, links, and extra resources to help you along the way. There's even a private online community where you can ask questions and get support from other creatives who've been there and done that.
Tip of the Week
Choosing the right fonts can make or break a design. Here's a quick rundown: match the font to the brand's personality, prioritise readability, consider technical aspects, and always test across different media. For more tips, check out the full article on Creative Boom.
Letters to the Editor
In our letters this week, listeners responded to our chat with Lisa Smith. Sarah from Birmingham shared her experiences of sexism in the industry and the challenges of balancing a career with motherhood. Katherine from Bristol highlighted the ongoing struggles for women in 2024, noting that some who champion women's rights in public aren't always supportive in practice. While Becky from London said she's had a positive career but still feels the need to work harder to prove herself. She's optimistic about progress, though there's still a way to go.
Do you have something to say or a question for the podcast? Send us an email at [email protected].
Our Next Guest
On Monday, Kwame Taylor-Hayford, the new D&AD president and co-founder of Kin, will join us. We'll discuss his mission to empower the next generation of creatives, his global upbringing, and the evolving role of creativity in an AI-driven world. We even catch him in a reflective mood and discover some of the things that have been on his mind lately. Don't miss this inspiring conversation!
