MLLR | The SPARK Framework

This comes in a non-traditional format in this space. Most of these posts are quick and give you a quick thought. This is a little different. It’s a framework to help you keep momentum.

Sometimes, it’s good to mix things up.

Happy Today!

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the process of creativity. Not just the sparks that light up a new idea, but the way those ideas actually move forward. Too often we celebrate the brainstorm and overlook everything that happens after it.

What if there was a simple rhythm, a mental flow, that helped us take wild ideas and make them usable, meaningful, and alive in the world?

That’s why I want to introduce you to something I’ve been using and refining called The SPARK Framework. It’s a way to think about creativity that doesn’t feel rigid or rigidifying. Instead, it invites movement.

This is where everything begins. If your idea doesn’t make you feel something — curiosity, delight, wonder — then it probably won’t make anyone else feel something either. Start with that hook. That thing that pulls you in.

In classrooms, this might look like a prompt that surprises students. At work, it might look like a question that feels too interesting not to chase.

Once you’ve sparked joy, give yourself permission to play. Let your brain stretch. No judgment. No conclusions. Wild and weird ideas get welcome here.

This is the stage where you draw the absurd, say the impossible, sketch the untested, and let imagination lead. It’s fun, and it’s critical.

Get as many ideas out of your head as possible. Your brain was meant to generate ideas, not hold them.

Play doesn’t mean chaos. After you’ve explored a landscape of ideas, it’s time to bring clarity. Group, organize, reframe, simplify.

Ask yourself:

• What’s the core idea here?

• How can this be explained in a way another person can use?

This is where structure meets possibility in a way that feels helpful and human.

Now it’s time to let the idea breathe in the world. Not perfect. Not polished. Real.

Launch early. Test small. Share drafts. Prototypes are your friends. Because perfection slows us down, action teaches us quickly and clearly.

Get it out there.

Momentum is the secret sauce. It’s not about speed. It’s about sustained movement. Reflection, iteration, small wins — these build confidence and clarity.

Ask:

• What worked?

• What surprised me?

• What can I improve next?

Then do it again.

It’s not a checklist.

It’s not a formula that kills curiosity.

It’s not another complicated system to learn.

It’s a way of thinking, a way of moving, and a way of working that honors both the wildness of ideas and the reality of execution.

I’ve seen creativity stall when we don’t intentionally move from the idea into the action. And I’ve watched momentum fade when we don’t celebrate the small wins along the way.

SPARK isn’t about perfection — it’s about progress, joy, and momentum.

Try it this week. Use it with a project. Teach it to a student. Test it with a team. I think you’ll find that when you honor each stage, your ideas get better, faster, and feel more alive.

Happy Today!
Stay Curious.
Give more than you take.
Try something new.

Row The Boat. Raise The Jolly Roger. Don’t Give Up The Ship

-mllr