#sparkchamber 112221 — Robin Rothstein
The passion and creativity of our #sparkchamber alumni knows no bounds! So thrilled for playwright, content maker, animal lover, and Manhattanite Robin Rothstein, whose play Grassroots is included in The Best Ten-Minute Plays 2021— a collection of compelling short pieces from some of the finest playwrights of our time. Congratulations, Robin! Support the arts and send a copy to all the theatre enthusiasts on your holiday gift-giving list.
Beyond her brilliance in writing for the stage — among other credits, she is the book writer-lyricist of the kids musical Mad Libs Live! — Robin is a content creator specializing in arts & culture, health & wellness, and community development. She writes SEO-friendly, strategy-driven content — blog posts, news and feature articles, interviews, newsletters, press releases — that engage audiences and drive traffic. Learn more about that at LinkedIn and follow along on Instagram.
In celebration of her most recent success, we highlight Robin’s #sparkchamber originally run on August 21, 2017
1.] Where do ideas come from?
For me — a place of quiet, clarity and connection. When I am in that peaceful, zone-like place where I can listen to both my authentic self and whatever muse-like source out there that may be sending signals, that is where I hear the truth, the ideas and the voices. I then begin to make connections and go places I did not anticipate. You start with ideas, which is great, but then you have to have the discipline and faith to let those voices say what they want to say and truly understand what the core desires and conflicts are.
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
To articulate myself and my observations in a meaningful and authentic way that resonates with people. Also, I feel like people get the real me and really "get me" through my writing. It is this deep sense of the connection with others through creativity that makes me feel alive, grounded and joyful.
3.] Early bird or night owl, tortoise or hare?
Early bird, no question. I love mornings — grinding my coffee, the way the light shines through my windows, looking out on my building's beautiful garden into a new, fresh day full of possibilities. Morning is when I am most alert and excited. That said, I have also (inconveniently) had AMAZING insights at 4am where I have to keep jumping out of bed and over to my computer the ideas are coming are coming so fast. This usually happens when I am in the middle of writing a play. I love when that happens because when things click like that and I'm in flow it's exciting and rewarding and motivating — even if it wreaks havoc on my ability to function the next day! And as far as tortoise or hare, I like to alternate between these two energies. Sometimes you just gotta be a hare and plow through because the ideas that come immediately are the best and you gotta just run with them. No judgement. This has become a great skill for me, working under the gun. Some of my best writing has come from being a hare! Other times, though, I do need to be a tortoise and let things simmer. Usually this when I am working on larger ideas and longer projects where, if I try to whip up a big story too fast, it'll come out under-cooked.
4.] How do you know when you are done?
When life changes enough that what I'm working on feels less urgent. It doesn't mean I won't return to it one day — you kind of know when that happens, when the timing is right, the work re-emerges organically in some way — but for the moment, it feels done and time to be fully open and ready for the next exciting idea!
