Episodes

  • El Rose — Writing Rage, Mythology, and Sexuality Through Music

    El Rose — Writing Rage, Mythology, and Sexuality Through Music
    Jun 3 2026
    Being fierce has always been part of her presence. El Rose joins Sparkle On to share her journey from being a bedroom musician to a performer who has learned to channel rage, mythology, and sexuality through music. Her former identity left little room for creative exploration—until a lonely period in San Francisco led her to a guitar shop, a louder voice, and eventually Austin's thriving music scene. El unpacks her Gothic noir aesthetic and femme fatale persona, drawing inspiration from biblical figures such as Mary Magdalene and mythological goddesses such as Circe. She explains how female sexuality has been weaponized throughout history, and why her music reclaims that power with unapologetic rage. This episode dives into the chokehold of creation, the isolation of being misunderstood by those closest to you, and why playing electric guitar in public for the first time is exactly the kind of intensity that fuels her art. El reminds us that we are all meant to create — and that magic happens when we stop overthinking and let it out. Follow El Rose: https://www.instagram.com/elrosemusic__ New Single Technicolor: https://open.spotify.com/track/6robqey5ABEDaaJAybGruR?si=yNFH8bwuQmOTDglfT_GI5w Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:01:00 The Hidden Identity: From Soccer to Songwriting 00:02:45 The San Francisco Turning Point and Moving to Austin 00:04:26 Fashion, Expression, and the Femme Fatale Aesthetic 00:09:49 Writing Rage: Mythology, Goddesses, and Scorned Women 00:11:09 Catholic Upbringing and the Absence of Women 00:13:30 Mary Magdalene, Sexual Shame, and Reclaiming Power 00:16:23 Sexual Energy as Creative Energy 00:21:03 Crafting Sound Through Mood Boards and Movie References 00:27:58 The Late Bloomer Advantage and Breaking the Rules 00:38:40 The Chokehold of Creation and Letting Go 00:46:39 Feeling Everything: The Artist's Role and Magic of Creation
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    51 mins
  • Sarah Wang — New Skin: A Mother-Daughter Story of Plastic Surgery's Dark Side

    Sarah Wang — New Skin: A Mother-Daughter Story of Plastic Surgery's Dark Side
    May 29 2026
    Named one of Apple's Best Books of May, debut novelist Sarah Wang joins Sparkle On to discuss her novel New Skin — a visceral exploration of plastic surgery addiction, immigrant identity, and an intense mother-daughter relationship set in Los Angeles. Sarah reveals how she spent over a decade crafting a story that uses the world of reality TV and botched plastic surgery as a lens to examine class and debt in America. Sarah shares her process of rewriting entire subplots even after selling the book, from navigating rejection with determination to knowing when to protect the beating heart of a story while staying open to critique. She proves that you only need one yes, and that the stories we're most obsessed with are the ones worth telling. Read New Skin: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sarah-wang/new-skin/9780316607704/?lens=little-brown Follow Sarah Wang: https://www.instagram.com/daikonoclast/ Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:01:10 LA, Plastic Surgery, and the Spark for New Skin 00:02:50 Not a Cautionary Tale: Addiction, Class, and Debt in America 00:04:46 The Ten-Year Journey and Internal Pressure 00:06:47 Plot Building Through Revision and Rewriting 00:08:21 The Power of Community and Workshopping 00:13:39 Writing Is Not Therapy: Universal Truths in New Skin 00:16:46 Crafting Dialogue and Character Through Revision 00:18:02 Research, Reality TV, and Avoiding Replication 00:22:56 COVID, Scapegoating, and Game Theory on Reality TV 00:26:35 Writing From What Keeps You Up at Night 00:28:12 Letting Go and Embracing Reader Interpretations 00:29:52 Determination, Rejection, and Only Needing One Yes 00:31:36 Holding Onto the Core and What's Next
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    35 mins
  • Solo Devi Jags Episode — Building Sparkle In Public, The Vision, & The Punk Rock Era

    Solo Devi Jags Episode — Building Sparkle In Public, The Vision, & The Punk Rock Era
    May 27 2026
    Devi Jags flips the mic and lets herself be interviewed for the first time, revealing the raw, unfiltered origin story of Sparkle On. From surviving violent events in college and rediscovering her fire through writing, Devi unpacks how creativity became her lifeline and why she refuses to let anyone define themselves by a single identity. This solo episode dives into the messy, relentless, punk rock era of building a movement from scratch. Devi gets honest about the loneliness of wearing every hat, and what she's building behind the scenes beyond the podcast, and how the Sparkle movement is for that young girl who once felt like nothing. She reminds us that magic exists, flying is possible, and the only way forward is to journal, lose control, and try, even when you're terrified of failing. This is Sparkle On at its most vulnerable, and defiant. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:00:50 The Origin Story of Sparkle 00:03:25 The Accidental Podcaster 00:06:41 The Reality of Podcasting 00:11:41 When Writing Works But the Podcast Doesn't 00:13:52 The Art of the Interview and Capturing Sparkle 00:15:06 Following Obsessions and Trusting Your Taste 00:17:58 Season Three and Doubling Down on Creativity 00:19:07 The Punk Rock Era: Rebelling Against Templates 00:22:41 Why This Movement Matters 00:25:42 Living in Alignment and Finding Purpose 00:29:56 Who This Podcast Is Really For 00:34:00 Inspiration, Action, and Believing in Magic 00:35:55 Building Something Bigger in Public 00:37:56 The Power of Songwriting and Storytelling 00:39:49 Journal Every Day
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    42 mins
  • Joy Melan — Finding Songwriting Freedom Through Fantasy

    Joy Melan — Finding Songwriting Freedom Through Fantasy
    May 20 2026
    Singer-songwriter Joy Melan joins Sparkle On to share how fantasy and intentional melancholy fuel her transcendent old pop sound. From discovering her voice at 17 through poetry to performing with her band, The Wild, across Austin's collaborative music scene, she describes the delicate art of writing songs that help her listeners safely revisit their pain. From Lady Gaga's unapologetic expression to the fashion rebellion of early 2000s movie heroines, Joy's style is entirely tied to her sound. In this episode, she explains how she dresses for the vision of her music, how she navigates a song’s story, and why her newest creative challenge is learning to write from a place of happiness rather than tragedy.
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    34 mins
  • Brian Menke — Painting His Way To Healing

    Brian Menke — Painting His Way To Healing
    May 13 2026
    Brian Menke joins Sparkle On to share his journey from depression to healing through painting and music. A college friend of Devi's from Xavier University, Brian, opens up about the dark years when he lacked emotional outlets, turning to partying and self-destructive patterns. Years later, Brian discusses how creativity became his lifeline, teaching us that art is “expression, not perfection.” He shares the interplay between his painting and songwriting, how Austin's collaborative creative community gave him permission to fully embrace his authentic self, and proves that our deepest wounds can become our most beautiful work. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:00:54 College Depression and Early Struggles 00:04:00 The Creative Superpower and Self-Destruction 00:06:28 The Paintbrush Moment 00:08:34 Music and Painting as Different Expressions 00:11:10 Moving to Austin and Finding Permission 00:12:51 Toxic Masculinity and Embracing Feminine Energy 00:20:22 Expression Not Perfection: Teaching Art 00:18:17 The Blank Canvas and Trusting the Process 00:32:49 Vulnerability, Snapshots, and Helping One Person 00:36:36 What's Next and Touch the Art Show
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    40 mins
  • Amy Scott — Counting Crows, Lainey Wilson, and Breaking The Rules In Filmmaking

    Amy Scott — Counting Crows, Lainey Wilson, and Breaking The Rules In Filmmaking
    May 6 2026
    Award-winning filmmaker Amy Scott joins Sparkle On to discuss breaking the rules in documentary storytelling, the art of the interview, and what it takes to capture the authentic humanity of music icons. Known for her work on documentaries featuring Counting Crows (HBO’s Have You Seen Me Lately?), Sheryl Crow (SHOWTIME’s Sheryl), and Lainey Wilson (Netflix’s Keepin’ Country Cool), Amy reveals the intricate process of crafting character-driven stories from hundreds of hours of footage, building three-act structures on whiteboards with her team, and knowing when to bend traditional narrative rules to serve the story. From her journey from editor to director, Amy tells us the delicate balance between the artist and the celebrity persona, and why, as a modern filmmaker, she refuses to double down on themes just to serve the algorithm. Amy reminds us that understanding each other through story is the ultimate creative mission, and artists who change an era are those who defy the rules. Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:00:54 Falling in Love with Documentary Filmmaking 00:03:24 The Editor's Journey to Director 00:06:17 Breaking the Three-Act Structure 00:08:41 The Attention Span Problem and Streaming Templates 00:12:37 Rule Breakers Deserve Rule-Breaking Films 00:14:26 The Divisive Band and the Sellout Era 00:16:51 The Art of the Interview 00:20:01 Building Trust and Protecting Mental Health 00:22:37 The Development Game and Pitching Artists 00:24:18 Keeping Up with Lainey Wilson 00:25:41 The Artist Versus The Celebrity 00:27:28 Celebrity Worship and The Golden Rule 00:30:15 Melissa Etheridge and The Women's Prison 00:32:02 Understanding Each Other Through Stories 00:34:01 Finding Grounding Through Motherhood 00:37:07 Becoming a Director While Becoming a Mom 00:39:24 The Wild Ride of the Film Industry 00:40:23 When Do You Feel Most Lit Up? 00:43:42 Trusting Your Intuition as a Woman Filmmaker
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    45 mins
  • Jenny Tinghui Zhang — Falling Into Superfan Obsession

    Jenny Tinghui Zhang — Falling Into Superfan Obsession
    Apr 29 2026
    Author Jenny Tinghui Zhang joins Sparkle On to talk about fandom, following obsessions, and the small, stubborn joys that pull us back to art. Jenny discusses her latest novel, Superfan — a coming‑of‑age story about a lonely freshman who finds belonging in a K‑pop–style fandom. We explore how obsessions, artist cities (hello, Austin, TX), and the bravery to consistently show up fuel creativity. Expect thoughtful riffs on community, limerence, male figure skating, and practical wisdom for turning yearning into art without losing the love that started it. Read Superfan: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250369666/superfan/ Read Four Treasures In The Sky: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250811783/fourtreasuresofthesky/ Follow Jenny: https://www.instagram.com/sunspotletters Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:01:23 Falling Down the BTS Rabbit Hole 00:03:48 The Psychology of Obsession and Limerence 00:05:22 Middle School Obsessions and Lord of the Rings 00:07:54 Understanding Young Women and Fandom 00:13:46 The Power and Dark Side of Fandom 00:19:22 Post-Debut Depression and Losing Love for Writing 00:23:27 Finding the Way Back Through Figure Skating 00:28:02 The Magic of Old Notebooks and Past Selves 00:33:14 Austin's Creative Community and What's Next 00:39:43 Re-Romanticizing the Writing Process
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    56 mins
  • Sexual Energy Is Creative Energy With Laura Desirée

    Sexual Energy Is Creative Energy With Laura Desirée
    Dec 28 2025
    If you’re in a creative slump, according to Laura Desirée, the solution is simple: go masturbate. As an Intimacy Coordinator, Creative Director at SNCTM, Sex Educator, and Activist, Laura shares her journey of unlocking her erotic force and explains why it is the essential engine behind the power of creativity. From her early days as a dancer in the Lower East Side, to her vision designing immersive, cinematic events at SNCTM, she explores how artistic escapes allow us to reclaim the most intimate relationship we possess — the one with our own bodies. Laura reveals that sexual energy and creative energy are fundamentally the same, the "erotic" being the very home of creation itself. By igniting the flame of the erotic within ourselves, we do more than just pursue pleasure; we settle into a flow state that permits us to stand proud and move forward in our work. Reclaiming our desire is the ultimate act of self-development, ensuring that we remain purposeful, inspired, and ready to Sparkle in everything we create.
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    45 mins