The Spark: Emma Barratt on Being Yourself, Bad Buzzwords and Winning Every Argument
- S9E158
- 36:10
- June 12th 2025
In this bonus Spark episode, Emma Barratt returns for a funny, honest, and brilliantly unfiltered chat with Katy Cowan. She takes on some of our favourite quick-fire questions — from the best advice she's ever received to the song she'd like played at her funeral.
Emma shares her most controversial creative opinion (spoiler: not everything is "transformative"), the word that gives her the ick, and why she relates most to an octopus. She also opens up about OCD rituals, arguments she has to win, and the rejection that taught her the most — including the first time she applied to Wolff Olins.
Packed with warmth, dry wit and big heart, this is the perfect follow-up to Emma's main episode on class, creativity, and carving your own path.
This season is proudly sponsored by the School of Communication Arts.
The Creative Boom Podcast
Host Katy Cowan sits down with designers, illustrators, animators and creative thinkers who’ve been through it all. The highs. The lows. The messy middle. No jargon or guru nonsense. Just warm, honest conversations with people who tell it like it is, and who don't mind having a laugh along the way. Come for the stories. Stay because it feels like someone finally gets it.
Meet the Host
Katy Cowan is the founding editor of Creative Boom, a global platform, podcast, and community that champions creatives and helps them build sustainable, fulfilling careers.
With over 25 years in media, PR, and marketing, she started out in broadcast journalism before co-founding digital consultancy Boomerang in 2007, working with clients including the BBC, TATA Group, and Manchester City Football Club.
In 2009, she launched Creative Boom to support creatives who felt overlooked or unsure of their path. Today, it reaches over a million people each month and has partnered with brands like Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Canon, and Wix.
Now fully focused on Creative Boom, Katy is on a mission to make the creative industry feel more open, honest, and accessible. Through her work, she helps artists and designers feel seen, supported, and a little less alone.