Prompt sticks that spark big ideas.

You know that feeling when you open Pinterest for inspiration and come out 45 minutes later having somehow planned a kitchen renovation and forgotten what you were looking for?

Mind Sparks prompt sticks were created for illustrators, artists and authors to help them find inspiration.. offline!

Let's bring back analog play into our practices!

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Mind Spark - base kit - Special first edition!

$40.00 CAD
$40.00 CAD
Sale Sold out

We made 50 Base kits for our launch, which contains 60 sticks split across 4 colour-coded categories, each one a different piece of your prompt. Oh and this is a special first edition kit, so they are numbered and the back is silver (we are a bit nerdy that way!)

Comes in a fabric pouch with the screen printed Mind Spark logo.

The sticks are 3D printed by Fred, the words where chosen by Val. See our blurb below.

See FAQ for product infos.

  • Handmade & handprinted
  • Ship everywhere
  • Made with Polylactic Acid (PLA) plastic (see FAQ)
  • Made in Canada
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Featured Add-Ons

Get 30% off your add-on when combining it with the Base kit. No code needed.

Fun!

15 Yellow sticks

Characters & archetypes

Yellow sticks carry archetypes, the who of your prompt. A figure to anchor your story or image and give it a human (or not so human) heart.

15 Purple sticks

Places

Purple sticks carry places, the where that sets the scene. A world, a corner, a moment in time that gives your prompt its atmosphere and sense of space.

15 Blue

Things & symbols

Blue sticks carry things and symbols, an object or element charged with meaning that adds an unexpected layer to your prompt.

15 Pink sticks

Emotions & feelings

Pink sticks carry universal feelings, emotions that transcend age, culture, and language, giving your prompt its emotional core.

The story behind the sticks

Hi! My name is Valerie , I'm a children's illustrator from Canada. About a year ago, I was sitting at my desk completely stuck. Not deadline-stuck, just... blank. The kind of blank where you open a new file, stare at it for 11 minutes, then go make your 4th coffee of the day and pretend that was the plan all along.

I complained to Fred (my husband and right-brain). He said: "What if you just had a thing you could pull from? Like a physical prompt. Something you hold in your hand."

I said: "That's actually a great idea, can you make it?"

He said yes. Because he always says yes to my weird ideas, which is one of the many reasons I keep him around (just kidding Dear!)

That conversation turned into 6 months of prototyping, a lot of filament, 2 printers running simultaneously, and me writing 60 words from scratch at the kitchen table at 10pm with a glass of wine and entirely too much enthusiasm.

We hope you enjoy them and have fun!

FAQ

What is PLA?

Polylactic Acid (PLA) is a popular, biodegradable, and renewable thermoplastic derived from plant resources like cornstarch, widely used as the default filament for 3D printing.

How much does the shipping cost?

Shipping is calculated when you checkout!

Does it work if I'm not a children's illustrator?

Yes! When I decided upon the words, I tried to be as general as possible to cater to all types of illustration. The add on is specifically for the children publishing industry.

Will there be other add on?

Yes! we have lots of ideas, including offering them in different language and other industries. Stay tuned for more, and subscribe to the newsletter!