Pickles & Pasta EP30 - Process, Partnership & Turning Sparks into Reality

In Episode 30 of Pickles and Pasta, Jay and Steph talk about what it actually looks like to take an idea from concept to execution, and how two creatives can approach the same goal in completely different ways.

Steph shares her hands-on process: capturing sparks on Post-its, brainstorming in ChatGPT, experimenting with materials, and letting ideas incubate before shaping them into collections. She also opens up about how her vision for Have Some Fun Today is shifting toward a more art-forward, crafted approach, and how she’s building multiple creative “buckets” at once, including art, design, and a children’s book.

Jay breaks down his process from the other side: seeing the full arc early, asking questions as quiet market research, and architecting the bigger ecosystem around a project. Together, they unpack why collaboration matters, how the right partners fill your gaps, and why translating a visual brain into “computer language” can be the hardest part of bringing ideas to life.

The episode ends with a rapid-fire round on personal habits they want to improve, business priorities they keep pushing, and what they’re determined to do before spring.

Topics Covered:

• Types of creatives and why process matters
• Steph’s idea-capture system: Post-its, notes, incubation
• Evolving Have Some Fun Today into a more art-led brand
• Collections, merchandising, and future product spin-offs
• Jay’s “architect” approach: vision, systems, strategy
• Working with teams to bring ideas to life
• Translating design instincts into digital execution
• Rapid fire: habits, priorities, and before-spring goals

If you’ve got ideas but struggle with the “how do I actually make this real” part, this one will help you find your process and your people.

Episode 29 – Ghosting, Mixed Signals, and People Who Actually Show Up

In Episode 29 of Pickles and Pasta, Jay and Steph are back in New York with winter reflections, snow-day observations, and the oddly emotional “will we get one more storm?” debate.

Then they get into something they’ve both been running into lately: ghosting, especially in business and creative circles. Jay breaks down why disappearing without a word is frustrating and unnecessary, while Steph explains why we often fixate on people who pull away. Ego, the need for closure, and the urge to win back someone’s attention all play a role.

From there, the conversation expands into mixed signals and energy, those moments when someone seems supportive one day and distant the next. They talk about how tension in communities can quietly grow, including the way identity and politics can shape how people categorize each other, and why maturity and mutual respect matter more than ever.

They close by flipping the lens toward the positive: the people who consistently show up, and how Steph is embracing a new, evolving community through her art workshops and creative work. The episode wraps with a Fashion Week themed rapid fire on dressing for the weather, where fashion is headed, and the fashion eras they’d love to bring back, including Jay’s hilarious robe and cloak fantasy.

Topics Covered:

• Ghosting in creative/business relationships
• Closure, ego, and “future FOMO”
• Mixed signals, reading energy, and social tension
• Identity/politics shaping community dynamics
• Choosing self-respect and focusing on real support
• Building new community through creativity (art workshops)
• Rapid fire: Fashion Week edition

If someone disappears, let them, and put your energy into the people who show up, support you, and make your world bigger.

Episode 28 – Creative Energy, Client Work, and Finding Your Groove

In this week’s episode of Pickles and Pasta, Jay and Steph start with some classic winter banter, from Miami “cold” to the relief of longer daylight after a never-ending January. Then they shift into a thoughtful conversation about different types of creativity and why creating “from the soul” feels fundamentally different than creating within client constraints, budgets, and practical parameters.

They unpack the difference between being an artist versus being a creative-for-hire, and how Steph is navigating a new in-between space: making paintings that still use her artistry but are also product-driven (built to meet a need in the marketplace). Jay reflects on how money, time, and materials quietly change the creative process, and how emotional bandwidth (family stress, world stress, exhaustion) can deeply affect whether the creative mind can “access the work.”

They also share a practical takeaway for business owners: choosing the right clients is an art, and protecting peace of mind matters as much as the paycheck. The episode wraps with a light rapid-fire round (seasonal cravings, condiments, and the surprisingly enjoyable doctor visits), plus a warm sign-off to keep you cozy wherever you’re listening.

Topics Covered:

• How and why creatives work differently
• Artist vs designer vs creative entrepreneur
• Product-driven work vs personal art
• How emotional overload blocks creativity
• Balancing care for loved ones with creative focus
• The importance of choosing the right clients
• Rapid fire: seasonal favorites, condiments, and favorite doctors

Wherever you are, stay warm, enjoy the longer light, and we’ll see you next week. Same bat time, same bat channel.

Episode 27 - Expression, Identity, & Choosing Care

January has felt unusually heavy, and Steph and Jay open up about what it’s like to live and create in a world that feels emotionally maxed out.

They talk about how politics has bled into business, art, and personal platforms, creating pressure to speak, stay silent, or choose sides. Steph shares why she’s long avoided political messaging through Have Some Fun Today, and why that boundary is becoming harder to hold. Jay reflects on tone-deaf branding, public backlash, and how quickly discourse turns reactive.

The conversation widens into the role of creatives during unstable times, how artists absorb the emotional climate and translate it into work, often without trying to persuade or polarize. They explore authenticity, compassion, curiosity, and the idea that standing for humanity doesn’t require taking a side.

They close with a lighthearted rapid-fire snow-day segment covering winter comforts, food, and cozy watch picks.

Topics Covered:

• Why January felt emotionally heavy
• Politics and business pressure to choose sides
• Neutrality vs speaking up in a “tone-deaf” era
• Social media backlash over mild statements
• Trigger culture and heightened reactions
• The role and weight of creatives today
• Spiritual grounding amid noise and confusion
• Supporting artists without preaching
• Rapid Fire: winter ice cream, snow-day comfort food, cozy watch picks

Wherever you land on the issues, this episode is a reminder: we all deserve to be heard, and it costs nothing to listen.

EP26 - The Reset Episode: If You Needed This Today

Sometimes you don’t need a new plan, you need a reset. In Episode 26, Steph and Jay bring together the most grounding moments from past episodes into one steady, calming listen. It’s built like a guided emotional “re-center,” moving from overwhelm → regulation → perspective → self-trust → gentle momentum. If your mind feels loud, your nervous system feels fried, or you’ve been spiraling into the future, this episode is a place to land.

Topics Covered:

• Overwhelm and emotional grounding
• Staying present and reducing future-spirals
• Anxiety, fear, and nervous system regulation
• Reframing chaos into usable energy
• Perspective-taking and not personalizing everything
• Authenticity and self-expression
• Boundaries, shrinking, and choosing better environments
• Healing through conversation (not avoidance)
• Self-trust and forward momentum
• Slowness, winter energy, and patience
• Creative block, clutter, and making space
• Starting before you’re ready
• Kindness as a daily practice

If you needed a sign to slow down, breathe, and come back to yourself, this is it. Stay here. Just today.

Episode 25 - Alone Time, Creative Work and When Money Enters the Room

Episode 25 opens with Steph and Jay checking in on the wonkiness of the world and the mental load of staying aware without getting consumed. They talk about how people cope differently, from staying plugged in to fully tuning out, and why it feels harder than ever to find calm while still caring.

From there, they get into the creative process, especially the role of solitude. Steph shares why working alone is energizing, how deep focus shapes her best work, and why being social doesn’t mean needing people around while creating. Jay reflects on the flip side, how the right city energy can be inspiring, but also distracting when it comes to getting work done.

Then the conversation turns practical: when does money enter creativity. They unpack the difference between making art for the sake of making it and building products where margins, materials, and price points have to be considered early. Steph breaks down the real cost of supplies and why art pricing is often misunderstood, and shares her shift toward art based products that require a more business minded structure. They close with rapid fire on future tech, fixing New York, and weird food combos.

Topics Covered:

• Staying aware in a chaotic world without burning out
• Solitude vs stimulation and how creatives actually work best
• The balance between deep focus and being energized by people
• When money enters creativity and why timing matters
• The real cost of making art and why pricing is misunderstood
• Product thinking vs fine art and working backwards from margin
• Rapid fire: tech we want, NYC fixes, and odd food pairings

This episode is a reminder that creativity needs both space and structure, and learning when to protect your process and when to think like a business is part of the work.

Episode 24 - Focus, Energy and The Journey

This episode captures that strange early January shift after the holiday rush, when the world is technically “back,” but not really moving at full speed yet. Steph and Jay talk about what it feels like to be creatives during a season where other people slow down, while their own momentum keeps building.

They explore how conferences, awards season, and trend cycles flood the culture right after the holidays, and why Steph tends to block a lot of that out to protect her originality. From there, the conversation moves into something deeper: the way creatives pick up on energy in rooms and environments, and how that unspoken tension or empathy often gets channeled into the work.

The episode lands on a central anchor, focusing on the journey, especially when life feels full of landmines, shifting plans, and constant uncertainty. They wrap with a funny rapid fire and a simple reminder about stress: don’t do it twice.

Topics Covered:

• The strange post holiday pace of January
• Creative schedules versus traditional work rhythms
• The flood of conferences, awards, and trend noise
• Protecting originality and filtering cultural overload
• How creatives sense and process energy differently
• Turning empathy and frustration into creative fuel
• Staying focused on the journey amid constant change
• Rapid fire on time, childhood, and risk taking
• Why pre stressing only makes things harder

This episode is your reminder to tune out the noise, stay grounded in your path, and keep your focus on the journey, especially when life tries to pull the rug out from under you.

Episode 23 - Reset, Reflection and Creative Freedom

The first episode of 2026 opens with Steph and Jay turning a casual new year check in into a thoughtful conversation about how creatives actually reset. They talk about why January 1st feels motivating for some people and completely overrated for others, then dig into the real reset of clearing physical and mental clutter so new ideas can take shape.

Steph shares what it looks like to wind down an old way of running a business in order to make room for what’s next, including experimenting with a new product focused direction that blends art and interior design. Jay reflects on how the simple act of organizing can kick the brain back into creative mode and why real adaptation requires space rather than pressure.

They also explore what the holiday season leaves behind, from meaningful moments to small dramas, and how those experiences quietly carry into the new year. The episode wraps with a rapid-fire round that is both funny and unexpectedly sincere.

Topics Covered:

• New Year resets: motivation vs “you can start anytime”
• Clearing clutter and why creatives need space to create
• The connection between cleaning, emotional processing, and mental calm
• Adapting to new plans and building systems for a fresh year
• Steph’s new creative direction: art as product + catalog thinking
• What carries forward from the holidays: gratitude, drama, lessons
• Rapid fire: new year feelings, holiday traditions, and takeaways

This episode stays with you as a reminder that clearing space isn’t just housekeeping, it’s how you make room for what’s next.