Melanio and Emma have worked together on commercial photo shoots including one fantastic gig with Olympic athletes on the slopes of a Utah ski resort a few years ago. Fashion styling is one of those glamour professions that is often misunderstood. Emma breaks down how she entered this field and the ins and outs of what this profession entails. She's dressed models for advertising as well as celebrities like Ellie Kemper, Jessica Chastain and Matthew McConaughey.

What I've enjoyed about Emma in our working relationship is her sense of fun as well as her commitment to getting the job done in a very time sensitive environment. She makes people feel great in the clothing she selects.

See more about our guests and find show notes at:

www.alifecreativepod.com

A Life Creative on Substack

@alifecreative on Instagram

Sharing with the world what life is like on a 14,000 acre ranch in Southern California is the vision and effort taken up by Elizabeth Poett. She's written the cookbook The Ranch Table and her family and life on Rancho San Julian was the subject of 4 seasons of the ‘Ranch to Table’ program on the Magnolia Network. She joins A Life Creative to share the story of what led her to creating experiences that are not only enjoyable (think freshly made strawberry jam with strawberries picked from her garden) but also opportunities to learn about a life many of us can only imagine.

For more about Elizabeth visit www.alifecreative.com

Check out A Life Creative on Instagram @alifecreative

In 1990 Gael Towey helped launch the very first issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, establishing its iconic visual style and serving as Chief Creative & Editorial Director for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO). Imagine rolling up your sleeves alongside Martha Stewart to create a brand new magazine from scratch elevating domestic arts to new heights. It was a paradigm shift in the magazine publishing world that led to honors from the American Society of Magazine Editors, the American Institute of Graphic Arts, as well as the Chrysler Design Award. During her 22 year tenure at MSLO she helped launch multiple magazine titles and built a product line sold through Kmart and the Martha Stewart ecommerce web-site.

Since moving on from MSLO Gael formed Gael Towey & Co. producing intimate short documentaries under the banner Portraits in Creativity. These films celebrate the courage and curiosity of artists and artisans.

Show host, Melanio Gomez, along with several show guests like Jodi Levine and Stephen Earle worked with Gael as former employees at MSLO, and Melanio is delighted to have her on the show today to talk about what's most important in a creative life.

For more about Gael visit www.alifecreativepod.com

Visit us on Instagram at @alifecreative

Jim Newman is a long time pal of host Melanio Gomez having met years ago as new homeowners in Asbury Park, NJ. On this episode he shares how he built his career in the performing arts, debuting on Broadway early on in The Who's Tommy, and performing in numerous other shows with names in lights, including Kristin Chenoweth and Liza Minnelli. For several years he travelled the world as the 'Cowboy' in the Village People and from there landed a leading role in ABBA's Mamma Mia roadshow, which is currently playing on Broadway. He also shares how he grew a substantial social media following, why it's become a necessity for actors, and a cautionary tale of romance scams played out with his images on social media.

For more about Jim visit www.alifecreativepod.com

Visit us on Instagram at @alifecreative

Artist Jeff Wallace (from episode 4) joins Melanio to co-host this episode with guest Devin Wilde. Devin channeled drive and discipline across competitive cycling as a teenager, getting through Stanford's architecture program, designing digital user-experiences for tech companies, and ultimately crafting his own educational curriculum in the arts through various creator residencies. All of these steps led to an epiphany that clay was 'the thing' that really captured his imagination. In this episode Devin shares how he's built his design practice and studio from the ground up, and the retailers and media that helped garner attention to his work that enabled his business to get off the starting block. And, also how the Gilmore Girls can be essential viewing in a design studio.

For more about Devin visit www.alifecreativepod.com

Visit us on Instagram at @alifecreative

Since high-school age, Jaya Saxena has been drawn to the process of creating thoughtful and articulate essays. The craft of capturing a vibe in one's own perspective and voice in a manner that resonates with readers is the art and special alchemy that professional writers bring to the table. Jaya's unique brand of writing style, built on a series of numerous writing gigs, led her to a position as a staff writer for Eater.com, creating pieces on food and NYC's restaurant scene.

In 2025 she received an honor from the International Association of Culinary Professionals for an article she wrote entitled "Martha Stewart's 'Entertaining' Let Me Party Like It Was 1982". In this episode Melanio and Jaya chat about the steps she took to establish her professional career as a writer, carving out her own voice, and building a network of collaborators with people that enjoy the business of writing. She also shares some food memories, and restaurant recommendations for both Mexico City, where she recently travelled, and New York City where she resides.

Visit www.alifecreativepod.com for more information about Jaya

Check us out on Instagram @alifecreative

Show Notes: With Thanksgiving just around the corner it is especially timely to chat with Lucinda Scala Quinn, Author and Founder of Mad Hungry. Melanio and Lucinda share the heritage-inspired dishes that are on their holiday tables and reminisce about their time working at Martha Stewart Living. Lucinda has a storied career in food, starting from her high-school days onward and has now published 8 books including the 3 in the Mad Hungry series and her latest book published in 2025 titled Mother Sauce. She’s a vocal advocate for how good food cooked at home really does bring family back around the table.

For more on Lucinda visit www.alifecreativepod.com

Follow A Life Creative on Instagram @alifecreative

This year John Derian celebrates 30 years of his eponymous boutique and antiques shop on 2nd Street in New York City's East Village neighborhood. His path took him from a creatively inspired childhood in Massachusetts to New York City as an adult where he built a design and retail business from scratch. He's known for finding antique illustrations and extending their life and enjoyment by applying them on glass objects through the craft of decoupage.

The John Derian retail shop (in NYC and Provincetown MA) showcases a thoughtful mix of handcrafted home goods from artisan suppliers alongside his decoupage creations and antiques that he sources in the United States and Europe. He also sells online and through collaborations with others. He shares in this episode the path, the challenges, and some wisdom as we look back on his storied career.

For more about John visit www.alifecreativepod.com

and check out A Life Creative on Instagram @alifecreative