A few weeks ago, Hollywood called me.

Well, I called them.

Kate Bolger worked as a Hollywood film producer, until one day during yet another period of hopefully temporary but as always undefined unemployment, waiting until the next film employed her, she made a decision that would change her life.

She quit.

Kate then spent a while wrestling the “what ifs” and “if onlys” of her life.

In this month’s episode of pause & effect I discover why Kate then decided to open an old fashioned sweet shop and how documenting that on Instagram went viral.

This is an episode about risks, big career changes, trusting your instincts, learning to let go, and the life-changing effect of pressing pause.

There's a nice unintended connection between me and Kate: two people who've built businesses around the value of making something carefully by hand - and I can’t wait to visit her new store later this year.

Welcome to an all-new look and feel pause & effect - I hope you like it!

This month I met online with Becky Ullah, the former GP turned artist, ahead of her landmark open public exhibition.

Personally, I was absolutely over the moon to get a call with a GP to begin with, and the fact it was for more than 5 minutes felt like 1955. Questions about my rash, lumps, and whether 9 year out of date antibiotics are still okay out of the way, Becky reminded me she wasn’t a practicing doctor anymore, so I quickly changed the subject.

It’s a deeply personal interview that touches on feeling lost in a successful career, starting over, the less glamorous reality of what finding happiness means - and the pay-off.

Becky’s first major public exhibition runs from 30th July to 20th October at the University College London (UCL) on the Euston Road. Entry is free.

Huge thanks to Becky for taking the time to chat to me, and to Josh for the great new edit.

Take a look at Becky’s website here and follow her on Instagram here.

Don’t forget to subscribe to pause & effect and hit that 5 star rating if you’re enjoying them. See you again next time!

It’s back! Although in truth it never really went away, we just had some technical issues with the podcast! Episode 4 is here and it’s an insightful conversation with the London-based artist, Archie Proudfoot.

I first came to know about Archie in 2024 when I saw a print he created, which I bought and that now hangs in my office. Then something bizarre happened. I’ve been writing my new book for a couple of years now and was pondering the title. I wondered if perhaps, simply, “if” might work, seeing as the book is ultimately about how we navigate change: life’s ‘what ifs’ and ‘if only's’. It was a casual thought, nothing more. I logged onto Instagram to upload my daily video and the first thing I saw was a post from Archie, looking back at the first artwork he created as a professional artist. It was a picture of a bright teal background onto which two letters had been hand painted: IF.

Archie and I are collaborating on the cover artwork for my new book, which I hope will feature his original artwork.

In this episode we cover a lot about how art encourages us to notice things (I’m always surprised by how I see things I’d not noticed before in art that is familiar to me, or how art can feel different depending on how you feel at the time); Archie’s background and how he came to be a full-time professional artist, taking the risky plunge into a notoriously precarious career; what being an artist has taught him about how to live, and whether or not I am an artist.

This is a great conversations about noticing, attention, and how we don’t see things that are right in front of us.

Archie has a really good Substack and write brilliantly, give him a follow Archie Proudfoot

Please do subscribe to the podcast and take a moment to review to help others discover it. If you don’t already receive my free email with 3 thoughts, 1 quote, 1 question, and some content for the curious, head to thatjezrose.com/journey to sign up - it’s free!

Written and produced by Jez Rose. Editing by Josh Gasparro.

www.thatjezrose.com

If you’ve been around my writing and content for a while you’ll know I have a love for the slower, fuller life. Rituals and objects that remind us of a simpler time and prompt us to pause or simply slow things down.

I write with a pencil on paper, I drink loose leaf tea, I prefer candles to electric light, and I much prefer a bar of soap to plastic bottles. There’s certainly an aesthetic consideration to my choices, but there are wider environmental and character elements, too. Bars of soap are from an era when society was politer; less wasteful, and when artisan craft had greater respect. Whenever I wash my hands, it’s not simply an act of cleansing but in that moment is wrapped up a whole load of consideration as to how and why we live how we do and the choices we make.

This episode I had the pleasure of talking with the Managing Director of artisan soap company Droyt, whose story is nothing short of remarkable.

I’ve been a fan of their soap for a while now; it’s not only of excellent quality but still made using traditional methods, by hand, and on some of the original machinery dating back to the late 19th Century.

We explore the beauty of patience, craftsmanship, and continuity; how a soap factory in Lancashire has resisted the rush of modernity and thrived by holding onto the past, while still looking ahead; the remarkable history of Droyt and how a Jewish family business that started in Russia in the 1800s came to set up in Lancashire in England in the 1930s.

Please do subscribe to the podcast and take a moment to review to help others discover it. If you don’t already receive my free email with 3 thoughts, 1 quote, 1 question, and some content for the curious, head to thatjezrose.com/journey to sign up.

Written and produced by Jez Rose. Editing by Josh Gasparro.

www.thatjezrose.com

It was, perhaps, somewhat predictable that beginning a career as a ceramic artist I would end up interviewing a potter, however, my special guest for this episode is more than a potter.

I’ve admired the work of world-renowned ceramic artist Steve Harrison for some time, whose handmade vessels have earned international acclaim for their quiet elegance and timeless character. His unique style of mostly mugs and teapots show embossed flowers, debossed sunflowers, handles delicately balanced on balls affixed to the side of mugs, kinks in delicately thin mug walls, and all finished in the ancient technique of salt glaze; a wonderfully tactile finish. Steve makes functional works of art.

Steve Harrison’s works are highly collectible; his beautiful, unique porcelain mugs sell for upwards of £1,000 - and that’s if you can find one.

So, what does a lifetime spent with clay teach us about patience, beauty, and the art of slowing down?

In this episode of pause & effect we discuss when Steve first knew that clay would become his life’s work, and some of his early influences; the pace of pottery and how working with clay has changed his relationship with time - and indeed how it has changed the way he lives. I find Steve’s work really beautiful but I wanted to know makes something beautiful to him, and we discuss the notion of perfection and the metaphors and similarities working with clay has for our living.

When I asked Steve to sum up his work in one word, he had the perfect answer!

We reference the challenges makers like Florian Gadsby face; the early influence of Wally Keeler and Jane Hamlyn, and the friendship and mentorship of Mick Casson.

Whether you’re a maker, a dreamer, or simply curious about how pressing pause on life can change the way we live and work, this conversation is an invitation to see beauty in the everyday, embrace patience, and rediscover the power of working with our hands.

Please do subscribe to the podcast and take a moment to review to help others discover it. If you don’t already receive my free weekly email with 3 thoughts, 1 quote, 1 question, and some content for the curious, head to thatjezrose.com/journey to sign up.

Written and produced by Jez Rose. Editing by Josh Gasparro.

www.thatjezrose.com

I’m delighted to begin the first series of pause & effect with this interview with Amber Harrison and Karen Brazier of acclaimed independent book store, Folde in Dorset, England. It is the perfect interview to set the tone for exploring how pressing pause on life can have a life-changing effect.

We discuss ‘The Big Pivot’; how leaving corporate life became a significant turning point for both Amber and Karen. From what life looked like before and what wasn’t working and felt misaligned, to the turning point that led to big change.

Obviously we talk about ‘The Bookshop Dream’ from idea to reality and importantly how the idea for Folde was born but also the process of starting something so different, which presented both emotional and practical challenges.

Crucially I wanted to explore ‘Life at a Different Pace’, and how living the pause looks for both of them; what is the reality of slowing down and simplifying and how has it changed their identity, values, and relationships?

We also explore the importance of community, culture and the magic of bookshops: what have they learned about community and how physical spaces can create connection?

Plus, lessons from their journey, and some important take aways for anyone considering pursuing their own dream or walking away from a career and starting over.

Please do subscribe to the podcast and take a moment to review to help others discover it. If you’re not already part of The Journey, head to thatjezrose.com/journey for curated content to help you find your element.

Written and produced by Jez Rose. Editing by Josh Gasparro.

www.thatjezrose.com

There are a lot of exciting changes (and in turn, improvements!) coming to The Journey.

Very soon I’ll be releasing a new podcast called pause & effect, which explores what so many of us yearn for: how to live in our element. Each episode I’m joined by a special guest as we explore the life-changing effect that pressing pause on life can have, to step away from the chaos and the deadlines, the to-do lists and the overwhelm, to live a life of joy, passion, and purpose.

I listen to a lot of podcasts when I’m travelling and sometimes in the mornings or evenings while I’m preparing food. One of the things I really appreciate as a listener is when listener questions are answered.

So if you have a question about how to be in your element, the virtues of a slower, simpler lifestyle or anything else you are seeking answers to, email me ([email protected]) or comment below.

I’m really looking forward to this new show, and can’t wait to share it with you.

Exclusively for paid subscribers to The Journey you’ll enjoy special edition episodes.

For now, subscribe to pause & effect wherever you listen to your podcasts to be the first to know when episode 1 releases very soon.

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