We sat down with Steph Walsh at Nosh in downtown Springfield to talk about community, creativity, Buzzkill, and how she got to where she is today.
Originally from Central Massachusetts, Steph moved to Westfield about two years ago to be closer to her older sister. One of ten siblings, she grew up in what she described as a cult, where much of her life was controlled. From the media she was allowed to consume to being told what to think and how to feel, she didn't really have the opportunity to explore her own interests or figure out who she was.
After being pressured into marriage at a young age and having two daughters, Steph eventually divorced and began figuring out life on her own terms. Motherhood played a huge role in that, inspiring her to explore her creativity and think about the kind of world she wanted her daughters to grow up in.
We talked a lot about community and how it doesn't necessarily feel the same as it once did. Moving somewhere new and trying to find your people isn't always easy, and we both agreed on how important it is to have third spaces where people can come together and connect over shared interests.
One of my favorite parts of our conversation was hearing Steph explain why she doesn't consider herself an influencer. She doesn't want to influence anyone. She's an independent creator who genuinely enjoys seeing other people explore their interests and create things they're passionate about. Considering her upbringing, I thought that was especially interesting. Independence is something Steph has had to discover for herself, and now she's hoping to encourage other people to do the same.
We unfortunately missed recording a good portion of our conversation (oops), but managed to capture some of Steph's thoughts on motherhood, creativity, finding balance, and building community here in Western Mass.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
THE 413 JOINT: You mentioned motherhood being a big part of your creative journey. I wanted to get into that a little bit.
STEPH WALSH: Motherhood was like my entrance into creativity, honestly. Like, exploring my creative journey because that was like, and I've had this light bulb moment where I was like, wait a minute, I just created a soul. Like, what can I not create?
I was like, I just brought a soul onto this earth. I think I can, like, pursue my own creative passion. So that was, like, my entrance into creativity.
And just, like, wanting to help create a world that I want them to grow up in, you know?
THE 413 JOINT: I feel like there's a good amount of balance because obviously, as a creator, you're online a lot, but you're also really in touch with nature. That's a big part of your page and what you do. So having that balance seems really important to you.
STEPH WALSH: Yeah, it's very important to me. I think, like, out of anything, that's the most important to me, balance. In every aspect.
And I think maybe it's because I grew up in such an extreme that, like, there was no amount of balance, that now it's, like, I really value that.
I think you have to be able to understand other people's perspectives. You have to be able to hear people out. You have to be able to exist in a society, whether or not you want to or not, and also go, like, take care of your soul in nature, you know?
Like, you've gotta be able to do both of those things, and I feel like that's what's helped me become the creator that I am.
Because I was raised in such, like, an all-or-nothing way. And I always had that view. It had to be, like, all or nothing. You had to be all corporate or all nature-loving. You could never just, like, flow between things.
But I realized that I can find so much balance in all the different things. Existing in this world, in the spiritual world, you know? Finding balance between those things, I think, is just necessary for your soul.
THE 413 JOINT: I wanted to talk a little bit about some of the creative outlets you have. I know you mentioned doing floral design. Is that something you're still doing?
STEPH WALSH: I don't do that as much now. That was, like, a full-time job, which I did, and, like, I loved.
That was, like, so huge in me developing my creative skills, and I did that with a lot of intention. I went out and sought designers that I loved to work with, who I was inspired by.
So that has helped a lot, and I do, like, I love that. If I want to get into a flow state, I will go play with flowers, and that's amazing.
But as far as, like, other creative endeavors, I love to write. Like, a lot of my content is just my journal. It's, like, my journal entries or poetry that I started writing.
I really love creating in any form. It honestly depends on my mood.
I love to pick up an instrument and learn it. I'm not good at any of them. I'm very much, like, a jack of all trades, master of none.
But, like, I love to pick up a new instrument. I love to draw. I love to paint. I love to write. I love to bake and cook. Just really, like, creating anything. Challenging myself, honestly, to create anything.
I try it all. Like I said, I'm not really good at any of it, but I try it all.
THE 413 JOINT: That's awesome. What's the latest challenge you've given yourself, if you don't mind sharing?
STEPH WALSH: Yeah, um, I challenge myself, like, on a smaller scale daily.
When I go to the gym, I go to the gym every day, and I push myself to failure. And lately, I've not had any motivation to do that. Or, like, any desire to do that.
So I would say that's a challenge that I kind of incorporate every day.
But, you know, it's funny because I was literally thinking yesterday that I need to sign up for, like, a race. Because that is this big, daunting challenge that I'm like, I don't wanna do that, but I know it would really push me. And I know that I could do it.
So I think I'm gonna challenge myself to run a marathon.
I've, like, never really cared to run a race for other people. You know? It's never been something where I'm like, oh, I wanna finish a race, but I know it's something that will be hard for me. But that I could also, like, if I push myself, I will do.
So I think that's what I'm gonna do. That's my newest challenge.
THE 413 JOINT: That's gonna be super rewarding. It's gonna be hard, but it'll be rewarding.
STEPH WALSH: It will be very rewarding. Like, I need to just do it. It's a challenge that I've kind of shied away from.
I face a lot of challenges head-on. I'm a very competitive person. That's one thing that I've been like, oh, I don't know. So I think it's time that I just do it, you know?
THE 413 JOINT: I wanted to talk a little bit about Buzzkill and the running club. Is that part of the inspiration to run the marathon?
STEPH WALSH: Yeah! So, it's funny because Isaiah and I connected last winter.
And we connected because I was actually training for a race. So I was consuming a lot of content around people who were into running, and he popped up on my For You page.
And I followed him without realizing that he was local. So I had no idea. I just saw that he made content around that. I was like, oh, this is cool. I should consume this sort of content that keeps me motivated.
And then, like, within a couple of weeks of following him, we realized that we lived about ten minutes from each other.
And we just connected a lot on running. I think he might have been training for some race, but he was very into fitness and running, and I was as well.
So we just talked a lot about that and really connected.
And he's somebody who's just, like, a really good person to know. Like, he just has the biggest heart and, like, the best intentions.
So we connected really fast because he's just really supportive, and I'm that way when I find other creatives in the area. I just, like, I love when I see people doing their thing, and I just want to see them win. Like, I just want to see them flourish.
And so I saw him pouring into his content and pouring into what he was doing, and I didn't even know him, but I was just so proud of him. I was like, I hope you go so far.
So we both kind of just became that person in each other's corner, like, cheering each other on.
And then at one point, he had texted me that he wanted to start a run club with his friend John.
And I was like, absolutely, we need to start a run club. Like, people would be dying to do this. Western Mass needs this. And, like, this could be such a great community-building thing.
And that's exactly what it was.
I've always just been involved as a supporter for them. Like, I think that they can go so far with it, and that they can just really have such a big impact beyond running with this.
And we saw that from the first time.
I remember, like, in the weeks leading up to the first run club, there was all this excitement, and it was so much fun, and there was so much talk.
And then day of, they were, like, a little bit nervous.
They were like, well, if just five people show up, we'll be happy.
And then something like 85 people showed up!
It's become one of those places where you just connect with other people in a way that you wouldn't necessarily connect to these people walking down the street.
It's really great for entrepreneurs. It's really great for creatives. It's really great for people our age, I feel like.
Because I went there, and I saw a whole bunch of people who are entrepreneurs, who are pursuing their thing, who are making content, who are, like, doing whatever they're doing.
And people who are parents, like new parents, and people who are getting married and going through all of these very fundamental life changes.
And we already had, just by being there, established some commonality, which was that we were all there to run.
And, like, whether you liked it or not, we were there to run.
So we had, like, that bit of commonality, and it kind of just broke the ice without even doing anything. Like, it felt much more comfortable to just start up a conversation with anyone there.
I've met so many close friends through that club. And it's, like, people that, had I met them out, I probably never would have connected because I didn't know that they were also making content, that they were also parents, that they were also training for this race or doing that thing, you know?
So it just kind of broke down the barrier with a large group of strangers from this area that then allowed us to just really create a solid community.
And it's just grown, and it's been such a good way to connect.
THE 413 JOINT: Yeah, it's like that third space.
STEPH WALSH: It is. We need that. It's exactly that.
And it's just, it's also in a really great way. Like, running is just objectively good for you, you know?
It sucks, but it's good for you.
And it's, like, one of those things that you said, like, you see someone doing it, and you know, like, they're doing it, it sucks with them, but it inspires you.
And I remember the first run club, like I was there to run, but also, like, I really wanted to help be a person to connect.
So I wasn't really running as fast as I could run. I was taking a lot of content, but I would also just find people that, like, weren't necessarily with the group, or, like, maybe were falling behind, or, like, were clearly just struggling, and I would run with them.
And what I would do is just ask them, like, 800 questions.
I would run next to them and I'd be like, where are you from? And what do you do? Why are you here?
And, like, I felt like I was being annoying, but at the same time it got their mind off of running. And then helped them to kind of just get back in line with the group.
Like, it's so easy to get in your own way and just, like, if you're doing it on your own, just limit yourself or, like, talk down on yourself if you feel like you're not achieving what you want.
But, like, once you're surrounded by a group of people who are also cheering you on and inspiring you at the same time, like, it just really changes it.
And one of the things that was so inspiring for me, and still is every time, is people bring their kids.
So, like, I see parents with kids who are, like, seven years old, and there's been so many times where I've been running behind parents with their kids, and you just hear them talking their kids through the whole run.
Like, you can tell that these kids, like, they're really pushing themselves, really challenging themselves. And the parents are like, it's good to do hard things, and it's important to push yourself.
So, like, that's so cool to me. Like, that's so inspiring.
I think it's raising a really cool generation.
