Inside Women Create: Susan Harold on Creativity, Purpose & The Art of Coming Full Circle
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
Release Date: 04/23/2026
Inside Women Create: Susan Harold on Creativity, Purpose & The Art of Coming Full Circle
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
What if the path you’re meant for… is the one you return to? In this episode, Susan Harold shares how decades in publishing led her back to a role that feels both unexpected—and exactly right. In this inspiring episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, I sit down with Susan Harold—Editor-in-Chief of Where Women Create and What Women Create, and author of the stunning coffee table book The Art of the Studio. With over 30 years in magazine publishing, circulation, and editorial leadership, Susan has spent her career shaping creative storytelling and championing the maker community. In...
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Color, Calling, and Courage: Casey Alvarez on Faith, Creativity, and Building a Life Through Art
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
What if your creativity wasn’t just a talent—but a calling? In this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, Dionne Woods sits down with artist Casey Alvarez, a Missouri-based painter, entrepreneur, and former Christian counselor who has built a thriving creative business rooted in faith, color, and purpose. From painting large European-style armoires on her farm in the Ozarks to shipping her work to 46 states, Casey shares how she transformed her love of creativity into a meaningful and sustainable career. But this conversation goes deeper than art. Casey opens up about: • How her...
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The Courage to Be Seen: ShenShen210 on Graffiti, Faith, and the Power of Vulnerability
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
What if your greatest creative superpower wasn’t talent—but vulnerability? In this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods, Dionne sits down with groundbreaking portrait artist ShenShen210 for a conversation that moves from freight trains and graffiti culture to faith, purpose, and the courage to fully embody who you were created to be. Growing up in the Bay Area of San Francisco, Shen began painting at just 15 years old—eventually becoming known as one of the first female freight train graffiti artists on the West Coast. At a time when the street art world was...
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Grow with Integrity: Why Every Creative Needs a Strategic Guide with Erin Schlarb
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
What happens when calm strategy meets courageous vision? In this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, Dionne Woods sits down with Erin Schlarb, founder of Hemlock Strategy and Design and the strategic guide behind many of Dionne’s most successful launches, websites, and digital expansions. Erin works as more than a website designer — she is a thoughtful partner to creatives, artists, and small business owners who want clarity, integrity, and confidence in their digital presence. Rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions, she serves with intention, helping clients understand what...
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A Creative Life by Design: Motivation, Lists & Letting Go with Michelle Allen
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
In this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, Dionne Woods sits down with Michelle Allen, the artist and creative force behind the globally recognized brand Allen Designs, for a heartfelt conversation about building a creative life by design. From the unexpected way cat clocks changed her life and career, to her love of list-making, bike riding, and creative structure, Michelle shares how motivation evolves over time—and what it really looks like to let go when burnout creeps in. Together, Dionne and Michelle explore the tension between discipline and play, productivity and rest, and how...
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From Dreaming to Doing: Andie Hamilton on Motivation, Color & Becoming an Artist
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
In this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, Dionne Woods sits down with Dallas-based abstract artist and photographer Andie Hamilton, the creative force behind Andie in Color. As a young girl, Andie dreamed of becoming a photographer and fashion designer. Today, she is fully embracing every layer of her creative life—using bold color, expressive abstraction, and intuitive storytelling to shift spaces, spark emotion, and encourage women to be seen. In this honest and motivating conversation, Dionne and Andie talk about the journey from imagining a creative life to actively living one. Andie...
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Painting Identity, Intuition & the Courage to Become with Artist Michele Rogers
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
In this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, Dionne Woods is joined by Saskatchewan-based artist Michele Rogers, whose powerful portrait work honors Indigenous First Nations women and reflects her Métis heritage through stories of strength, memory, and generational resilience. Michele’s paintings give visual voice to grandmothers, granddaughters, and female warriors—women whose lives and legacies shape cultural identity. Her work is deeply intuitive and emotionally layered, rooted in storytelling rather than surface aesthetics. Through her art, Michele explores what it means to remember,...
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Get Messy, Get Free: Mixed Media Artist Jenny Grant on Courageous Creativity
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
In this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, host Dionne Woods sits down with Swedish mixed media artist Jenny Grant, whose imaginative art and creative philosophy celebrate the magic found in the mess. Known for her layered, tactile, and intuitive painting style, Jenny empowers artists around the world to embrace imperfection, trust the process, and rediscover the pure joy of creating. Once a physicist specializing in Optronics, she traded formulas for freedom — turning her lifelong curiosity into a thriving creative career built on courage and play. Through her global Café Flow – The...
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Uncovering the Work We’re Meant to Do with Juliette Crane
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
In this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, host Dionne Woods sits down with Juliette Crane, a full-time artist, author, and founder of The School of Happy Painting. Known for her whimsical abstract portraits, layered mixed-media techniques, and signature owls, Juliette has spent more than 15 years helping artists paint fearlessly and reconnect with joy in their creative process. After losing her job in 2009, Juliette rediscovered her purpose through painting — blending abstract and figurative elements to explore storytelling, emotion, and the beauty of imperfection. Her intuitive art...
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The One-of-a-Kind Creative: How BJ Massa Turns Pressure into Artful Possibility
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
In this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, Dionne Woods sits down with multi-disciplinary artist and Turquoise Iris Journal curator BJ Massa of Junk’d Up — a one-of-a-kind creative whose imagination knows no limits. Known for her surrealist face art, whimsical furniture, and intricate assemblage pieces crafted from vintage finds, BJ has spent a lifetime transforming forgotten objects into storytelling art. But as she reveals, motivation doesn’t always come easily...it’s something she builds. Dionne and BJ unpack the truth about self-motivation, creative discipline, and the...
info_outlineWhat if the path you’re meant for… is the one you return to?
In this episode, Susan Harold shares how decades in publishing led her back to a role that feels both unexpected—and exactly right.
In this inspiring episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, I sit down with Susan Harold—Editor-in-Chief of Where Women Create and What Women Create, and author of the stunning coffee table book The Art of the Studio.
With over 30 years in magazine publishing, circulation, and editorial leadership, Susan has spent her career shaping creative storytelling and championing the maker community. In this conversation, we explore what it looks like to return to a role that feels both unexpected and deeply aligned—and how every chapter of your life prepares you for the one you’re stepping into now.
Together, we talk about:
✨ The full-circle journey back to purpose and leadership
✨ Why true motivation begins from within
✨ How to quiet the noise and listen to your inner voice
✨ The power of storytelling, publishing, and creative platforms for women
✨ Building a meaningful career in the creative industry
Susan also shares the heart behind her book The Art of the Studio, a passion project celebrating the beauty, intention, and inspiration found in creative spaces—and the stories behind the artists who inhabit them.
This episode is for the creative woman who feels a pull toward something more… who is learning to trust her voice, honor her journey, and step fully into what she’s meant to create.
🎧 If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re on the right path—this conversation will remind you that you are.
New in 2025, The Women Create Shop, https://www.womencreateshop.com, a curated marketplace where each collection is a reflection of its maker — inspired by tradition, shaped by imagination, and crafted with care.
Susan Harold: With over three decades in magazine publishing spanning circulation, content creation, and editing, Susan Harold has spent her career at the heart of creative storytelling. As the Editor-in-Chief of Where Women Create and What Women Create, she continues to champion the maker community. Susan is also the author of The Art of the Studio, the premiere coffee table book from Women Create. This debut is a true passion project, uniting her professional expertise with her lifelong appreciation for design, photography, and the intentional beauty of interiors.
Fun Facts: Spending time at the beach is one of my favorite ways to relax. I love books, Pilates, travel, all things fashion, and spending time as a family with my husband and 2 grown sons. I have always been obsessed with magazines. After a brief, four-hour realization that my first post-grad role wasn't the right fit, I pivoted quickly and accepted a Marketing Assistant position at a magazine distributor. This was the true starting point of my career.
Website https://womencreate.com
Facebook Where Women Create
Instagram WHERE & WHAT Women Create (@wherewomencreate) • Instagram profile