Life Will Be What I Make It | Artist Ann Tudor on Grief, Glass Art & Starting Again at the Torch
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
Release Date: 09/24/2026
Life Will Be What I Make It | Artist Ann Tudor on Grief, Glass Art & Starting Again at the Torch
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
Ann Tudor has been "at the torch" — turning molten glass into beads, jewelry, and even sculptural pieces (including an aquarium made entirely of glass, no water required). But in this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, Dionne and Ann go far beyond the craft. Ann shares her path from a 30-year dental career to full-time lampwork glass artist, her more recent pivot into palette knife painting, and her decades as a knitting instructor — now making stitch markers instead of beads. She also talks candidly about her husband, Mark — and about losing him three years ago. She shares the RV...
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Becoming a Conduit: Creativity, Confidence & Self-Worth with Amy Keever
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
What if some of your most meaningful creative work is still ahead of you? In this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, Dionne Woods sits down with Amy Keever, a professional artist, mosaicist, and sculptor from Northwest Arkansas, for a conversation about creative confidence, reinvention, self-worth, faith, and continuing to become at every stage of life. For more than 26 years, Amy has built a creative life around curiosity, continual learning, and a willingness to push beyond traditional boundaries. Her work combines materials ranging from welded steel and stained glass to Italian smalti,...
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Nothing Has Been Wasted: It’s Never Too Late to Become More | Deborah Andress of The Tattered Artist
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
Nothing Has Been Wasted: It’s Never Too Late to Become More | Deborah Andress What if not a single chapter of your life has been wasted? In Episode 25 of The Motivatarian Exchange, Dionne Woods sits down with Deborah Watson Andress, founder of The Tattered Artist, for an inspiring conversation about creativity, faith, resilience, family, legacy, and continuing to become at every age. Now in her 70s, Deborah has a message she especially wants women over 55 to hear: God has not wasted a single chapter of your story. From her home studio in South Alabama, Deborah creates mixed-media art...
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How to Reinvent Yourself Without Waiting for Perfect | Artist Deb Kraska
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
What if the life you're dreaming about is waiting on the other side of one brave decision? In this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, Dionne Woods sits down with artist, educator, and entrepreneur Deb Kraska for a heartfelt conversation about courage, creativity, reinvention, and learning to trust yourself through life's transitions. For more than 26 years, Deb has inspired students as an eighth-grade computer science teacher. At the same time, she spent nearly a decade building a thriving brick-and-mortar creative business before making the difficult decision to close its doors—not...
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How Creativity Changes Lives: The Possibility Loop with Occupational Therapist Pamela Fox Denzler
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
What if the greatest gift we could offer someone wasn't fixing their challenges—but helping them discover new possibilities? In this inspiring episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, Dionne Woods sits down with occupational therapist, author, speaker, and founder of Pam's Den of Creative Fun, Pamela Fox Denzler, to explore what it truly means to help people of all abilities thrive. Pam has spent more than 40 years supporting adults with developmental disabilities while empowering caregivers, activity professionals, educators, organizations, and families with practical, creative strategies that...
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Trust the Mark | Marlene Steele on Creativity, Courage & Beginning Again
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
What if the masterpiece you're creating—whether it's a painting, a business, or your life—isn't finished yet? In this inspiring episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, I sit down with contemporary mixed-media artist, furniture artist, creative educator, and DIY Paint retailer Marlene Steele as she prepares to close one remarkable chapter and step fully into another. After more than 30 years in the corporate technology world, Marlene is retiring to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a full-time artist. But this conversation isn't simply about leaving a career. It's about learning to trust...
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The Art of Seeing Possibility | Kelly Huskins on Design, Healing & Creative Courage
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
What if your greatest creative gift is seeing what others overlook? In this inspiring episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, I sit down with Kelly Huskins, artist, entrepreneur, YouTube creator, and the creative force behind Whimsykel Designs, a decoupage paper brand known for bold storytelling, expressive color, and imaginative designs that help artists transform ordinary pieces into meaningful works of art. Kelly's creative journey has taken her through stained glass, faux finishing, upholstery, interior decorating, painted furniture, product development, subscription boxes, retail...
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How Creativity Helped Me Begin Again | Lori Morgan on Grief, Reinvention & Building Tom & Chickpea
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
What happens when life changes in an instant? In this heartfelt episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, I sit down with Lori Morgan, founder and creative force behind Tom & Chickpea, a beloved furniture painting and creative studio in Derry, New Hampshire. Lori's story is one of resilience, reinvention, creativity, and community. After the sudden loss of her husband Tom in 2017, Lori found herself navigating unimaginable grief while raising two young children. About a year later, she picked up a paintbrush—and that simple act became the beginning of an entirely new chapter. Today, Lori is...
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Your Life as a Work of Art | Diana von Welanetz Wentworth on Purpose, Grief, Creativity & Living Fully
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
What does it mean to truly live with intention? In this deeply moving episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, I sit down with Diana von Welanetz Wentworth—New York Times bestselling author, speaker, life coach, media personality, former celebrity chef, and co-founder of The Inside Edge, a transformational community that hosted voices like Louise Hay, Ram Dass, Jack Canfield, and Mark Victor Hansen. At 85 years old, Diana radiates wisdom, presence, creativity, and joy in a way that feels both grounding and expansive. She describes herself as someone who is not winding down, but “composing the...
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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...
info_outlineAnn Tudor has been "at the torch" — turning molten glass into beads, jewelry, and even sculptural pieces (including an aquarium made entirely of glass, no water required). But in this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, Dionne and Ann go far beyond the craft.
Ann shares her path from a 30-year dental career to full-time lampwork glass artist, her more recent pivot into palette knife painting, and her decades as a knitting instructor — now making stitch markers instead of beads.
She also talks candidly about her husband, Mark — and about losing him three years ago. She shares the RV trip they'd bought together not long before his passing, and the quote that's carried her through since: "Life will be what I make it, and I can't just stay stuck in my house."
Growing up a tomboy just blocks from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Ann never took a formal art class — she's entirely self-taught, and only recently returned to showing her work publicly. She now paints intuitive portraits of women she simply calls "ladies," each one carrying its own message, and is a longtime advocate for art journaling as a creative practice anyone can start.
In this episode:
- What it means to be "at the torch" — lampwork glass explained
- The baby grand piano she and Mark turned into a bookcase
- Rebuilding a creative life after loss
- From glass beads to stitch markers: 35 years of knitting
- Painting intuitive "ladies" and the messages they carry
- Why art journaling belongs in everyone's creative practice
- Ann's mantra: "What you think about, you bring about"
Connect with Ann Tudor:
Website: anntudor.com
Instagram: @anntudorstudio
Facebook: Ann Tudor Studio
YouTube: The Knitting Tudor
Email: contactme@anntudor.com
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods — conversations that spark courageous expression, curious exploration, and connected growth.
lampwork glass artist, glass beadmaking, stitch markers, knitting instructor, art journaling, intuitive painting, palette knife painting, creative reinvention, grief and creativity, self-taught artist, Indiana artist, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, women creatives podcast