Ep 176 From Soil to Stitch with Fiber Artist Susan Taylor Brown
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
Release Date: 10/17/2024
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...
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From Rural Roots to Soulful Healing: The Silver Bohemian Journey of Porsha Chalmers
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
In this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, I’m joined by Porsha Chalmers - the artist, healer, and visionary behind The Silver Bohemian. Porsha’s story begins in a small rural town in Georgia, where she grew up as the oldest of four, daughter to farmers, and learned to create anything with her hands from a young age. After high school, she enlisted in the Marine Corps and served six years, a season that strengthened her courage and shaped the resilience she carries into every part of her life. It was there she met her husband, began building a family, and set the foundation for her...
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Canadian Artist Julia Veenstra on Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and the Square Foot Show
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
In this episode of The Motivatarian Exchange, I’m joined by Canadian artist and entrepreneur Julia Veenstra — a woman whose life and work are as vibrant as her canvases. Julia shares her journey from being a child whose natural artistic ability was quickly recognized, to becoming a mother of five, and an entrepreneur whose creative vision has opened doors for thousands of artists worldwide. We talk about her early influences, her fearless use of color, and the way her entrepreneurial spirit led to the creation of The Square Foot Show, a global movement connecting artists and collectors....
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How to Build Confidence and Joy Through Art: A Motivatarian Exchange with Royce Hunt
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
In this heartfelt conversation, I sit down with Royce Hunt—creative educator, artist, and founder of Roycycled—to talk about the courage, curiosity, community, and growth that fuel her mission to help women live more art-filled lives. Royce opens up about her family history, the pivotal moments that shaped her as an artist, and the ways she keeps showing up for her creativity—even in seasons when motivation feels far away. With tears, laughter, and an unwavering belief in the healing power of art, she shares how she guides women in their third act of life to create meaningful work that...
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Soul & Strategy: Building a Spirit-Led Business with Hayley Hunter Hines
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
Hear how Hayley Hunter Hines, spiritual advisor and creator of the Shine Experience, bridges the gap between soul work and business mastery. With over 25 years in corporate wellness and a divine calling guiding her path, she now empowers visionary leaders to build soul‑centered businesses and transformative retreats. From her Sacred Shakti Method™ certification to the Golden Goddess Equinox Experience in Crete, Hayley shares how intuition, heart‑centered strategy, and luxury spiritual travel create soul‑sparkling change. "When you see that you can do anything and anything is possible,...
info_outlineSusan Taylor Brown is a fiber artist who creates highly textural art to be experienced not just with the eyes, but with the hands. Nestled in the Santa Cruz mountains of California, she draws deep inspiration from the natural world, translating the untamed beauty of her surroundings into her signature Wildscapes—miniature, tactile landscapes that make you want to shrink down and walk barefoot across the fields and hills.
Susan’s work is all about texture. She begins each Wildscape with hundreds of French knots, using hand-dyed wool yarn and other fibers to create pieces you can’t help but want to touch. For her, it's not just about how the art looks but how it feels. Each piece offers a moment of calm, inviting people to pause and reconnect with nature in a way that feels grounding and peaceful, reflecting Susan's belief in the healing power of the natural world.
As a self-taught artist, Susan is driven by intuition, experimentation, and play, letting each piece evolve naturally, much like the landscapes she seeks to honor. She hopes to inspire others to embrace their creativity and find peace in the interconnectedness of nature. For Susan, creativity is all about following your instincts and finding joy in the process.
Website https://susantaylorbrown.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/susantaylorbrown
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/susantaylorbrown/
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/susantaylorbrown