From Rural Roots to Soulful Healing: The Silver Bohemian Journey of Porsha Chalmers
The Motivatarian Exchange with Dionne Woods
Release Date: 10/02/2025
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...
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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...
info_outlineIn 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 journey of service and creativity.
Her life has been a tapestry of joy, loss, and renewal, raising her son Matthew (her proudest accomplishment), caregiving for Brian through his battle with ALS, and finding love again with her husband Jim. These experiences now fuel her work as an artist and healer, where she blends sound therapy, restorative yoga, and creative expression to guide others toward wholeness.
Today, Porsha is stepping fully into her calling as a guide and leader:
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Curator for The Turquoise Iris Journal
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International best-selling co-author
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Marine Corps Veteran
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Creator of soulful workshops, retreats, and art experiences
In this conversation, Porsha opens up about:
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The resilience she carried from farm life and military service into her creative journey
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The healing practices and symbols — dragonflies, ginkgo leaves, and feathers — that anchor her work
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Why memory, presence, and everyday beauty are central to her art and her life
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Her upcoming retreat, Soul Map: The Art of Release (October 23–26, 2025 at The Little Golden Fox in Madison, IN)
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Her upcoming book, Tattered and Mended: Soulful Stories of Life, Love, and Legacy (launching November 11, 2025)
Fun facts about Porsha: she’s happiest barefoot by a riverbank, creating in her studio, or grounding outdoors. She once worked as a published photographer covering stock cars and NHRA drag racing (and even got three tickets in one weekend for drag racing a Volkswagen!). She loves transforming unexpected objects like old quilts, spoons, and leather belts into wearable art and memory pieces. And always...music is the soundtrack of her life.
Through her art, her healing practices, and her leadership, Porsha helps others honor memory, presence, and transformation. Her story is proof that beauty and meaning can be created even from life’s hardest seasons.
Connect with Porsha Chalmers:
🌐 Website: The Silver Bohemian
📸 Instagram: @thesilverbohemian
📘 Facebook: The Silver Bohemian