358 Denise Poncher: Art as Compass: Following the Pull of Creative Expression

358 Denise Poncher: Art as Compass: Following the Pull of Creative Expression

Author: Gail Zelitzky and Catherine Marienau December 10, 2025 Duration: 29:56

Denise Poncher, 73, has spent her life noticing experiences that call her to create. A multidisciplinary artist—-creative writer, documentary photographer, custom art framer, collagist, fiber explorer—-she treats each medium as a path toward deeper understanding. Legacy writing now invites her to weave together difficult losses of significant people with joyful threads of being a nurturing grandmother. Once a painfully shy child, Denise found courage and confidence through her art, ultimately bringing hidden stories such as domestic violence into public view during her MFA graduate work. Outside the corridors of art, she served in public service roles from Department of Justice inspector to equestrian instructor. Today, Denise continues to seek new forms of creative expression—-guided by the belief that personal truth has the power to resonate far beyond the self.

"The deeper I go into my own experience, the more universal my message becomes." - Denise Poncher

Connect with Denise:

Email: drponcher@gmail.com

Fine art photography by Studio 626 in Oak Park, IL - Alignable

Thanks to our Sponsor—Women’s Connection

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, Women’s Connection is a member-driven nonprofit organization for vibrant, accomplished women who are 50 years old and beyond. In chapters around the country, including a virtual Coast-to-Coast (C2C) chapter, women connect to enjoy shared interests and empower each other to thrive. https://womenconnecting.org

Recognizing the AGE-WISE COLLECTIVE

Women Over 70 is a proud member of the Age-Wise Collective, comprised of women-led podcasts that feature stories from women 50+ and topics that promote the pro-aging movement.

Meet: Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, host of Wisdom at Work: Older Women, Elderwomen, and Grandmothers on the Move! Profiles of disrupters and influencers who kick stereotypes to the curb. http://www.wisdomatworkpodcast.com


Hosted by Gail Zelitzky and Catherine Marienau, Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined turns the page on a well-worn cultural script. This is not a series about decline, but a collection of dialogues focused squarely on expansion. You’ll hear from women who are starting businesses, deepening their creative practices, forging new relationships, and confronting societal expectations with a refreshing blend of honesty and humor. These conversations, rooted in personal journals and lived expertise, delve into the practical and the profound-from the science of longevity to the personal journeys of resilience that define this chapter. The podcast moves beyond inspiration to offer tangible insight, framing the later decades as a time of active reinvention. Tune in for stories that replace stereotypes with specificity, and discover a community redefining what it means to grow older with purpose and curiosity.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined
Podcast Episodes
383 Jill G Hall: Shaped by her Past: Creativity Unleashed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:50
Author and artist Jill G. Hall, 71, joins us with her luminous new novel On a Sundown Sea, inspired by the mysteries surrounding the visionary woman who built Lomaland—a utopian community near the home Jill grew up in. F…
382 Sandra Sokol: Championing social justice through social service [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:34
For more than six decades, Sandra Sokol has devoted her life to building stronger, more equitable communities. Although she once imagined a career teaching in schools serving children of color her path evolved into groun…
381 Joan Greene: A Lifelong Advocate for Aging and Mental Health [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:16
Joan Greene, 84, trained to be a teacher but found her true calling as a social worker and innovative advocate for older adults. In New York State, she helped create programs from the ground up—from nutrition services an…
380 Mindy Greiling: Schizophrenia: Three Moms in the Trenches [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:47
This episode, first released in 2021, is a reminder that Mental Health Awareness Month requires all of us to tell our stories. We checked back in with Mindy and learned that, even though she is now retired, she continues…
379 Ilene Dillon: Mental Health Awareness Month [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:11
In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re revisiting a powerful earlier conversation with Ilene Dillon (Episode #148). A pioneering voice in emotional well-being, Ilene is an Emotional Realignment Master Tea…
377 Elise Magers: From Interiors to Inner Life: A Creative Evolution [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:41
Elise’s career didn’t follow a straight line—and that’s exactly what makes it so compelling. She began as a contract interior designer in Minneapolis before moving to Chicago in 1981, where a friend’s suggestion led her…
374 Phyllis Mitzen: A Lifetime of Leadership in Aging [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:21
At 84, Phyllis Mitzen is still reshaping how communities care for older adults — with curiosity, courage and a fierce commitment to action.Phyllis spent 24 years at CJE Senior Life (formerly Council on Jewish Elderly) an…