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: 50

Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined
Podcast Episodes
357 Lynn Hazan: A Passion for Performance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:46
From the moment you hear Lynn Hazan, 70, speak, one thing is unmistakable: performance isn’t just something she does — it’s the lens through which she experiences the world.Born and raised in Canada, Lynn moves comfortab…
356 Darlene Norman: Belief in Your Own Advocacy Starts with Faith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:46
Long a member of the Apostolic Church of God in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago, Darlene’s faith has been a constant even as she experiences the inevitable ups and downs of life. At 71, Darlene’s serene manner shine…
355 Laurel Baer: Caregiving Offers a Deep Sense of Purpose [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:00
When Laurel married in her late 50s, she never imagined she’d become her husband’s full-time caregiver just five years later. Now, twenty years into that journey, she calls it a blessing: “He is so easy to care for…. I h…
354 Jody Wilhelm: From Rural Recluse to Global Filmmaker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:20
Jody’s life reads like a movie—one she ultimately wrote and directed herself. Growing up in isolation and surviving severe trauma, she moved through poverty, rape, separation from siblings, and profound loss—the deaths o…
353 Sophy Burnam: The Inner Experience of Being Old [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:28
Sophy Burnham has lived many creative lives—and she’s still expanding. Known as a deeply imaginative and award-winning author, Sophy has written 17 books across genres: novels and nonfiction, children’s stories, poetry,…
350 Jan Golden: Jokes About Getting Older are Getting Old [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:56
Jan Golden is a one-woman force when it comes to changing how the media and greeting card agencies represent aging. For 4 years, Age-Friendly Vibes has featured cards, buttons, stickers and prints that reflect pro-aging…