About Judy Stewart

Unpaused is a living archive of stories about exceptional women who reimagined their lives and careers through the transformative act of making—by hand.

After taking time off from her career as a barrister to raise four sons, Judy Stewart found renewed purpose not in returning to law, but in carving a new path—ultimately leading Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Her reinvention was not only bold, but deeply intentional: the kind of role she sought wasn’t going to find her—she would have to craft it herself.

Through her own journey and the stories of other women, Judy recognised a pattern: many found fulfilment by reconnecting with something tactile, meaningful, and self-directed. Whether through textiles, ceramics, gardens, or objects, their hands became instruments of transformation.

With six seasons of Unpaused the Podcast now available, Unpaused is a repository of voices, practices, and ideas that prove a career—and a life—can always be reimagined through the power of craft, creativity, and courage.