Windowsill Chats

Margo is joined by artist, watercolorist, and educator Catherine Jennifer for a conversation about the power of play, the freedom of imperfection, and making space for creativity in everyday life. Originally from South Africa and now based in the UK, Catherine has built a creative life around painting, teaching, and helping others rediscover the joy of making art.

Margo and Catherine explore the barriers that keep us from creating, how personal loss can reshape our perspective, and why even 20 minutes of creative time can make a difference. Catherine also shares the magic of her in-person Art Club, her playful approach to teaching, and the inspiration behind her new Watercolor Joy app. It's a refreshing reminder that creativity doesn't have to be perfect or productive to be worthwhile. Sometimes, the joy is simply in showing up and seeing what happens.

In This Episode, You'll Hear About:

• Making Time for Creativity: How Catherine balances painting, teaching, and raising four boys, and why even 20 minutes a day matters.
• Embracing Play & Imperfection: Why letting go of expectations and welcoming the wild, wonky, and unexpected can lead to more joyful art-making.
• Finding Joy Through Life's Challenges: How profound personal loss changed Catherine's perspective on creativity, time, and living intentionally.
• Overcoming Creative Resistance: How to quiet the inner critic, release limiting beliefs, and rediscover the freedom to create.
• The Magic of Creative Community: How Catherine's in-person Art Club brings people together through experimentation, friendship, and shared creativity.
• Teaching with Playfulness: Catherine's unconventional approach to teaching on Skillshare and helping students build creative confidence.
• Making Watercolor More Accessible: The inspiration behind her new Watercolor Joy app and its personalized approach to learning.
• Letting the Process Lead: How shifting from what to paint to how to paint has transformed Catherine's own artistic practice.

Connect with Catherine Jennifer

• Website & Original Artwork
• Watercolor Joy App
• Skillshare Classes
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Facebook

Mentioned in This Episode

• Carolyn Gavin — Website | Windowsill Chats Episode (March 2021)
• Gabriella Buckingham — Website | Courses | Windowsill Chats January 2023 Archive
• Manchester Art Fair — Website
• Janet Pulcho — Website
• Lilla Rogers / Make Art That Sells — Website
• Helen Dardik — Website

Longtime friend of Windowsill Chats and beloved artist, author, and creative entrepreneur Lisa Congdon is back for another heartfelt conversation. This time, Lisa is sharing a major shift in her creative career: the decision to step away from her thriving retail business and make more room for the thing that started it all—making art.

Margo and Lisa explore what it means to let go of something successful when it no longer aligns with the life you want to live. From the emotional weight of closing a chapter and saying goodbye to a team, to questioning the idea that bigger is always better, Lisa offers an real look at the courage it takes to redefine success on your own terms.

They also dive into the joy of returning to daily creative practice, finding inspiration in painting and collage, and embracing new possibilities. Plus, Lisa shares what's on the horizon, including Made to Matter, a new course with Emily McDowell for product-based creatives, and her upcoming book with Bridget Watson Payne, The Art of Finishing Things.

Margo and Lisa discuss:

• The bittersweet process of stepping away from a successful creative business
• Why growth doesn't always equal fulfillment
• Giving yourself permission to pivot, even when things look great on paper
• Reconnecting with the joy of making art through daily practice
• Creating a business and life that support your well-being
• What's next for Lisa, from new artwork and exhibitions to courses and books

Previous Episodes with Lisa:

• Episode 100 – July 20, 2022

• Episode 186 – What It Really Means to Have Creative Freedom

• Episode 241 – January 29, 2025

• Lisa's 2021 Gravel Racing Episode

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Jaunt – Artist Residency

• Egg Press

• Cargo Emporium

Connect with Lisa:

• Website: lisacongdon.com

• Instagram: @lisacongdon

• Shop: Lisa Congdon Shop

• Made to Matter Course: Greater Goods Alliance

Margo is joined by Jennifer Smelker, the engineer-turned-artist, product designer, and founder of Tandem For Two. Since 2013, Jen has been creating colorful, travel-inspired artwork and gifts that celebrate the places we love and the moments that make life special. But her creative journey has been anything but linear.

From environmental engineering and graphic design to manufacturing, wholesale, and art licensing, Jen shares the twists, turns, and lessons that have shaped her evolving career. She and Margo explore what it means to embrace your identity as an artist, let go of perfectionism, and find the courage to try something new, even when you don't know exactly where it will lead.

They also dig into the realities of running a creative business, from scaling production and navigating industry changes to pitching artwork, building relationships, and discovering the power of community. Jen shares how a painting retreat in Portugal helped transform her creative practice, why she believes in sharing knowledge rather than gatekeeping it, and how curiosity continues to fuel her next chapter.

In this episode, we explore:

• Finding your creative identity and overcoming perfectionism and imposter syndrome
• The unexpected path from engineering to art and entrepreneurship
• How community, mentorship, and creative challenges can spark meaningful growth
• The behind-the-scenes realities of manufacturing, wholesale, and art licensing
• Why persistence, thoughtful product presentations, and relationships matter when pitching your work
• Embracing new technology, lifelong learning, and the freedom to reinvent yourself
• Giving yourself permission to experiment, make imperfect art, and follow your curiosity

Mentioned in this episode:

• Faire Wholesale Marketplace: faire.com
• Adobe MAX (Miami, November): max.adobe.com
• Atlanta Market: americasmart.com
• The 100-day painting project: the100dayproject.org

Connect with Jennifer:

Website: https://tandemfortwo.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/tandemfortwo

Facebook: https://facebook.com/tandemfortwo

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tandemfortwo

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jensmelks

Abby is back on the Windowsill for another round of Creative Current Events! This week, she and Margo are diving into the latest headlines making waves in art, design, branding, and retail—and, as always, there's plenty to unpack.

From collectible handbags blurring the line between fashion and art to luxury brands rolling out the red carpet for our four-legged friends, the creative world is full of surprises. They explore Polaroid's cheeky campaign encouraging us to put down our screens, the return of Bed Bath & Beyond in an unexpected form, and why Hermès is doubling down on hand-drawn illustration in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Margo and Abby discuss:

• The intersection of art, fashion, and collectible handbags
• Polaroid's clever push for analog experiences in a digitally saturated world
• Why luxury brands are increasingly catering to dogs (and their devoted humans!)
• Kirkland's transformation into Bed Bath & Beyond Seasonal Living and what it says about retail reinvention
• Hermès' embrace of hand-drawn illustration and the growing value of human creativity in the age of AI
• The bigger cultural shifts shaping what we buy, how we create, and what we value

Articles:

• Polaroid's Analog Summer Campaign Pushes Against Digital Overload — PetaPixel
• Dogs Became Luxury's Fastest Growing Customer — Art of the Brand
• Kirkland's Stores to Become Bed Bath & Beyond Seasonal Living — NBC Chicago
• Hermès Goes All-In on Illustration in the Age of AI — Highsnobiety

This week on Windowsill Chats, Margo is joined by novelist Jane Ward, author of four books, including her latest, Should Have Told You Sooner. With a lifelong love of storytelling, cooking, baking, and art, Jane has built a creative life rooted in curiosity, observation, and finding inspiration in unexpected places.

Jane began writing her first novel, Hunger, nearly thirty years ago while living in Iceland with her Navy husband, finding space for storytelling during the long, dark winters. Since then, she's continued exploring the complexities of human relationships through fiction, often weaving together themes of family secrets, forgiveness, regret, and the things we leave unsaid. Her latest novel was inspired by something as simple as a lawn sign spotted during an early morning dog walk.

Margo and Jane discuss:

• The meaning behind the question on Jane's website, "What's done is done. Or is it?" and why the past has a way of resurfacing

• Writing about family secrets, forgiveness, and the complicated relationships that make us human

• How Jane develops fictional characters who begin to feel like real people

• Finding inspiration in unexpected places, including the lawn sign that sparked her latest novel

• The creative freedom found in bread baking, photography, travel, and other everyday pursuits

• Her upcoming sequel and its exploration of motherhood in all its complicated forms

• The importance of making space for creativity outside of your primary artistic practice

• Jane's plans for a Gothic novel set in Switzerland, inspired by her childhood love of Daphne du Maurier

Connect with Jane Ward:

• Website: janeaward.com

• Instagram: @authorjaneward

• Threads: @authorjaneward

• Facebook: @janealessandriniward

What does it look like to build a creative career that keeps evolving, without losing the curiosity that got you started?

This week, Margo is joined by illustrator, designer, cartographer, educator, and all-around creative powerhouse Tania Willis. With a career spanning editorial illustration, advertising, pictorial maps, heritage interpretation, products, licensing, and education, Tania has spent decades finding new ways to make a living from her creativity. She's also the co-founder of The Good Ship Illustration, where she helps illustrators navigate the business side of a creative career.

Tania and Margo talk about the power of creative community, adapting as the industry changes, and why even established artists sometimes need to reinvent their work. They also explore the value of diversifying your income, following your genuine interests instead of trends, and creating supportive spaces where artists can learn without fear or shame.

Margo and Tania discuss:

• Why collaboration and community can accelerate creative growth
• Adapting your business as social media and the illustration industry change
• Teaching, mentoring, and sharing what you've learned along the way
• Reinventing your style when your work starts to feel too predictable
• Following curiosity instead of what you think you "should" be making
• Building a resilient career through freelance work, teaching, products, and licensing
• Why relationships and unexpected opportunities often shape a creative career
• The enduring value of handmade, imperfect, distinctly human work
• Creating safe, encouraging spaces for artists to experiment and learn
• Why sometimes you just have to fly your freak flag

Connect with Tania: www.taniawillis.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/tania.willis The Good Ship Illustration: www.thegoodshipillustration.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegoodshipillustration

This week, we're revisiting a favorite conversation from the Windowsill Chats archives with artist and surface designer Abby Jacobs.

As far back as she can remember, making art has been Abby's favorite thing to do—and some of the happiest times in her life have been when she's had a consistent creative routine. Her belief in art-making as a way of life led her to pursue a master's degree in transpersonal counseling and art therapy from Naropa University in Boulder after studying art and psychology/human services as an undergraduate.

Whenever something doesn't feel quite right in her life, Abby asks herself, "Am I making artwork daily?" If the answer is no, she usually knows where to start.

Margo and Abby discuss:

• Why pattern clashing isn't necessarily a bad thing

• Abby's art therapy background and how it influences her creative practice

• The importance of working with clients who feel aligned

• Having a creative outlet beyond paid work

• Navigating client expectations and people-pleasing

• Creating work that feels authentic to you

• What Abby learned from completing a 100-day project

• And much more!

Connect with Abby:

www.abbyjacdesigns.com Instagram: @abbyjacdesigns

Margo is joined by hand-drawn book cover illustrator Nosheen Ahmed for a conversation nearly a decade in the making. Margo first met Nosheen about nine years ago through portfolio reviews, when Nosheen was working as a dentist, raising her children, making art, and trying to find where she fit creatively. After more than 20 years in dentistry, Nosheen has built a career in illustration—bringing together her love of drawing, books, storytelling, and human connection. She and Margo talk about creative reinvention, letting go of the feeling that you're "behind," and realizing that none of the experiences along the way are wasted. They also explore the pressure to find a signature style, how motherhood and dentistry shaped Nosheen as an artist, and why work made by human hands matters in an increasingly AI-driven world.

Margo and Nosheen discuss:

• Reinventing yourself creatively later in life

• Why your past experiences aren't wasted

• Finding your voice without forcing a signature style

• Creativity as a way of living, not just a career

• The importance of empathy and human connection in art

• Why hand-drawn work still matters in an AI-driven world

Connect with Nosheen: Website: nosheendesigns.co.uk Instagram + LinkedIn: @nosheendesigns

Work 1:1 with Margo: Looking for personalized support in your creative practice or business? Sign up for 1:1 coaching with Margo for focused guidance, clarity, and support tailored to where you are and where you want to go next. https://margotantau.com/coaching-with-margo

Margo is joined by Melissa Moore and Michele Matrisciani, co-authors of Killer in the Family: The Hidden Costs of Loving Someone the World Hates.

Melissa grew up in Spokane, Washington, and was sixteen when she learned that her father, Keith Jesperson, had been arrested for murder. He was later convicted as the Happy Face Killer. Melissa went on to become a New York Times bestselling author with her memoir Shattered Silence, a domestic abuse prevention advocate, and an Emmy-nominated investigative correspondent for Crime Watch Daily. She hosts the true crime podcast Life After Happy Face and is the real-life inspiration behind the Paramount+ drama series Happy Face, starring Annaleigh Ashford.

Michele is a New York Times bestselling coauthor, a Pushcart Prize nominee, and an editor with more than twenty years in publishing, with an MFA from Stony Brook University. She spent fifteen years as an acquisitions and developmental editor at houses including Macmillan, Hyperion, and McGraw-Hill Trade before founding Bookchic LLC, and her collaborations span Hachette, Penguin, Hay House, and HarperCollins, most recently including Gypsy-Rose Blanchard's memoir My Time to Stand. She has collaborated with Melissa across four books.

For Killer in the Family, Melissa and Michele spent six years with nine families who share something nobody chooses: someone they loved was responsible for something horrific. The book moves the focus away from the crimes themselves and onto the parents, children, siblings, and spouses left to carry the aftermath.

Margo, Melissa, and Michele discuss:

• What it was like for Melissa's story to become public, and the years of shame that came before that
• Why so many people reached out to Melissa afterward with the same message: I'm just like you
• How they chose which families and relationships belonged in the book
• How Michele earned enough trust with nine families to get material this personal
• What Michele could see as an outsider that Melissa, so close to her own story, couldn't always see herself
• How they handled it when two people's memories of the same moment didn't line up
• The responsibility of sending a finished chapter back to the person who lived it
• How families hold love and horror about the same person at the same time
• The role media coverage plays in a family's grief and isolation
• Knowing when it's time to stop telling your story

Killer in the Family is available now in print, ebook, and audiobook wherever books are sold.

Connect with Melissa and Michele:

• https://michelem.net/
• melissa.g.moore on TikTok
• Melissa G. Moore (@melissag.moore)

Margo is joined by Dan Scott, co-founder and CEO of Spotlight Advisory Group, musician, lawyer, and longtime advisor to creatives. After decades spent both making art and advising some of the world's wealthiest individuals, Dan came to a powerful realization: having enormous wealth and experiencing financial freedom are not the same thing.

Today, Dan helps artists, musicians, actors, entrepreneurs, and other creatives use money as a tool to support their purpose rather than a scoreboard for measuring success. His forthcoming book, The Experience of Financial Freedom, explores what it looks like to build a life around creativity, fulfillment, and a deeply personal definition of "enough."

Margo and Dan discuss:

• Why purpose (not money) is the starting point for designing a fulfilling creative life
• What working with the ultra-wealthy taught Dan about the difference between wealth and true financial freedom
• Defining what "enough" looks like instead of constantly moving the goalposts
• Why budgeting can actually be a tool for greater creative freedom
• The tension between making meaningful art and navigating industries built to monetize it
• Letting go of society's default definitions of success, status, and achievement
• Becoming the architect of your own experience through intentional choices
• Thinking about legacy as something you create through the way you live—not just what you leave behind

Connect with Dan:

https://www.theexperienceoffinancialfreedom.com/ https://www.spotlightadvisorygroup.com/ https://www.spotlightadvisorygroup.com/blog