Windowsill Chats

Margo is joined by self-taught artist Tammy Smith. Tammy founded her studio in 2009 after designing gifts, giftwrap and partyware at Hallmark Cards Inc. Her first art teachers being her father and grandmother, Tammy's first business was making large scale stained glass windows in her parents basement. After Hallmark, she began making mixed media wire and clay sculptures that she sold at art fairs around the country and the desire for stability eventually led to the online business she runs today.

In the past, Tammy has also illustrated children's books for Henry Holt, designed wire garden accessories and holiday collections for Studio M and Midwest CBK and licensed her surface pattern designs to Graphique de France and Unique Industries to name a few.

Margo and Tammy discuss:

• Her creative and multi-faceted career
• How she thinks up new concepts and why it's her favorite part of the creative process
• Winning best in show at multiple art fairs
• Having resilience in the art industry
• Running an Etsy shop (Small Ideas Studio)
• Creating authentic connections within the art community
• And more

Connect with Tammy:

https://www.tammysmithdesign.com

https://www.etsy.com/shop/smallideasstudio

Connect with Margo:

www.windowsillchats.com

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by art agency owner and founder, Julie Ager. Julie started her career with twelve years of consulting on consumer product buying behavior with major mass merchandisers, department stores and other manufacturers and retailers throughout the United States, as well as Mexico and South Africa. From there she started the ADG agency in 1997 in partnership with a few close artist friends. Julie knows that developing great products requires more than great art and design; it requires teamwork, collaboration and a comprehensive understanding of today's market which is why she built ADG on the foundation of partnership, creativity, integrity, and longevity.

Margo and Julie discuss:

• Her path from consultant to agency founder

• What she looks for in artists she represents

• What it's like to run a small, sustainable art agency

• Navigating the customer journey as an artist and understanding the different roles required

• Manufacturing relationships

• How to move the consumer along and knowing who you're selling to

• The ecosystem of agent-artist-product manager relationships within her own business

• What a product manager thinks about when trying to create a product that their customers will buy

• And more

Connect with Julie:

https://artsdg.com/

Connect with Margo:

www.windowsillchats.com

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by tastemaker, blogger, and author Ted Kennedy Watson. After a childhood spent in Kansas City Ted moved to the Pacific Northwest, first to college in Portland, Oregon, and later to Seattle where he was instantly enchanted by the dramatic scenery. Once a long time tennis teacher and connoisseur of the game, Ted began his career in the visual arts by representing some of the friends and people he knew who were creating interesting objects. In the early 90s, Ted opened a wholesale showroom selling to retailers all over the country. Neiman Marcus, Barney's, Gump's, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom to name a few.

Visitors have been flocking to Watson Kennedy Fine Living in Seattle's Pike Place Market for 17 years to shop the just-right mix of treasures for the bed, bath, table, and home. The allure continues at its sister store, Watson Kennedy Fine Home, with an even larger selection of furnishings, one-of-a-kind finds, and little luxuries including botanically scented home fragrances and beauty products. From the framed artwork on the walls to the inventive vignettes that fill every corner, both shops are more than simple inventory—they are the expression of a particularly refined point of view, one that has been evolving Watson's entire life.

Margo and Ted discuss:

• How his identity motivated him change career paths

• The influence Seattle has had on him and his business

• The necessity to always be learning and growing within the retail industry

• How he was chosen to be on the creative team for the Bill and Melinda Gates wedding festivities

• Repetition: how he's used it as a tool to gain knowledge on many things

• Being an early adapter to blogging

• His latest book, Ted Kennedy Watson's Guide To Stylish Entertaining

• Having intention behind everything he does and offers

• And so much more

Connect with Ted:

https://www.tedkennedywatson.com/

https://watsonkennedy.com/

https://www.instagram.com/watsonkennedy/

Ted's Curated Spotify Playlists

Margo is joined by the multi-passionate maker and designer, Leah Quinn. Self employed for 20+ years, Leah started as a web designer and event photographer and prior to that worked as a landscape & interior designer for both commercial and residential properties. Now, after moving from New York to slow rural village life in Southern Vermont, she is remodeling an 1865 Victorian Farmhouse with her own designs.

Leah's first memories of surface pattern design fascination came when she was five and she knew at that time she was to be an artist. As her journey continued she eventually discovered Make It in Design courses with Rachael Taylor that would finally allow her to dive into learning all about surface design. When she saw that her creative maker's business was at a challenging stage of scaling and growing, she knew she had to create a life that supported what she could and wanted to do in the future.

Margo and Leah discuss:

• Her winding journey that has included creative outlets such as music, interior design, web design, apothecary products, and more

• How she scaled her apothecary business

• Saying yes to your own interests and listening to your intuition

• Quieting the noise

• How courses changed her business

• Challenges and lessons she learned from scaling

• Her motivators to create every day

• And more

Connect with Leah:

www.LeahQuinn.com

www.Instagram.com/leahquinndesign

www.HeartandSoulApothecary.com

Margo is joined by artist, designer, illustrator, maker, and teacher Kelli May Krenz. For Kelli, creating is like breathing, she simply must do it. She believes in creating every day and has many interests when it comes to doing so. She has a deep love for painting, stitching, graphic design, illustration and everything she can possibly make in her studio and spends her days dreaming up things that make her happy hoping that by sharing, others will fill their happy cup too. Kelli likes to use vintage materials, all things found in nature, and is a huge believer in finding joy in creating with very little - using what she already has.

Margo and Kelli discuss:

• Kelli's creative journey, and the twists within her personal life that shaped her professionally

• Her love for details and type fonts

• Creating more unique art by using what you already have on hand

• Creating online courses and her tips for others interested in teaching

• Her experience in finding and working with a representative

• Creating a stationary line

• An aneurysm, divorce, deceit, and how she stayed hopeful when her life felt like it was unraveling

• The power in showing up for oneself and leaning into your core beliefs

• What it means to live a positive filled life

• And more

Connect with Kelli:

https://www.kellimaykrenz.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kellimaykrenz/

https://www.facebook.com/kelli.maykrenz/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/kellimay

Connect with Margo:

www.windowsillchats.com

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

https://www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by graphic designer and business extraordinaire Erin Cantwell. After working at a branding firm in NYC, Erin quickly discovered she had a knack and passion for the business side of the creative industry and has since then specialized in business operations and client experience, helping to grow and run successful creative agencies. She has served in COO and Director level positions in branding and marketing agencies and today, is a partner at Clearbridge Branding Agency, an award-winning branding agency with multiple locations.

Through her own company, Erin Cantwell Co., and her volunteer work, Erin continues to work with designers, makers, and other creative entrepreneurs as business coach, helping them to start and scale successful and profitable businesses while doing the work they love.

Margo and Erin discuss:

• Her creative path and how she discovered her knack for the business side of things

• How her knowledge of both sides of the business has helped within her career and launching her own business

• Burnout, failure, and how to create a sustainable creative business

• Vision setting, finding clarity, and defining our own meaning of success

• When to niche

• And more!

Connect with Erin:

https://erincantwell.co

http://www.instagram.com/erincantwellco

https://www.tiktok.com/@creativecoo

Business Building for Creatives

Connect with Margo:

www.windowsillchats.com

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

https://www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by art advisor, curator, and gallery owner Liz Lidgett. Liz's passion for art allowed her to see that competent art consulting for private companies and corporations was a need that wasn't being filled. With that in mind, she began her art consultation business, Adore Your Walls, in 2013. Since then, her business has grown and she recognized once again that online and national consulting – the type that exists for furniture and interior design – was completely absent for the world of art and has expanded her services, including a gallery space. With her developed expertise, Adore Your Walls has evolved into her new brand: Liz Lidgett Gallery + Design. Within the rebrand, Liz continues to consult, partner with artists and regularly contribute to design publications across the country. She represents 50 unique artists from around the world—with a commitment to always represent at least 50% women and/or BIPOC artists. Although her gallery is located in Des Moines, Iowa, they have an international reach, shipping 80% of the work they sell, and have sold to clients in 45 states and 7 countries.

It was important for Liz to create a gallery that operated in a way she felt galleries should operate, where artists were paid fairly and quickly, and where an approachable, non-pretentious experience is created for clients. Her mission is "Art For Everyone." Although they represent some very well-known artists like Hunt Slonem, Liz wants people to know that you don't have to be a millionaire to be an art collector. Liz has gained a huge following on social media by showcasing the art in her gallery, the artists, and fun facts about art.

Margo and Liz discuss:

• What led Liz to start her own gallery

• The important of creativity and adorning your walls with art

• How she has changed the landscape of Des Moines and surrounding cities with murals

• Why art collecting can be accessible for anyone, not just millionaires

• How to find your personal style in art and how to find art that fits with the design of your space (size, color palette, spacing with furniture, etc.)

• How she helps clients in being socially conscious with the art pieces — who the artist is, how they create, the reasoning behind a piece of art, etc.

• Her approach to buying and selling art

Connect with Liz:

https://www.lizlidgett.com/

https://www.instagram.com/lizlidgettgallery/

https://www.instagram.com/lizlidgett/

Ten Minute Masterpieces with Liz Lidgett

Connect with Margo:

www.windowsillchats.com

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

https://www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by stay at home mom (of nine children) turned licensed artist, creative author, and educator, Shannon Christensen. After being home with her children most of her early life, Shannon turned to creativity when grief struck which turned into a reinvention of herself and a creative career came along with it. Although her home base is in the U.S.A., she's spent the past four years living abroad in Jordan, Sweden, and currently Montenegro accompanying her husband's career as a contractor. Shannon's creative road trip has taken many twists (a BFA Illustration degree at 42, featured in Western Art Collector magazine spread, her studio as an inspo spot on HGTVs Rate My Space) – and turns (acrylic magazine illustration work to Fine Art oil painting in museums, private collections & juried exhibitions to licensing contemporary watercolorist). Shannon is now embarking to help others reach their creative potential with a Creative Roadmap for others to follow.

Margo and Shannon discuss:

• Her creative path and a long standing desire to be able to support her family outside of motherhood

• Grief, loss and finding joy again

• Why vulnerability is necessary when it comes to healing

• The feeling of home and how she finds it while living abroad

• The 8 Creative Power Habits

• Building confidence in your creations and changing your neural pathways

• Her approaches to finding fitting opportunities

• Outsourcing tasks and skills you're not confident or comfortable in

• Her Build Your Body of Work Membership

• And more!

Connect with Shannon:

https://www.shannonsstudio.com

Creative Roadtrip Passport

Jumpstart Your Creative Engine Book

http://www.shannonsportfolio.com

Build Your Body of Work Membership

Connect with Margo:

Join the In the Windowsill Patreon Channel

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.tantaustudio.com

Margo is joined by cultural leader, oral historian and documentarian Mi'Jan Celie Tho-Biaz, Ed.D. who shares narratives of personal transformation and community change.To say this historian's own history is distinguished is an understatement: Mi'Jan curated and hosted Unfinished Network's first 2022 public salon on the theme of multiracial democracy, with CNN's Van Jones and MSNBC's Maria Teresa Kumar. She also designed and led the Gloria Steinem Initiative's public policy digital storytelling pilot at Smith College, and served as a New Mexico Humanities Council Scholar. Mi'Jan has held Visiting Scholar appointments at Columbia University and New York University and served as faculty in the Cultural Leadership program at The Banff Centre in Canada. Currently Mi'Jan serves as faculty with Omega Institute, co-host for the National Art Education Association's podcast, as well as principal oral historian and public art curator for Policy Link's California BIPOC Liberation Stories Project. She works with communities across the themes of sovereignty, transformation, liberation, healing and love.

Margo and Mi'Jan discuss:

• What it means to be an oral historian

• What her work and creative practice looks like

• California BIPOC liberation stories

• How she designs her year

• Out of body experiences she would have during keynote storytelling

• The art of slowing down and why it became critical to her practice

• The intersectionality of creative and spiritual practices

Mi'Jan is best known for connecting with audiences through her visionary, story-rich talks at a range of institutions, from Carnegie Hall to the Institute of American Indian Arts to SXSW. Her goal? To make the historical contemporary and personal, while surfacing the marginalized stories that need to be heard.

Connect with Mi'Jan:

www.mijancelie.comakers/mijan-celie-tho-biaz/

Mi'jan's Monthly Newsletter

Bimonthly Professional Development Interview Series:

National Art Education Association's Connected Arts Networks 8-part podcast series:

www.freshspeakers.com/spe

https://www.eomega.org/people/mijan-celie-tho-biaz

Margo is joined by Kim Smith - a Lancaster County native born with the love of art in her soul. Kim earned her BFA in Communication Design from Kutztown University and has owned TCG Design, a marketing and design firm for more than 30 years. Even though she is in a creative business, something was always missing. After the last of her three children became more independent, she felt drawn to pursue her love of painting. Now she commits to a daily practice of painting before the sun rises. Over the past several years, Kim has grown her art practice to participating in outdoor art shows, having her work represented by several galleries and also teaching workshops, online, at home and abroad.

Margo and Kim discuss:

• Her creative path and why she began to paint

• How her painting led to sharing her work, becoming represented, and now teaching

• How she got past the preciousness

• Why being creative means making ugly things sometimes

• How to know when it's time to lean in versus wait on a project or passion

• The many parallels of art and life

• Finding harmony between running a business, creative pursuits, and family life

• How she fuses intention and intuition into her art

• Her 6-week course, Art in Bloom as well as her monthly membership and workshops

• And more!

Connect with Kim:

https://www.kimmyerssmith.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kimmyerssmith/

https://www.facebook.com/kimsmithfineart

https://www.youtube.com/c/KimSmithar

Art in Bloom: a six-week online floral oil painting course

Inspiring Art Collective: a monthly membership and creative space curated to nurture creativity and confidence

Oil painting workshop