Windowsill Chats

Margo chats with Deborah Stein who lives, paints and writes in NYC and the Embudo Valley in New Mexico. Deborah is a fine artist who teaches visual narrative workshops, runs (usually) twice a year artist residencies and is one of the proud hosts of folktale week along with illustrator-friends she admires. She ran her first creative live retreat at the lovely Highlights Foundation in rural PA this past Spring and is working on book projects (and possibilities for projects) and getting ready to show her work in August at The LDBA Studio in Santa Fe who she also designed a watercolor palette for called "Imagined Landscapes".

Margo and Deborah discuss:

• Following your own skills and ideas
• The power of art, music, and storytelling
• Having your work copied and how to come out on top
• How she encourages people to be themselves and follow their passions
• Ways to spark your own curiosity
• Experiencing sorrow and grief and how it in a way inspires her
• StoryCamp Disco: what it is and how she came up with it

When she's not drawing, painting, writing or leading workshops and live art classes for kids and adults on and off-line, she can be found writing down her thoughts, looking closely at the complexities of nature and/or imagining the curious interplay between talking animals and observant children, looking at art, hiding in bookshops, poking in gardens and in apricot trees, walking down to rivers, hiking up hills and through museums, and watching not-scary movies and well-made documentaries, and being with folks and animals she loves. She is working on writing and making art and books that express new ways of seeing the world and our roles in it and loves projects that challenge her imagination and skills!

Connect with Deborah:

www.deborahjstein.com

www.Instagram.com/Deborah.j.Stein/

www.instagram.com/storycamp_disco

Storycamp Disco Fall 2022

Art + Workshop Shop

Sign up for August Windowsill Workshops - Pie Making Class with Tom Conway

This week it's all about being intentional and finding true fulfillment with Tom Conway. Margo sits down in person with Tom in his 1888 farmhouse located on Vashon Island, the same one where he pens a blog called Tall Clover Farm. Tom shares projects, island life, farm duties, and the joy of growing fruit, flowers, and good food. He embraces the beauty of the bulldog, succumbs to the power of pie, worships the peach, contends summer is never long enough, and has never met a hammock he didn't like. His home and property are his canvas where he paints with words and photography to share putting in a good day and keeping life neighborly.

Margo and Tom discuss:

• Life before moving to Vashon Island and his experience living in just about every neighborhood in Seattle prior
• The character and stories behind his 1888 farmhouse and how he's gone about renovating it
• All things baking pies and why it's actually more simple than you'd think
• Growing flowers for floral trade and wedding events
• The power of a blog and why he chose that particular medium for sharing
• The importance of of having systems and structure in place before the 'pretty stuff'
• Being able to learn along the way and allowing yourself to try new things
• Being intentional with your involvement in just about anything
• Standing for your own values while also being able to listen and hear someone else
• How to find true fulfillment in life

Mentioned in this episode:

Tom's favorite roses: Compassion, Eddie's Jewel, Nootka Rose, Alchymist

Christianson's Nursery

My Father's Glory (movie)

My Mother's Castle (movie)

Connect with Tom:

www.tallcloverfarm.com

www.instagram.com/tall.clover.farm

Inspired by simple gestures, purposeful forms and honest craftsmanship, today's guest, Jennifer Livingston's phone storage is usually maxed out with beauty in the market and in her life. She has equal photos of her family as she does of a great ad campaign, ceramic glaze, or nature's seasonal colorway. She is intrigued with the process of design and the story behind each item. Jennifer got an early start in product design the summer when she was 13. "My mom introduced me to sewing. She showed me how to thread the machine and load the bobbin, and let me have free range." Jennifer made a pair of shorts every day that summer out of fabric scraps and old clothes lines. From there her creative curiosity was born.

Margo and Jennifer discuss:

• Allowing yourself and others to make mistakes and then being able to learn from them
• Networking and why it's important (even if you're an introverted creative)
• How her curiosity helps her engage with artists and collaborate with manufacturers
• Permission to fail (or grow, adapt, and be vulnerable)
• Having a representative for your work
• Right vs. left brain operations
• How she fills her cup and manages to not lose sight of herself despite challenges and busy schedules

Being a mom of three active kids has helped Jennifer develop strong organization skills and she is a better project manager because of it. She has successfully led product design teams, linking with procurement, logistics and international along the way.

Connect with Jennifer:

jenniferlivingstoncreative.com

www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferelivingston

https://www.instagram.com/jlivin2/

Margo catches up with good friend and internationally known illustrator Lisa Congdon for episode 100! That's right, there are now 100 episodes of Windowsill Chats. Lisa and Margo chat about consistency, coaching, podcasting, experimenting in business, and a whole lot more.

Lisa is self-taught and didn't achieve momentum in her career until she was nearly 40 years old. Despite her untraditional path, she has achieved recognition, not just as an artist, but as a leader in the industry for her work in social justice, knowledge sharing, mentoring and teaching. In March of 2021, she was named "One of the 50 Most Inspiring People and Companies According to Industry Creatives" published by AdWeek. She lives and works in Portland, Oregon.

Margo and Lisa discuss:

• Coaching people from different backgrounds
• Stepping back from what typically brings the most revenue in her business
• Lisa's new group coaching program, The Knack School
• Creative thinking, creative action, and monetizing your offerings
• Collaboration over competition
• Why group coaching can be so powerful
• Taking breaks and disconnecting from your work (yes, it's necessary and healthy!)

Connect with Lisa:

The Knack School & Coaching Program for Visual Artists

Follow @theknackschool on Instagram

Other classes with Lisa

https://lisacongdon.com/

https://www.instagram.com/lisacongdon/

Margo is joined by Lisa Solomon. A teacher by trade, it took Lisa years to call herself an artist first. As a half Japanese, half Jewish [Eastern European] Caucasian woman, hybridization is literally a part of her DNA and shows itself often in her practice. Lisa's mixed media works revolve thematically around discovering her heritage, the notion of domesticity, craft, feminism, and the pursuit of art as science/research. She is frankly obsessed with color/color theory and is drawn to found objects, tending to alter them conceptually so that their meanings and original uses or intents are re-purposed. She often fuses "wrong" things together – recontextualizing their original purposes, and incorporating materials that inherently question and skirt the line between art and craft. Lisa received her BA in Art Practice from UC Berkeley in 1995 and her MFA from Mills College in 2003. Her work is shown internationally and is in numerous public and private collections.

Margo and Lisa discuss:

• Her path and what she's learned along the way
• Finding comfort in consistency
• Why grad school was pivotal for her career while simultaneously seeing the challenges brought on by going to University today and mitigating the pressures and costs
• Why art is one of the last spaces you can really share anything and put it all on the table
• Color Theory: Understanding colors, creating colors, and teaching color
• Her color meditation deck: how and why she came up with it and the many ways it can be used
• Her mixed media work and where she finds inspiration for it
• Time management and figuring out a system that works for YOU
• Reframing your schedule and allowing for flexibility
• Making space for yourself and your creative practices

Mentioned in this episode:

The Subversive Stitch: Embroidery and the Making of the Feminine by Rozsika Parker

Lisa's highly curated Amazon shop list

**Get 30% off The Color Meditation Deck and/or A Field Guide to Color by purchasing through www.shambhala.com and using code MARGO30 at checkout** (valid through 8/13/22)

Connect with Lisa:

www.lisasolomon.com

www.instagram.com/lisasolomon

Margo is joined by Toni Santos, otherwise known as Baby Buddha of Baby Buddha Studio out of Seattle, WA. Storefronts, portraits, and beloved images of everyday ordinary life are the subjects for Toni's art that are then used for cards and other handmade products. After practicing architecture for 28 years, there was a drop in design work for a few years and so she took the opportunity to learn the wholesale gift trade. She fell in love with sales, product development and especially fine crafted toys. Her motto has always been 'Spying Beauty'. Influenced as a young design student by Berger's 'The Ways of Seeing', she draws and paints from everyday objects and snapshots taken while traveling. She works in watercolor and gouache in a loose whimsical style. Immersing herself in the illustration world with classes, social networking, marketing and exploring technique all in preparation for licensing opportunities.

Margo and Toni discuss:

• Her career path and why she doesn't consider herself an architect after spending 28 years in the industry
• Unique ways to tap your creativity
• How she mentors people with diverse backgrounds (real estate, medical, etc.) to tap into their own creativity
• Staying inspired in everyday life
• Mixing practicality with creativity
• The importance of bringing back play
• Her life motto, Spying Beauty, and how she incorporates it into her everyday

Connect with Toni:

Www.BabyBuddhastudio.com

www.instagram.com/babybuddhastudio

Margo chats with Healthy Aging Expert, Lisa Murphy. You may be wondering what that has to do with creativity but Lisa has reinvented herself several times throughout her life and encourages and empowers her clients to do the same. Creator of the RAV (Relevant, Active and Vibrant) Protocol, her programs help curious and open-minded women feel better with age, not worse, so that they can remain relevant, active and vibrant. She uses a science-backed method and looks at the four pillars of wellness: Food, Mood, Rest and Movement.

Margo and Lisa discuss:

• Her career path and how she went from corporate mathematician to teaching yoga and living in Dubai
• How life as an expat broadened her creativity
• How creativity takes on many different forms
• Why life shouldn't always be smooth sailing and sometimes change is messy and painful
• Overwhelm in the health and wellness industry
• Investing in ourselves and how to make helpful habit changes
• Why you have to have and find fun when it comes to wellness or it won't work the way you want it to
• Reducing energetic clutter
• Being brutally in love with the present

Connect with Lisa:

https://www.lisamurphyllc.com

Veg with Lisa Live on Facebook

www.instagram.com/lisamurphyllc

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-murphy-health-coach/

Sharing an episode from our friends over at Broken Record. On Broken Record, acclaimed producer Rick Rubin, bestselling author Malcom Gladwell, and former New York Times editor Bruce Headlam talk with the musicians you love about their lives, inspiration, and craft. Rick Rubin has interviewed so many great artists over the years—including Andre 3000, Nas, and Neil Young. Today we will hear Rick's conversation with one of the most innovative artists in music, Missy Elliot. This year is the 25th anniversary of Missy's classic debut album, Supa Dupa Fly. When that album dropped, Missy's unconventional rhyme schemes paired with her childhood friend Timbaland's futuristic production set a precedent for what was creatively possible in hip-hop. And throughout her career, Missy's maintained that same level of playful creativity. Missy broke records this year when she was recognized as having more platinum albums than any other female rapper. She's also the first female MC to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame for songs she's written for Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Destiny's Child and Aaliyah's biggest hits: "One In A Million," and "If Your Girl Only Knew." Today Rick Rubin talks to Missy Elliott about her wide-reaching influence and creative process. She explains what it was like writing for Aaliyah, who was one of the first artists to embrace Missy and Timbaland's unique style. She also talks about why she and Timbaland made a pact not to listen to any other music while recording her debut album. You can listen to more episodes of Broken Record wherever you listen to podcasts.

Margo sits down with West Coast based photographer Christopher Dibble.Chris studied at Art Center College of Design and has spent his career photographing projects for commercial and editorial clients, designers, artists, and architects. Specializing in lifestyle interiors and portraiture, he has been interviewed by Popular Photography Magazine about his environmental portraiture and was selected as one of The Advocate's 40 under 40. His work has been featured in editorial publications including House Beautiful, Dwell, HGTV, Country Living, Entertainment Weekly, and People Magazine. He's also produced work for manufacturers including Sunbrella, The Shade Store, and Framebridge. While portraiture and interior design are considered two different photographic genres, Dibble works to combine his understanding of both with the intent of creating imagery that tells a story.

Margo and Chris discuss:

• How his formal education has informed and influenced his work
• Why he finds community and personal connections to be so important and how they have paid off in his career
• How his work has evolved and how how he applied his knowledge from portraiture to interiors
• Imposter syndrome, the comparison trap, and how you can have appreciation for artists in your field without falling into a trap
• Giving yourself grace, especially when it comes to our creative businesses
• Why he believes in having hobbies that you're not trying to make a business out of
• His passion for weaving
• And a whole lot more

Chris' first book, Modern Americana was released in 2021 and features over 100 photographs. He is currently working on a new book with designer Karen Nepacena of Destination Eichler. He is also balancing several projects beyond his own commercial photography business including a small product photography studio creating assets for brands, a community building project focusing on artist street fairs and pop up events as well as an online boutique featuring local makers of all levels, and a personal portraiture series of large format portraits.

Mentioned in this episode:

Big Magic: How to Live a Creative Life, and Let Go of Your Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

Weaving The Future: Contemporary Diné Weavers

4Kinship

Connect with Chris:

christopherdibble.com

www.instagram.com/dibblephoto

Margo is joined by Natasha McCrary of 1818 Farms. After one of Natasha's sons became interested in raising his own sheep, she began to dream of her own plans for a small profitable farm where she could teach her children to appreciate the land and animals and to be good conservationists as well as learn the importance of sustainability and eating local "real" food.

Located on three acres in the northwest corner of the historic village of Mooresville, AL (pop. 58), 1818 Farms is named for the year Mooresville was incorporated, one year before Alabama became a state. 1818 Farms is home to many happy animal residents, over 14,000 flowers having been lovingly and carefully tended to and also offers events of all types and popular handmade bath and beauty products.

Margo and Natasha discuss:

• The depth of entrepreneurship and why it often means working 7 days/week (especially on a farm)
• The inspiration in starting 1818 Farms and how creativity has played a role in the development of the farm
• Her background in marketing and how she uses that knowledge now
• Managing cash flows
• Staying committed to their values amongst growth and challenges
• The small-batch, handmade products created on site
• How she avoids burnout when there is always something to tend to
• Staying true to your own path and awareness around the work and effort of entrepreneurship

Connect with Natasha:

https://1818farms.com/

https://www.instagram.com/1818farms/

Connect with Margo:

www.windowsillchats.com

www.istagram.com/windowsillchats

https://www.instagram.com/relishyourcreativity/