Windowsill Chats

Margo is joined by the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of lines and color aka Dave Arcade. Dave is an Illustrator with a degree in graphic design and his style is born of his inner designer doing its best to talk down the numerous influences of his youth. He left behind a 10 year career as an art director to pursue freelance illustration. He has a true depth of style that delivers a one-two punch of strong thinking couched in elaborate and colorful compositions.

Margo and Dave discuss:

• His background in ad agency work and spending 10 years as a Creative Director
• When it why it can be good to "be the problem"
• The messy middle, and appreciating the process that takes place to complete a project
• Allowing yourself to have fun with your work
• Storytelling in art
• Transitioning out of ad work and some of his first big freelance projects
• NFT's

Dave's pieces are absurd and conceptually complex and demand more than a passing glance. If he's not pining over music gear he's doing work for brands like Google, Nickelodeon, Disney, Adobe, Activision and Discovery Channel.

Connect with Dave:

https://www.davearcade.com/

https://www.instagram.com/davearcade/

I'm sharing a special preview of a podcast I've been enjoying, Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso, from Pushkin Industries. Talk Easy is a weekly interview podcast, where writer Sam Fragoso invites actors, writers, activists, and politicians to come to the table and speak from the heart in ways you probably haven't heard from them before. Driven by curiosity, he's had revealing conversations with everyone from George Saunders and Cate Blanchett to Ocean Vuong and Gloria Steinem. In this preview, Sam talks with performance artist Marina Abramović about her relationship to Ukraine, creating art out of hardship, the curiosity that propels her forward, and how her seminal piece, The Artist Is Present, lives on today. You can listen to Talk Easy at https://podcasts.pushkin.fm/tewindowsill.

Margo is joined by the multi-faceted, passionate, creative genius Kate Shepherd. Kate spent her whole life busily and successfully manifesting all the things. Money. A great jewelry brand. An expensive home in a big city. But still there was something missing... and it wasn't material. As a lifelong artist, creativity has been her greatest friend and constant companion, the one thing that has never left her. It has walked beside her through some very dark times and always led her back to the light. Kate one day realized that not everyone has the same relationship with creativity and it hit her. She knew at that moment that at the deepest level of her being, she wanted to be in service to something and she realized exactly how.

Margo and Kate discuss:

• Kate's creative path and the hardships she faced within it
• Dealing with and facing uncertainty
• How and when she realized creativity is her superpower
• What it means to be creatively free
• What happens when you ignore desire and curiosity
• How she's helping others to allow their own creativity to emerge
• Why willingness and vulnerability is so important in creativity

Kate knows from her own life that a healthy relationship with creativity is as important as breathing or thinking and when we activate creativity we access deep wisdom and intelligence that has the power to help us build the lives of our dreams. Kate launched The Creative Genius Podcast this past October as an answer to the calling in her heart. It is 100% devoted to the emergence of creativity in people, all the people, everywhere. It is a love letter to everyone who has ever wished they could be more creative but believed they couldn't.

Sign up for the next Windowsill Workshops or get on the list and be the first to know more!

Connect with Kate:

https://kateshepherdcreative.com/

www.lovemorningmoon.com

Listen to The Creative Genius Podcast with Kate Shepherd

www.instagram.com/kateshepherdcreative

www.instagram.com/thecreativegeniuspodcast

www.instagram.com/lovemorningmoon

Margo has a fascinating and unique conversation about the magnificent Church of Saint Germain des Prés, and what is being done to preserve its rich and layered history with David Sheppe. David has enjoyed a long career in international banking and was living and working in Paris in the 1980s when he first took an interest in the church of Saint Germain des Prés, and he has been a frequent visitor ever since. The Church of Saint Germain des Prés—the building and its artwork—reflects many eras of French history, art and culture. As the oldest church in Paris, it has influenced and shaped people, places and ideas throughout history, including the famous philosopher Descartes, and Sorbonne students and teachers.

David is the President and Board Chairman of American Friends for the Preservation of Saint Germain des Prés, a non-profit organization working to fund the restoration of Paris' oldest church. Its mission is to foster an appreciation for French culture and arts among the public in the United States. It works to achieve this, in part, by participating in the restoration of the Church of Saint Germain des Prés so it may continue to serve its parishioners and welcome hundreds of visitors who come each day to see its unparalleled beauty. The foundation works with its French counterparts in Paris at The Preservation of Saint Germain des Prés to fund the restoration of Paris' oldest church and preserve its rich history. He is now leading the charge on the current Adopt A Saint Germain Star™ Campaign in the United States.

Margo and David discuss:

• How the conservation and restoration effort is led and handled
• The strong american connection to the church
• How and why David got involved in the restoration originally
• Where funding comes from and how you can donate
• How being creative has evolved over time and will continue to do so
• The rich and extensive history of the church
• The history of the church's preservation and restoration
• How being so passionately involved in the efforts has shaped David

American Friends for the Preservation of Saint Germain des Prés is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to fund the restoration of Paris' oldest church. The foundation works with its French counterparts in Paris at The Preservation of Saint Germain des Prés Foundation to garner donations in the pursuit of preserving history.

Connect with David and learn more about the preservation of the Saint Germain des Prés:

https://www.preservesaintgermain.org/

https://www.facebook.com/preservesaintgermain/

https://preservesaintgermain.onlinepresskit247.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidgsheppe

Margo has a wonderful conversation with visual artist and cat lover Terry Runyan where they dig into the inner critic conversation that comes up no matter how experienced you are and granting yourself permission. For many years, Terry has lived with a very strong inner critic and tied her personal value to the art that she created but deep into her career at Hallmark she realized how greatly this affected her own well-being and her art. Today, she still has an inner critic (as we all do) but she's learned how to navigate those negative thoughts gracefully and disassociate herself from her work, allowing her to live more joyfully.

Margo and Terry discuss:

• Terry's creative career path and what having a creative mother instilled in her
• Her time at Hallmark and how it allowed her to see the value in diversification
• Letting go of self-judgment and the moment she realized her work doesn't correlate with her personal value
• Conditioned and programmed thinking
• How she's expanding her skill and broadening her comfort zone
• Leaning into the play aspect of creating and not treating everything as though it's an assignment
• Stepping into joy

Terry is a creative encourager and loves sharing with others about creativity and being an artist. She sees creativity as the means to connect, communicate and share with each other! In addition to her YouTube channel, she has several classes available on Skillshare from discovering your art style to learning the Procreate app. She lives in Kansas City with her two sweet kitties Rylee & Tucker, who are a huge inspiration in my work.

Mentioned in this episode:

Liz Steel

Connect with Terry:

https://www.terryrunyan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/terryrunyan/

https://www.facebook.com/terryrunyancreative/

Connect with Margo:

www.tantaustudio.com

https://www.instagram.com/mtantau/

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

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

https://www.relishyourcreativity.com/

Margo is switching gears this week to discuss intuitive wisdom, self-care, and wellbeing through the development and deepening of self-awareness and how it ties into your creative practice. She is joined by Kristen Elizabeth of In Wild Bloom who combines coaching strategies with elements of creative expression and yoga to help individuals create their own version of wellness. She knows through experience that a life rooted in self-care and compassion creates a foundation for a life that is meaningful and deeply fulfilling. Her work centers on supporting clients as they redefine their self-care practices, rediscover who they are, and reignite their belief in themselves.

Margo and Kristen discuss:

• Her creative journey and how she combines wellness and creativity
• Infusing movement, breath and intention into our creations
• Refining the voice in our head and shifting the tone of it to be more self-accepting
• The significance in giving yourself permission to be human
• How to break down our own needs in striving for perfection
• Navigating comparison and appreciating our own uniqueness
• Finding our own optimal form of wellness and living a meaningful life

Kristen is a lover of nature and a seeker of joy. She feels the most fulfilled when she is connecting deeply with others, hiking through a forest, exploring creative practices, and laughing with her loved ones. She is an advocate of pausing throughout this journey of life to breathe deeply as we begin again and again.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo

Insight Timer (Sarah Blondin)

Connect with Kristen:

https://www.inwildbloom.com/

www.instagram.com/in.wild.bloom

Connect with Margo:

www.tantaustudio.com

https://www.instagram.com/mtantau/

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

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

https://www.relishyourcreativity.com/

Margo is joined once again by artist, designer and creator of online art and creativity courses, Este MacLeod. Este was previously on episode 16 to discuss being an authentic artist and understanding your own creative brand and this time she's back to chat about all things color. Este's paintings are informed by the real and the imaginary. A background in textile and ceramic design is evident in the stylised, abundant and colorful forms used in still life, landscape and floral paintings.

Margo and Este discuss:

• Mixing colors, color creation, and learning from 'happy accidents'
• Portfolio building
• The perks and benefits of participating in challenges
• Her upcoming challenge that you can participate in
• Color tips, tricks, and fun facts
• Developing your style and skill through play
• Colors that inspire her, her favorite combinations, and naming colors
• And much more!

Este draws inspiration from travel, nature, dreams, seasons, sentiments and thoughts as well as everyday surroundings. Her artwork is presented to convey intrinsic beauty, a feeling or memory of a place or impression. She loves doing research and exploring options that fit in with her emphasis to help others to develop creative confidence and expanding knowledge of materials and techniques.

Join the March COLORICOMBO Instagram creative challenge

Connect with Este:

https://www.instagram.com/estemacleod/

https://www.estemacleod.com/

Connect with Margo:

www.tantaustudio.com

https://www.instagram.com/mtantau/

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

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

https://www.relishyourcreativity.com/

This week, Margo chats with Annie McGee, a history loving illustrator and pattern designer. Annie currently lives in Cheshire, England with her husband and two children and loves to feather her nest by exploring all kinds of crafts, declaring herself to be a renaissance soul who loves to dive into multiple mediums. Her creative journey has been driven by her experience of chronic illness, disability and the long journey of seeking diagnosis. She's started a podcast for artists, illustrators and makers called The Chronic Artist Podcast where she chats about the creative's journey, living with chronic illnesses and raising a family. She shares strategies for time management, planning and techniques that have helped her to stay creative in the most stressful of times.

Margo and Annie discuss:

• Living with an undiagnosed chronic illness

• How her chronic illness plays into her creative practices
• Being denied support and ignored by doctors
• How it her illness affects the way in which she works with certain mediums
• Learning and trusting how to advocate for herself
• Her desire to be more loose, free, and intuitive in her creativity
• How she finds finds balance between life, family and responsibilities
• Her upcoming podcast, The Chronic Artist Podcast
• And more!

Annie's passion for storytelling and creativity has led her from stitching alternative embroidery as "Scavenger Annie", to the wonderful world of illustration created under the studio name of Northern Bird Designs. Her art supply ammunition includes watercolors, inks, pastels and digital techniques which she uses to create her patterns and illustrations. She is inspired by historic tales, murder mysteries, comic book adventures, retro pop art and science fiction.

Connect with Annie:

www.northernbirddesigns.com

https://www.instagram.com/northernbirddesigns/

https://www.instagram.com/chronicartistpodcast/

This week, Margo is joined by Debbie Saviano who represents individuals who wish to transition into another career as she has done it successfully three times herself. Her first transition was from a rewarding career in education into the sphere of social media, then she co-launched a women's education platform to expand their businesses, and finally, she now focuses on how to use social media to grow a business. In today's market, it is all about being seen & heard on the various digital platforms that everyone carries around on their mobile devices

Margo and Debbie discuss:

• How the line between physical and digital has disappeared
• The importance of doing it your way and leaning into authenticity
• Understanding trends in social media
• How to choose who you decide to learn new skills from
• Finding clarity and consistency
• The amount of time you have to get someone's attention
• Why and how to optimize your social profiles
• Traditional learning versus life skills learning
• And more!

Debbie is truly intense about helping others use Social Media BUT doing it in their way - within their comfort zone!

Connect with Debbie:

https://bit.ly/DebbieSaviano

https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiesaviano/

Margo chats with Deane Christiansen of Deane Beesley Designs. Deane is a self taught artist, illustrator, designer and painter living in beautiful Alberta Canada. Her creative story started early as a child with influences from her Mom and Gramma. Interested in a variety of crafts, she quickly learned how to sew, crochet, paint and draw. Deane has been in the creative industry for over 25 years, starting out in quilting and a love for fabric. Deane licenses her artwork for products such as fabric, stationery, wall decor and bedding, to name a few. Knowing her artwork can make someone smile or change their day is why she continues to create.

Margo and Deane discuss:

• Her creative path and later start to making a career out of her creativity
• The highs and lows of running a business
• Being brave enough to dive into her passions
• Business partnership gone wrong
• Allowing your creativity and practices to evolve
• Understanding and accepting that you won't love every piece and process of running a business
• How putting herself out there led to opportunities
• Not being in such a hurry for things to happen
• And more!

Connect with Deane:

https://www.deanebeesley.com/

https://www.instagram.com/deanebeesleydesigns/

https://www.deanebeesley.com/courses