Windowsill Chats

This week Margo is joined by Abby Jacobs. As far back as she can remember, art making has always been her favorite thing to do and the happiest times in her life are when she's had some kind of creative routine. Abby believed in art making as a way of life so deeply that she pursued 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. Any time something doesn't feel right in her life, she asks herself, "Am I making art work daily?" and if the answer is no, then she likely has a solution.

Margo and Abby discuss:

• Why pattern clashing isn't a bad thing
• Her art therapy background and how she uses it in her daily creative practices
• The importance of working with clients that feel in alignment
• Having an outlet for yourself, beyond paid work
• Client and people pleasing
• Creating work that's authentic to you
• Insights that she gained from a 100 day project
• And much more!

After many career twists and turns, Abby is now a licensed artist creating artwork for a range of products and companies and loving it.

Connect with Abby:

www.abbyjacdesigns.com

https://www.instagram.com/abbyjacdesigns

Margo has a thought provoking conversation with Australian artist and surface pattern designer Kirsten Katz. Kirsten's passion for art, color, nature and design took her on a journey into the world of surface design but prior to her art career she was a ballerina and came from a family of artists and performers. Kirsten studied Textile Design and Printing at The Fashion Design School in 2012, this has enabled her to create a range of contemporary art and surface pattern designs that are modern and have a recognizable style. She specializes in designs that incorporate botanical motifs, bold patterns, geometrics and modern florals. Her work combines traditional art practices, hand drawn illustrations, mixed media painting, vibrant colors and textures to create designs that are bold and on trend.

Margo and Kirsten discuss:

• Authenticity and the importance of creating art that YOU like
• Why you're only as good as the last piece of art you made
• Keeping a narrow focus and how it helps with confidence
• Mixing mediums and trying new techniques
• How she hones in on color combinations
• Allowing intuition into the creative process
• Why she doesn't feel in alignment with commission pieces
• And so much more!

Kirsten's designs can be found on a variety of products including apparel, home décor, fabric, stationery, greeting cards, giftware and wall art.

Connect with Kirsten:

https://www.kirstenkatz.com.au

https://www.instagram.com/kirstenkatzart/

https://www.facebook.com/kirstenkatzart/

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

Margo is joined by London based illustrator, Tracey English. Tracey loves to create her designs out of hand colored papers and can often be found creating colorful collages in her home based studio. Tracey is represented by Jehane Ltd and her work can be found on many items including greeting cards, gift wrap, fabric, books and home products.

Margo and Tracey discuss:

• Tracey's background and why she always thought she would be a creative
• Her lengthy break from her creative career to raise her children (and why it's never too late to make something of yourself)
• Giving yourself grace
• Agency experience and why you don't always get it right the first time around
• Creating a masterclass experience along with its challenges and rewards
• And much more!

Tracey's clients include Quarry books, Bloomsbury Publishing, Seller Publishing, Design House Greeting, Deva Designs, The Art Group, Clothworks, Calypso Cards, Robot Foods, Lions of Windsor and many more.

Connect with Tracey:

https://www.tracey-english.co.uk

www.instagram.com/traceyenglish

https://www.tracey-english.blogspot.com

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/OneAppleDesigns

https://www.facebook.com/traceyenglishillustration

https://minervaworkshop.thinkific.com/courses/collage

Join the Relish Your Creativity Community today!

This week, Margo is joined by illustrator and business owner Sarah Watts. Sarah graduated from Ringling College in 2008 with a BFA in Illustration but not without overcoming many struggles as a child including poverty. Luckily, her upbringing is what shaped her desire to have a creative (and successful) career. She landed her first job at Carter's/OshKosh, and then went on to design for International Greetings. In 2011, Sarah left the corporate world to pursue her work in art licensing and book illustration. She has collaborated with over 30 major clients ranging from brands like American Greetings and Hallmark, to publishing houses like Penguin Books and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Margo and Sarah discuss:

• How her childhood shaped her career and why she knew she always wanted to making a living as an artist
• The people that have shaped her within her career
• Why Photoshop is such a big part of her process
• The need to be willing to break rules
• Dismantling everything you were taught
• Incorporating fun into the workplace
• Her long term goals
• And much more!

Sarah's current work is focused on teaching Photoshop and drawing online, designing fabric for Ruby Star Society and running the stationery brand called Craftedmoon. She lives in Georgia with her husband and two daughters.

Sign up for 2021 From Paint to Pattern with Sarah Watts

Sign up for Explore Photoshop with Sarah Watts

Connect with Sarah:

sarahwatts.com

www.instagram.com/wattsalot

schoolformisfitmakers.com

Craftedmoon.com

Resources Mentioned:

Atomic Habits by James Clear

From wholesale home furnishings, to wholesale and retail artist, to tv host, to actor, to restaurateur, there aren't many things Aaron Foster hasn't dipped his toes into as a serial entrepreneur. Aaron and Margo go way back to a time where Aaron didn't even consider himself creative. That was until he began making license plate art which has been his main gig for the last 17 years. Aaron likes to keep things interesting as you will hear in this episode.

Margo & Aaron discuss:

• The traits of a good business partner
• The 80/20 rule and why it's not always a good thing
• Hitting his big break through creating the license plate map
• Why high standards can sometimes become an obstacle
• The importance of understanding your strengths and weaknesses
• Why you can be multi passionate and successful
• And much more!

Join the Relish Your Creativity membership today!

Connect with Aaron:

https://aaronfoster.myshopify.com/

@aaroncharlesfoster

@thefoodanddrink

This week, Margo is joined by multi-passionate creative, middle-aged first-time mama, impostor syndrome warrior, Korean BBQ connoisseur and the CEO and creative director at Dear Handmade Life, Nicole Stevenson. Nicole's desire to help other creatives pursue their dream business and discover the joy of making led her away from her own handmade business and into teaching, consulting, running her own workshop studio and eventually co-founding Dear Handmade Life in 2007. Now, she connects, educates and shortens the learning curve for other creatives by sharing what she's learned through the Dear Handmade Life events like Craftcation Conference, Patchwork Show and Camp Dear Handmade Life, blog and podcast.

Margo & Nicole chat about:

• Holding on to old stories/needing to change
• Shifting perspectives
• Treating social media as an opportunity instead of an obligation when it comes to business as a creative
• Why finding community and connection is so important for creatives and how Nicole's contributing to hers
• The benefits and challenges that have come with becoming a mom later in life
• Why you have to using the analytical and logical side of your mind when writing your dream story
• Allowing your business to expand, evolve, pivot, and change
• And so much more!

She has a BA and an MA in English from San Francisco State University and a dual "PhD" in crafting to keep your sanity and badass business skills from the School of Life.

Connect with Nicole:

https://dearhandmadelife.com/

https://www.instagram.com/dearhandmadelife/

Dear Handmade Life Podcast

Resources Mentioned:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/raymond-carver

https://www.heymavens.com/

Join the Relish Your Creativity Community today!

Playing small will rarely get you far but Nedira Hansen is living proof of what can happen when you trust your gut, invest in yourself, and believe in your work whole-heartedly. In this episode, Margo speaks with Nerida about her early career in textiles, business as both a creative and an agent, working with major design houses such as Disney, Mattel and Warner Brothers, and her newest endeavor, app creation.

Margo and Nerida discuss:

• Her start in textiles and what it was like working as a junior buyer for Target Australia
• The birth of Nerida Hansen Fabrics
• How to continuing to believe in yourself after facing rejection
• The challenges she faced in her career as well as the biggest challenges she sees for artists in the surface design industry
• Resources for ensuring your creative business is sound in all facets
• Her new app for connecting artists with buyers
• And so much more!

Nerida Hansen is at the top of her game in the textiles market and building a stand-alone business through representation of artists from all corners of the globe. She continues to work closely with local and international illustrators and surface art designers and her integrity and commitment to her brand and her team is inspiring.

Connect with Nerida:

www.neridahansen.com.au

https://www.instagram.com/neridahansenfabrics

https://patternfieldapp.com

Join the Relish Your Creativity Community today!

This week, Margo chats with artist and illustrator, Mara Penny. Mara's love of art began when she was young and spending days with her grandmother, an artist and astrologer, further fueled her artistic leanings. She eventually went to study both jewelry design and interior design in college, and now runs her own successful art business and is represented by Lilla Rogers Studio. Her artwork starts with pen on paper and making her own watercolor washes, and then she assembles each one digitally. Her clients and collaborators include Moda, American Greetings, and The Boston Globe. Mara lives with her husband and two children in Oakland, CA.

Margo and Mara discuss:

• Owning your style
• Progress by way of doing the work and honing your skills
• Putting yourself out there, facing rejection and stepping up to the challenges
• Long term goals
• Her manifesting skills
• Some of her favorite projects
• How to get licensing deals when you know nothing about licensing
• And so much more!

Connect with Mara:

www.marapenny.com

www.instagram.com/mara.penny

Resources Mentioned:

Make Art that Sells

Finch & Foxglove

Zoe Ingram

Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year

Join the Relish Your Creativity Community today!

In this episode, Margo is joined by jewelry maker and owner of Grace Gow, Cat McCadden. Inspired by where the city meets the sea, Cat McCadden transforms oceanic forms into an extension of her modern and sophisticated style. Cat's art practice draws inspiration from the natural environment, the sea, and coastal culture. In her work, she mixes traditional metalsmith fabrication techniques, the lost wax casting process and an edgy eye for design with other traditional gemstone and jewelry references. The result is a hybrid contemporary style with textural motifs and lively depictions of oceanic forms.

Margo and Cat discuss:

• Her original hopes of being an architect
• Her journey from high end print and into art directing before having her entrepreneurial epiphany
• Her favorite part of the creative process
• How she got into teaching courses and why she loves it so much
• The three buckets to balance as a jewelry designer
• Her favorite mediums to create with
• The feeling she strives to create for her customers
• And so much more!

Cat has exhibited on the West and East coasts and currently sells her collection in over a dozen different cities from Boston, MA to Hanalei, HI. She maintains a retail e-commerce website, develops commissioned sculptural pieces, develops private-label product design solutions and re-imagines family heirlooms into new modern pieces for private clients. She currently lives and works on Vashon Island, Washington.

Connect with Cat:

https://www.gracegow.com/

https://www.instagram.com/gracegowjewelry/

In this episode, Margo is joined by maker and creator of Urban Craft Uprising, Kristen Rask. Kristen opened her first store, Schmancy in downtown Seattle in 2004 just before she started curating an annual show titled Plush You! at the shop that soon got international recognition. In its second year she received a book deal with f+w publishing to publish Plush You!: Loveable Misfits to Sew and Stuff. Since then she has come out with 7 more books. She started her first craft business when she was just 12 and has loved crafting and small business ever since.

Kristen and Margo discuss:

• Kristen's first creations and getting burned (and burnt out) by her largest buyer
• Sage advice for creatives interested in being vendors at craft show events
• Navigating in-person events in a COVID/Post-COVID world and the challenges that come along with it
• Why Lisa Congdon had her first show at Shmancy
• The importance of understanding logistics yet still jumping before you're ready
• The Artist's Way
• And much more!

Connect with Kristen:

Purchase books by Kristen Rask

Learn about Urban Craft Uprising

https://www.instagram.com/schmancytoys/

https://www.schmancytoys.com/