Windowsill Chats

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 livin...

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...

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 transp...

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 to...

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 h...

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...

Margo is joined by Louie, better known as Louie's Loops, a self-taught crochet artist, designer, game creator, and founder of Club Crochet. For nearly 20 years, Louie has been turning his love of crochet into an ever-expanding creative world of amigurumi, tutorials, games, characters, and stories—all rooted in curiosity, play, and community. Margo and Louie discuss: Following curiosity and asking...

 I'm bringing you a preview of the new series of Death of An Artist. In February 2024, celebrated children's book author and illustrator Petra Mathers and her husband, photographer Michael Mathers, mailed letters to dozens of friends and family members to let them know they had died by suicide. Petra and Michael were by all accounts healthy, happy, and in love. Why did they choose to die together?...

Margo sits down with Daniel Boettcher, founder of The Intrepid Wendell, to explore the intersection of storytelling, craftsmanship, and legacy—and how the most meaningful creative paths are rarely the most straightforward ones. Daniel's journey has taken him through music, law, aspirations of diplomacy, and ultimately, bespoke jewelry design. After a life-changing experience shifted the trajectory...

Margo is joined once again by New York Times bestselling illustrator, artist, and now author Andrea Campos, the creative force behind DreasDoodles. Since her first visit to Windowsill Chats, Andrea's creative career has continued to evolve—from a pandemic doodling practice that began simply as a source of joy to collaborations with Target, Jimmy Fallon, and Jennifer Lopez, and now the release of h...

Margo is joined by Kim Robinson, founder of 3pts and a longtime contributor to and advocate for creative communities. With more than 15 years of experience at cultural platforms including The FADER, Complex, Red Bull, and the American Museum of Natural History, Kim has worked alongside artists like Solange, Kendrick Lamar, Spike Lee, Erykah Badu, and Tyler, the Creator. Raised within underground p...

Margo is joined by author, creative writing coach, and video creator Abbie Emmons for a conversation about the power of storytelling and why our ability to tell meaningful stories is more instinctive than we might think. Abbie is the author of three novels and YouTube's most-watched creative writing coach, with a community of more than half a million writers worldwide. Margo and Abbie explore stor...

Margo is joined by Amy Wilderson, Brenda Olson, and Katy St. John—three artists whose distinct creative practices come together in Objects Through Time: Connection, Story, and Legacy , an exhibition exploring memory, heritage, and the unexpected stories hidden within everyday objects. Amy is a multi-media visual artist whose metalsmithing and wirework transform forgotten treasures into meaningful...

In this re-aired episode 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...

Margo is joined by Lisa Bardot, an illustrator, author, and Procreate educator who has spent the past decade helping people discover the joy of drawing digitally. She's the founder of Art Maker's Club, a thriving online membership for Procreate artists, creator of the Making Art Everyday drawing challenge, and the artist behind Bardot Brush, known for its popular Procreate brushes and tutorials. L...

Margo is joined by artist and entrepreneur Reese Emry for a heartfelt conversation about creativity, resilience, and following the unexpected twists of life. From humble beginnings in Spokane, Washington, through adventures in Waco, Round Top, and Austin, Texas, then North Carolina and Connecticut, Reese has woven creativity into every chapter of her life—flipping a "hoarder house," opening an ant...

Margo is joined by comedy writer, creator, and entrepreneur best known as the founder of The Onion , Scott Dikkers. Scott served as editor-in-chief and co-owner during its first two decades, helping shape one of the most influential satire publications of all time. In this episode, Margo sits down with Scott to explore the surprising mechanics behind creativity and why inspiration isn't something...

Margo is joined once again by Jade Chen, a healer, guide, and space-holder whose work centers on helping people navigate transformation, uncertainty, and growth. With over a decade of experience in somatic and lineage-based healing practices, Jade helps others reconnect to their inner voice and creative resilience. Living on Hawai'i Island, her work is deeply inspired by the rhythms of nature, the...

Margo is joined by designer and storyteller Ariadne Kritonos, whose work brings centuries-old Greek folk motifs into contemporary life. Drawing inspiration from historic embroideries, textiles, and museum archives, Ariadne shares how studying the creative traditions of the past has shaped her approach to design, color, and inspiration today. Together, they explore the hidden stories embedded in tr...

Margo is joined by Sashiko artisan, educator, and storyteller Atsushi Futatsuya for a conversation about creativity, cultural heritage, and the stories carried through handmade work. Born into a family deeply rooted in the Japanese tradition of Sashiko, Atsushi shares his journey from resisting the craft he grew up around to becoming one of its most passionate advocates and teachers. Through his w...

Margo is joined by Lauren Henkin, founder of The Humane Space, a mindfulness and lifelong learning app designed to boost wellbeing and reduce stress by sparking curiosity, wonder, and awe. In this conversation, Lauren shares her journey from architecture and fine art photography to tech founder, and how following her own curiosity led her to create a platform built on the belief that wonder, awe,...

Margo is joined by Abby for another edition of Creative Current Events —the series where they unpack the stories, launches, trends, and internet conversations shaping the creative world right now. This episode covers everything from the rise (and critique) of the "beige epidemic" in interiors to unexpected retail collaborations, bold beauty marketing, shifting brand landscapes, and artists doing i...

Margo is joined by interior designer, mentor, and entrepreneur Rebecca Ward for a conversation about creativity, career pivots, and the impact our homes have on daily life. As the CEO and Principal Designer of Rebecca Ward Design , Rebecca has spent more than 20 years creating contemporary spaces that help families live beautifully and function intentionally. She shares how her love for interiors...

Margo is joined by illustrator and children's book artist Natalie Lundeen for a candid conversation about creativity, motherhood, burnout, and redefining what it means to be a "successful" artist. Based in Clearwater, Florida, Natalie specializes in children's books, greeting cards, and licensed artwork, with illustrations spanning indie publishing, Etsy products, and now traditional publishing th...

Margo is joined by artist, author, and educator Nicki Traikos for a conversation on creativity, perfectionism, and building a life rooted in art. Known for her approachable watercolor teaching style and the global community she's built through life i design, Nicki shares the winding journey that took her from a corporate career and makeup artistry into the world of watercolor, online education, an...