Windowsill Chats

Margo is joined once again by celebrated illustrator, author, and educator Mike Lowery for a lively conversation about the realities of building a creative career. Mike is the New York Times bestselling illustrator of more than 80 books for children and he's spent decades navigating the ups and downs of freelance illustration and publishing.
In this episode, Margo and Mike pick up where their first conversation left off—diving into the lessons Mike has learned over twenty years as a working illustrator, what it actually takes to build a portfolio that attracts clients, and why being "good at drawing" isn't always the same as being hireable. They also talk about Mike's new course, Get Paid to Draw, designed to help illustrators create strategic portfolios, understand what art directors are really looking for, and turn their creative skills into real opportunities.
Margo and Mike discuss:
What Mike's younger self would think of his career today
The behind-the-scenes work of running a creative business
Why a strong portfolio matters more than raw talent when it comes to getting hired
Portfolio tips to help art directors understand how your work fits their needs
The difference between creating art for yourself versus creating work that attracts clients
The power of community in a freelance creative career
Mike's Get Paid to Draw course and how it helps artists build portfolios that actually lead to work
The upcoming Portfolio Challenge starting March 11 and how creatives can participate
Connect with Mike:
Join the Illustration Portfolio Challenge: https://bit.ly/illoportfoliochallenge

Website: https://www.mikelowery.com/

Course: https://www.gettingpaidtodraw.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikelowerystudio/

Margo Tantau is joined by educator, researcher, and national leader in creativity, arts integration, and STEAM education, Susan Riley. As the founder of the Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM and author of Creativity's Edge, Susan brings a refreshing, deeply human perspective on creativity — not as an artistic gift or innovation buzzword, but as a decision-making skill essential for navigating uncertainty, complexity, and an increasingly AI-influenced world.
Susan shares her journey from growing up as a self-described "farm girl" in Pennsylvania to becoming a pioneer in arts integration. She reflects on the early creative influences that shaped her, the role of music in her life, and the challenges of forging a nontraditional career path.
Margo and Susan discuss:
Why creativity is a cognitive skill rather than a personality trait or talent
How uncertainty and complexity actually activate creative thinking
The hidden cost of optimization, efficiency, and "best practices"
What "Create Before You Consume" looks like in everyday life
How curiosity becomes a uniquely human advantage in the age of AI
The connection between creativity, judgment, and human agency
Susan's path from educator to national thought leader
 
Connect with Susan:
susanmriley.com

Margo is joined by award-winning PR strategist, community builder, and host of the Small Business PR Podcast, Gloria Chou. Known for disrupting traditional PR by helping creatives, founders, and small business owners land top-tier media using AI tools instead of big budgets or insider connections. In this episode, Gloria joins Margo to unpack how PR now fuels AI search visibility, why press and podcasts act as modern trust signals, and how artists, makers, and small brands can use accessible tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity to pitch with clarity, credibility, and relevance.
Margo and Gloria discuss:
Why visibility—not talent—is often the biggest hurdle for creatives
Reframing PR as relevance-driven storytelling (not self-promotion)
Gloria's CPR Method: Credibility, Point of View, Relevance
How cold pitching works—even without contacts or PR experience
Using AI tools to research angles and draft pitches in minutes
Press & podcasts as critical trust signals in AI-driven search
The shift from traditional SEO to AI shopping and discovery
Mindset shifts to overcome imposter syndrome and "not newsworthy" thinking
Connect with Gloria:
Website: www.gloriachoupr.com
Instagram: @gloriachoupr
YouTube: @smallbusinesspr
LinkedIn: in/gloriaychou
Connect with Margo:
Website: www.windowsillchats.com
Instagram: @windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
https://www.yourtantaustudio.com/thefoundry

Margo is joined by Ashley Lohr, an artist, educator, and community builder based in Petersburg, Alaska—a small fishing island town where she has taught art for nearly two decades. Working across painting and enamel jewelry, Ashley has built a creative life rooted in place, curiosity, and long-term commitment. From sustaining robust school art programs to teaching workshops far beyond the classroom, her path is a testament to what can unfold when artists design lives that support both their work and their values.
Ashley shares how moving to Alaska at 23 shaped her identity as both a teacher and artist, how she continues to grow her own practice alongside full-time teaching, and what she learned from intentionally stepping away during a self-created sabbatical.
In this conversation, we discuss:
Moving to Petersburg, Alaska for a teaching job—and how place can deeply shape creative alignment
Teaching art in ways that feel authentic, expansive, and student-centered
How Ashley builds, sustains, and evolves art programs within a school setting
Maintaining a personal art practice alongside full-time teaching and family life
Taking a self-designed sabbatical and what it revealed about community, creativity, and pace
Teaching outside the classroom: workshops, travel, and non-gallery ways to share work
Finding and proposing workshop opportunities—locally and farther afield
Trusting a slow, steady creative path and allowing your work to change over time
Connect with Ashley:
Website: https://ashleylohrart.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ashleylohrart
Connect with Margo:
Website: www.windowsillchats.com
Instagram: @windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
https://www.yourtantaustudio.com/thefoundry

Margo is joined by Jill Labieniec, an illustrator, designer, and endlessly curious maker living on Vashon Island in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. Working primarily with watercolor, Jill's whimsical illustrations and patterns have found homes on everything from fabrics and home goods to books, stationery, and editorial projects. Alongside her illustration practice, she has a deep love for working with her hands—sewing dresses, making shoes, and shaping clay—guided by a belief that art should help people create spaces where they can rest, daydream, and grow.
In this episode Jill reflects on her winding creative path—from a homeschooled childhood centered on making, through art school and freelance work, to building a creative career that prioritizes curiosity, balance, and day-to-day happiness over rigid labels or prestige.
In this conversation, we discuss:
Jill's creative beginnings and how family life and early making shaped her career
Moving through art school, freelance work, and product-focused creative paths
What it really means to build a sustainable creative career over time
Letting go of fancy titles and external validation in favor of daily fulfillment
Balancing freelancing, creative freedom, and personal happiness
Jill's thoughtful, intuitive approach to social media and sharing work online
Working both digitally and analog—and the joy of seeing art come to life on physical objects, especially ceramics
Embracing curiosity, trusting the creative process, and tuning out the noise
Connect with Jill:
Website: https://www.jill-labieniec.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jill.labieniec/


Connect with Margo:
Website: www.windowsillchats.com
Instagram: @windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
https://www.yourtantaustudio.com/thefoundry