Windowsill Chats

Margo is joined by certified and credentialed life coach and hypnotherapist, masterful speaker, and courageous communication expert Amy Green Smith. Amy uses her roles as coach, writer, podcaster, and speaker to move individuals to a place of radical personal empowerment and self-worth. With acute focus on helping people “find their voice”, she is highly sought after for her uncommon style of irreverence, wisdom, and humor.

Margo and Amy discuss:

• Her life crisis moment that led her to leave an industry she had great success in

• The importance of effective communication and emotional well-being

• Learning to find your voice and powerfully say 'No' as an artist

• Combatting people-pleasing in business

• Finding the right words, creating boundaries, and cultivating self-worth as an entrepreneur

• Navigating uncomfortable conversations

• The science behind our four fear responses (and how they hold creatives back)

• Her amazing Free-sources

• And so much more!

Connect with Amy:

Amygreensmith.com

http://amygreensmith.com/free

http://instagram.com/heyamygreensmith

http://facebook.com/heyamygreensmith

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

http://twitter.com/heyamygreen

Connect with Margo:

www.windowsillchats.com

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by listener favorite guest Beth Buffington. Beth is a licensed illustrator, and an online digital illustration instructor, creative coach, and podcaster. Like most creatives, she has been drawing since she was old enough to hold her favorite red crayon. After graduating with a degree in art and graphic design, Beth began her creative career working for “in-house” corporate art departments. 
After years of corporate communications, she decided to focus on her personal creative passions, by starting her own business. Her work has grown into several facets including home decor products, course creation and her latest creative outlet, adventure exploring and podcasting.

Margo and Beth discuss:

• Beth’s creative path from in-house designer to entrepreneur

• The importance of making time for self-improvement and finding joy in learning something new

• Benefits of using technology, like Procreate, to create art anywhere

• Challenges of rejection and finding a supportive community in pursuing creative work

• How she discovered her passion for teaching

• Balancing creative pursuits with other responsibilities

• The power in consistent creativity and its effect on health

• Her upcoming course, free workshops and podcast

• And more!

Mentioned in this episode:

Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us by Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen

Connect with Beth:

https://www.bdi-create.today/windowsill

https://bdi-celebrate.today/

Create Today Podcast

https://www.instagram.com/b.b.buffington_celebratetoday/

https://www.facebook.com/BDIcreatetoday

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

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFNR_jaR-CnBXIHC5RVTnQg

https://www.skillshare.com/profile/Beth-Buffington/4859209

Connect with Margo:

www.windowsillchats.com

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by botanical watercolor artist, teacher and podcast host Ping He. Ping made a career change from flower consultant to botanical artist in 2019 and shortly thereafter launched a successful stationary and gift brand, Ping He Art where she turned her intricate designs into beautiful paper products. Today, her art is available in 150 stores across 12 counties. In 2021, Ping was diagnosed with breast cancer which is when she realized her need and desire to live a life with purpose and she created Thriving Women Artists, a podcast by Ping and two friends sharing their tips and knowledge when it comes to working as a freelance artist and encouraging other women in creative industries. Amongst her work, Pink is currently working on designing a creative app called Botany Works where creative expats can share their passion for botanical art as well as live a creative and fulfilled life on their own terms.

Margo and Ping discuss:

• What it was like growing up during cultural revolution in China and what it taught her

• Taking charge of your own destiny and understanding what you want out of your own life and business

• Considering your own business risks and personal aspirations

• Taking baby steps and being unafraid of your own possibility and potential

• Navigating health challenges for herself and her child and how they affected her business

• How she balances motherhood and a creative business

• The richness of opportunities that come from collaboration

• Passion, authenticity and self-belief

• And more!

Connect with Ping:

www.pinghe.art

www.instagram.com/pinghe.art

https://www.facebook.com/pingheartstudio/

https://www.instagram.com/twapodcast/

Connect with Margo:

www.windowsillchats.com

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

This week Margo and her sister play a bit of a role reversal and Margo is interviewed In the Windowsill! As the creator and host of the podcast, Margo rarely shares intimately about herself but she figured it was time to change that. Margo shares her experience with wire art and the moment a piece of art went from an act of creativity to monetized creativity, working in wholesale, collaborating with artists to create unique retail products, and bridging the gap between creatives and their businesses. She also discusses her love of music, the personal growth she’s experienced over the past year, and her current pursuits in silversmithing and jewelry making. With the help of Shelley, Margo explores her insights on reinvention, self-reflection, and her plans for 2024.

Mentioned in this episode:

Lynn Whipple’s 100 Bad Paintings

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson

Connect with Margo:

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

See full show notes at www.windowsillchats.com/podcast

Margo is joined by Shamanic Practitioner and Spiritual Guide Jade Chen. Jade supports and assists people on their healing journey and believes everyone has the capacity to activate the healer within. Her own awakening journey began in 2016 when life took some major turns and she left both a highly financially secure career and a relationship of over 6 years. She felt she had been living her life in a dazed dream; just going through the motions and trying her best to maintain surface happiness. She began to pray a lot and then reconnect to the spirit world through those prayers, and began to receive some answers. The messages she received included to acknowledge her own experience, pain and trauma and to go inward and hold space for herself in a way that felt real. Since 2016 she’s continued to receive messages that have allowed her to grow and evolve while helping others do the same. She works with people one on one and in group settings and also leads healing retreats throughout the year.

Margo and Jade discuss:

• Jade’s year of transformation that led her to shamanic and spiritual work

• What a Shamanic Practitioner is and does

• Use of practices like meditation and connecting with nature for healing

• The connection between creativity and spirituality

• Tapping into our inner-child through creativity

• The commonality of being an empath among highly creative people

• Overcoming imposter syndrome and anxiety in sharing creative work

• And more

Connect with Jade:

www.mudlotuslife.com

www.instagram.com/jadelotuschen

Illuminated Women’s Business Retreat

Connect with Margo:

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.windowsillchats.com

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by artist, designer, and educator Rukmini Poddar. Rukmini’s creative passion lies at the intersection of emotional wellness and creative storytelling which she helps others connect to through her new book Draw Your Feelings: A Creative Journal to Help Connect with Your Emotions through Art. Rukmini found her creative voice through participating in the #100DayProject for over 9 consecutive years and has grown her instagram community to over 100,000 followers. She is best known for her drawings that give life to her personal emotions.

Margo and Rukmini discuss:

• Her personal and artistic journey

• The connection between emotions and art

• How vulnerability can inspire others

• Recognizing and working through different forms of resistance such as self-sabotage and procrastination

• The links between art, emotions, and mental wellness

• The importance of creativity for individuals in corporate roles and the need for more humanity in the workspace

• Her journey with 100-day projects

• Overcoming creative challenges

• The beauty in naivety when you’re doing something for the first time

Mentioned in this episode:

https://www.upbuild.com/enneagram

The Art of War by Steven Pressfield

Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown

Connect with Rukmini:

Draw Your Feelings by Rukmini Poddar

https://www.instagram.com/rockinruksi/

https://www.dearruksi.com/

Connect with Margo:

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.windowsillchats.com

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by writer, singer-songwriter, teacher, and coach Marisa Handler. Marisa is the author of Loyal to the Sky, which won a Nautilus Gold Award for world-changing books and her essays, fiction, and poetry have appeared in numerous publications. Her music is also streamed across large platforms such as Spotify and iTunes. Marisa earned her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and has received many fellowships in Creative Writing, including a Fulbright and an Elizabeth George Foundation grant. On the spiritual side, Marisa has been studying Insight Meditation in retreats and daily life since 2002, and instructing since 2012. She is a Certified Facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie, and has long-term practices in Authentic Movement, Somatic Experiencing, and various forms of dance. Marisa is the founder of Live Your Creative Genius, an in-depth coaching program offering a new paradigm for creative work, and she teaches on creativity, writing, and transformation at places like Stanford University, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Esalen, and the California Institute for Integral Studies.

Margo and Marisa discuss:

• Her creative path and how spirituality plays a role in her many creative mediums

• Cultivating creativity, finding support in a creative community, and connecting with one's authentic voice

• The challenges of balancing creative pursuits with jobs

• Creating a sacred space for creativity

• Her 9 month coaching program

• How we are intrinsically creative beings

• How we do our best creative work by becoming who we truly are

• Embracing our shadow

• Viewing our obstacles as allies

Join Windowsill Chats Patreon for just $5 a month and receive early access to the Windowsill Chats Podcast, question submission for Q&A, replay's of monthly Q&A create-together sessions, a vibrant Facebook community, and more at www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill!

Connect with Marisa:

www.marisahandler.com

"Alchemize Your Creative Vision" on December 12th: https://marisahandler.com/programs/aycv/

Live your Creative Genius (9 month coaching): https://marisahandler.com/programs/lycg/

https://marisahandler.com/programs/firing-up-the-engines/

https://www.facebook.com/marisa.handler.3

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Q6NM99n37Lch8xG4Rjkfx?si=YqGdYLUaSo-JnGgyF_qbww

https://insighttimer.com/marisacreates

Connect with Margo:

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.windowsillchats.com

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by Britta Borden-Tabor, a trailblazing digital influencer and empowerment coach whose passion knows no bounds. Britta has dedicated her life's mission to inspiring and uplifting women over 40, helping them uncover their passions and turn their dreams into reality. She isn't just a coach; she's a beacon of motivation, a force of nature, and a true inspiration to countless souls. Through her powerful words and magnetic presence, Britta ignites a flame within her audience, urging them to embrace their full potential and conquer any obstacles in their path. Her infectious enthusiasm and unshakeable belief in the power of women's dreams make her a compelling force in the realm of personal development.

Margo and Britta discuss:

• Her desire to be seen as someone different than she was typically seen as and how that was a catalyst in showing up in a new way

• The power in showing up without overthinking

• Creating a community versus creating following

• What it means to be authentic and step into your power

• Her role as a full time caregiver, special needs advocate and what it’s taught her

• Breaking the stereotype of what a plus size woman should wear

• Taking control of your own experiences and becoming an expert in your own life

• Finding a balance between making a profit and helping people

• Overcoming rejection before finding success on social media

• How paying it forward and helping others has resulted in unexpected rewards and joy

Join Windowsill Chats Patreon for just $5 a month and receive early access to the Windowsill Chats Podcast, question submission for Q&A, replay's of monthly Q&A create-together sessions, a vibrant Facebook community, and more atwww.patreon.com/inthewindowsill!

Connect with Britta:

www.instagram.com/britt_dazzle

www.facebook.com/Britta Borden-Tabor

www.tiktok.com/@brittatabor

https://thebeekeepher.com/

Connect with Margo:

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.windowsillchats.com

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by fine artist Robyn Thayer. Robyn has been making the world a more appealing place as a beauty maker and storyteller since her first smile. Robyn’s art education is informal and profuse; a daily act. Her favorite artwork is large in scale and she prefers to use acrylics, water-soluble graphite and crayons, to create representational, contemporary abstract paintings. In this way she is able to convey a dreamlike quality- reflecting the innocence and grandeur of where the private inner world and the wild outside meet.

Margo and Robyn discuss:

• How Margo first discovered Robyn and how her creative path has evolved since that time.

• The transformative power of art and the importance of personal growth and experimentation

• Her artistic process and techniques as well as the challenges she has faced in the art world

• The importance of community and the power of bravery in supporting one another

• How her trauma has played a role in her creativity and even lends itself to her work

• Her upcoming book, storytelling through painting, musings, and poetry

• What it means to utilize rebel energy in creativity

• Intuitive art making

• And more!

Join Windowsill Chats Patreon for just $5 a month and receive early access to the Windowsill Chats Podcast, question submission for Q&A, replay's of monthly Q&A create-together sessions, a vibrant Facebook community, and more atwww.patreon.com/inthewindowsill!

Connect with Robyn:

https://www.instagram.com/robyn_thayer_fine_art

www.RobynThayer.com

https://m.facebook.com/RobynThayer-ProfessionalArtist

Connect with Margo:

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.windowsillchats.com

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by watercolor artist and surface pattern designer Cass Deller. Most notably known for her modern, coastal art style, Cass blends the beauty of her natural surroundings and beach holiday nostalgia. Imbued with the subtle, relaxed tones of hazy beachside summers, her hand-painted watercolor artwork evokes understated luxury and effortless style. With over 10 years of experience as a designer and a passion for collaboration, Cass has worked with many Global Companies as well as some of Australia's most well-known brands to bring a fresh, modern edge to the lifestyle and fashion industry.

Margo and Cass discuss:

• Her creative entrepreneurial path and the many different niches she’s worked in

• Discovering and developing her own artistic style and how she helps others in discovering theirs

• Why collaborating is the backbone of her creative career

• Strategies and practices that have helped her maintain a positive and productive mindset

• Her surface pattern design course and mentorship opportunities

• Following joy and curiosity. How she does it herself and how she encourages others to embrace their creative pursuits

Join the waitlist for Surface Pattern Design for Creative Entrepreneurs. Get 10% off eligible offers using code MARGO.

Connect with Cass:

https://www.instagram.com/cassdellerdesign

https://www.cassdeller.com.au

Connect with Margo:

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.windowsillchats.com

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill