Windowsill Chats

Abby is back on the Windowsill for another round of Creative Current Events! This week, she and Margo are diving into the latest headlines making waves in art, design, branding, and retail—and, as always, there's plenty to unpack.
From collectible handbags blurring the line between fashion and art to luxury brands rolling out the red carpet for our four-legged friends, the creative world is full of surprises. They explore Polaroid's cheeky campaign encouraging us to put down our screens, the return of Bed Bath & Beyond in an unexpected form, and why Hermès is doubling down on hand-drawn illustration in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Margo and Abby discuss:
The intersection of art, fashion, and collectible handbags
Polaroid's clever push for analog experiences in a digitally saturated world
Why luxury brands are increasingly catering to dogs (and their devoted humans!)
Kirkland's transformation into Bed Bath & Beyond Seasonal Living and what it says about retail reinvention
Hermès' embrace of hand-drawn illustration and the growing value of human creativity in the age of AI
The bigger cultural shifts shaping what we buy, how we create, and what we value
Articles:
Polaroid's Analog Summer Campaign Pushes Against Digital Overload — PetaPixel
Dogs Became Luxury's Fastest Growing Customer — Art of the Brand
Kirkland's Stores to Become Bed Bath & Beyond Seasonal Living — NBC Chicago
Hermès Goes All-In on Illustration in the Age of AI — Highsnobiety

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 living in Iceland with her Navy husband, finding space for storytelling during the long, dark winters. Since then, she's continued exploring the complexities of human relationships through fiction, often weaving together themes of family secrets, forgiveness, regret, and the things we leave unsaid. Her latest novel was inspired by something as simple as a lawn sign spotted during an early morning dog walk.
Margo and Jane discuss:
The meaning behind the question on Jane's website, "What's done is done. Or is it?" and why the past has a way of resurfacing

Writing about family secrets, forgiveness, and the complicated relationships that make us human

How Jane develops fictional characters who begin to feel like real people

Finding inspiration in unexpected places, including the lawn sign that sparked her latest novel

The creative freedom found in bread baking, photography, travel, and other everyday pursuits

Her upcoming sequel and its exploration of motherhood in all its complicated forms

The importance of making space for creativity outside of your primary artistic practice

Jane's plans for a Gothic novel set in Switzerland, inspired by her childhood love of Daphne du Maurier

Connect with Jane Ward:
Website: janeaward.com

Instagram: @authorjaneward

Threads: @authorjaneward

Facebook: @janealessandriniward

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 decades finding new ways to make a living from her creativity. She's also the co-founder of The Good Ship Illustration, where she helps illustrators navigate the business side of a creative career.
Tania and Margo talk about the power of creative community, adapting as the industry changes, and why even established artists sometimes need to reinvent their work. They also explore the value of diversifying your income, following your genuine interests instead of trends, and creating supportive spaces where artists can learn without fear or shame.
Margo and Tania discuss:
Why collaboration and community can accelerate creative growth
Adapting your business as social media and the illustration industry change
Teaching, mentoring, and sharing what you've learned along the way
Reinventing your style when your work starts to feel too predictable
Following curiosity instead of what you think you "should" be making
Building a resilient career through freelance work, teaching, products, and licensing
Why relationships and unexpected opportunities often shape a creative career
The enduring value of handmade, imperfect, distinctly human work
Creating safe, encouraging spaces for artists to experiment and learn
Why sometimes you just have to fly your freak flag
Connect with Tania:
www.taniawillis.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/tania.willis
The Good Ship Illustration: www.thegoodshipillustration.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegoodshipillustration

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 transpersonal counseling and art therapy from Naropa University in Boulder after studying art and psychology/human services as an undergraduate.
Whenever something doesn't feel quite right in her life, Abby asks herself, "Am I making artwork daily?" If the answer is no, she usually knows where to start.
Margo and Abby discuss:
Why pattern clashing isn't necessarily a bad thing

Abby's art therapy background and how it influences her creative practice

The importance of working with clients who feel aligned

Having a creative outlet beyond paid work

Navigating client expectations and people-pleasing

Creating work that feels authentic to you

What Abby learned from completing a 100-day project

And much more!

Connect with Abby:
www.abbyjacdesigns.com
Instagram: @abbyjacdesigns

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 together her love of drawing, books, storytelling, and human connection. She and Margo talk about creative reinvention, letting go of the feeling that you're "behind," and realizing that none of the experiences along the way are wasted. They also explore the pressure to find a signature style, how motherhood and dentistry shaped Nosheen as an artist, and why work made by human hands matters in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Margo and Nosheen discuss:
Reinventing yourself creatively later in life

Why your past experiences aren't wasted

Finding your voice without forcing a signature style

Creativity as a way of living, not just a career

The importance of empathy and human connection in art

Why hand-drawn work still matters in an AI-driven world

Connect with Nosheen:
Website: nosheendesigns.co.uk
Instagram + LinkedIn: @nosheendesigns
Work 1:1 with Margo:
Looking for personalized support in your creative practice or business? Sign up for 1:1 coaching with Margo for focused guidance, clarity, and support tailored to where you are and where you want to go next. https://margotantau.com/coaching-with-margo