Windowsill Chats Margo Tantau

Back with a creative current events update, Margo is joined by Abby Campbell. They dive into the latest social media app, Cara, and its mission to filter out generative AI images so that people who want to find authentic creatives and artwork can do so easily, Meta’s somewhat scary new AI policies and the difficulty in opting out, and Adobe versus the Ansel Adams Estate - what went wrong and what kinds of processes should be in place to ensure it doesn’t happen in the future. 
 
Have a topic or article you want to hear about in a creative current events episode? Send us a DM on Instagram! 
 
Connect with Abby:
https://www.abbyjcampbell.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ajcampkc/
https://www.pinterest.com/ajcampbell/
 
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
 

Margo is joined by seasoned artist, designer, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in the creative industry Paul Pape. Paul’s journey began with a passion for education stemming from a need to escape an abusive childhood. Eventually, he found his way to design and fabrication, which led to the creation of thousands of personalized products for clients worldwide as well as industry giants such as Disney, Universal, Nickelodeon and more.. In recent years, he’s pivoted to empowering Creatives, Companies and Corporations, sharing his expertise and insights to help them embrace innovation, reverse the Creativity Crisis and make life and work FUN again. As a speaker, educator, and mentor, he inspires others to unleash their creative potential and find fulfillment in their personal and professional lives.
 
Margo and Paul discuss:
Pauls personal creative journey and how an abusive childhood played a role from inspiration to career
How the industrial revolution shifted jobs towards more creative pursuits and how technology now frees us for even greater imaginative endeavors
How customized creations can touch lives in unexpected ways
The incredible impact creativity can have on our lives
Dealing with copyright and trademark challenges
Empowering the next generation of creatives
The importance of failing with purpose
Nurturing creativity in education
The evolving role of technology and AI in artistic expression
His unique framework to foster creativity called PLAY (Ponder, Learn, Apply, Yield)
Joy and importance of teaching without gatekeeping
 
Connect with Paul:
https://paulpape.it/
https://www.youtube.com/paulpapedesigns
https://www.instagram.com/paulpapedesigns/
https://www.facebook.com/paulpapedesigns
Freebie! https://talk.ac/paulpape?code=WINDOWSILL
 
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
 

Margo is joined by Jewelry Designer Dani Paquin. Dani founded Agapantha Jewelry in April of 2004 after 6+ years of living as a touring singer-songwriter. While it was an incredible, dream fulfilling time, people don't love paying for music and the hustle was unsustainable. Between tours, Dani started working for a couple of designers, assembling jewelry and found that it was fun, creative, she was good at it, and people were willing to pay for it. She did music and jewelry for a while, semi-retired from music, opened an adorable vintage shop in Brooklyn, and eventually found her way into the full time flow of entrepreneurship. In 2010 she moved back to her home state of California and Agapantha has been headquartered in Torrance (Los Angeles County) for the past 14 years. In that time, the style of jewelry has changed dramatically and landed where it is currently - delicate, modern, layering jewelry - handmade in her production studio using primarily sterling silver and 14k gold filled materials.
 
Margo and Dani discuss:
Her  journey from music to crafting exquisite, delicate, and modern jewelry
How she built a successful business through innovative strategies, combining wholesale, retail, and unique events
Diversifying offerings so all the eggs aren't in one basket
The future of her brand as she ventures into fine jewelry
The intricacies of running a creative business
The importance of customer interaction and the challenges of navigating tough economic times
Hiring a team and the importance of finding people that are better than you
The incredible community she's built through initiatives like "Flash Sale Friday" and the Agapantha VIP club
And more
 
Agapantha is carried in boutiques all over the world, including the Agapantha showroom. Dani’s business model is fluid, allowing for change and flexibility, but combines wholesale, retail, online, and events including activities such as piercing, laser engraving, and forever jewelry.
 
Connect with Dani Paquin:
www.agapantha.com
www.instagram.com/agapanthajewelry
www.tiktok.com/@agapanthajewelry
 
Connect with Margo: 
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
 

Margo is joined by artist and designer for the gift & home decor industry, Jennifer Brinley. Jennifer has been in the industry for over 20 years with a degree in Studio Art from UC Santa Barbara and she believes well designed products can bring moments of joy. Her creative path took her to graduate school for architecture before promptly dropping out after learning advanced math was involved to pass "structures." She then bounced around with a variety of jobs to save money to go to Europe for 3 months with a childhood friend. After Europe, came the quandary of what to do next and decided she would go back to school to become an art teacher. A want ad looking for a T-shirt designer led to quickly creating a fake portfolio and she began designing T-shirts for Crazy Shirts as well as getting a business license to sell her own T-shirts. She met her licensing agent by chance making color copies at Kinkos and today her designs have been on everything from tableware, gift mugs, kitchen textiles, rugs, fabrics, placemats, trays, coasters, gift bags, flags, art poles and planters.
 
Margo and Jennifer discuss:
Finding inspiration in nature and how one of her best selling products is a nature inspired design
Balancing creativity and business in the art world
The importance of staying informed and interested within one's industry
Fueling passion through seeing others' work and new trends
The impact of art and design on behavior and well-being
The benefits of engaging in art daily for brain stimulation
Biophilic design and nature's calming effect on the brain
Studies on neuroaesthetics (the measurable changes that occur in the brain while looking at art, design, architecture, interior design, etc) 
 
Connect with Jennifer:
https://www.instagram.com/jenniferbrinley/
 
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
 

Margo is joined by artist, photographer and author Mary Jo Hoffman. In her previous life, Mary was an aerospace engineer until one day she decided to take up a daily practice of photographing something in nature. This daily practice turned into STILL Blog, profound revelations about the connectedness of all things, the importance of place, and her own life. Her new book, STILL: The Art of Noticing, features 275 of the most stunning photographs Mary Jo has accumulated over thousands of consecutive days of daily shooting accompanied by perceptive, deeply felt, and oftentimes humorous essays illuminating the insights gained through this daily creative practice. Mary Jo has enlisted the help of her husband, Steve, and their two children on this creative endeavor. What started out as a way to practice for retirement, has turned into a second career! Mary Jo's photos will have you looking at your own backyard in a different way and noticing much more than you ever did before.
 
Margo and Mary Jo discuss:
Her creative path and how she went from aerospace engineer to photographer and author
The importance of continuing the creative process despite life events
Creating a memory grid
The concept of 72 microseasons and how it impacts her creativity and photography
Benefits and challenges of committing to long-term creative projects
Licensing Deals, her experiences in working with Target and West Elm
Maintaining a creative life while raising a family and the impactful legacy that can leave for children
The intricacies of finding beauty in everyday life,
Her new book, Still: The Art of Noticing
 
Connect with Mary Jo Hoffman:
https://www.instagram.com/maryjohoffman/
STILL: The Art of Noticing
http://eepurl.com/bTvh4n (Newsletter)
 
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
 

Trying something new this week with a new little episode format! In this episode, Margo is joined for a short conversation with fellow creative and friend of the Windowsill, Abby Campbell. They explore a few recent articles and subject matter that they’ve been chewing on such as the recent FTC ruling banning non-compete agreements, a Harvard Business Review article on combating burnout, and a fascinating tech piece on Nightshade—a new tool designed to protect artists' works from AI exploitation.
 
Have a topic or article you want to hear about in a creative current events episode? Send us a DM on Instagram! 
 
Connect with Abby:
https://www.abbyjcampbell.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ajcampkc/
https://www.pinterest.com/ajcampbell/
 
Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill