Windowsill Chats

By: Margo Tantau
  • Summary

  • Windowsill Chats is a podcast for artists and creatives who are curious about what it's like to live, work & walk a creative path. You'll find honest stories, refreshing tips, artistic business advice and real conversations with global artists & makers just like you. Host Margo Tantau, a 30+ year Creative Director, Product Designer & maker, is a cheerleader for your success. Come grab a cuppa & join her in her sunny windowsill.
    © 2023
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Episodes
  • Crafting Cinematic Worlds: Annie Atkins on Iconic Film Design, Creative Storytelling, and Letters From the North Pole
    Sep 25 2024

    Margo is joined by Annie Atkins, a graphic designer and legendary prop maker for film and television. She is known for her work with Wes Anderson on The Grand Budapest Hotel, which won the Academy Award for Best Production Design at the 87th Academy Awards. Since then, she has worked again with Wes Anderson on Isle of Dogs and The French Dispatch as well as on Steven Speilberg's West Side Story and Bridge of Spies. Annie’s first book, Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps, was published in 2020 by Phaidon. In her first children's book, Letters From The North Pole, five children from all around the world write to Santa Claus with ideas for Christmas gifts and are amazed when he writes back! Through five letters from Santa that children can pull out and read, the hidden world of the North Pole is revealed, from how reindeer can sleep standing up to what snacks Santa would like left out on Christmas Eve, and how he gets round the world so quickly. This is a nostalgic and festive tale, reminiscent of the classic The Jolly Postman and Annie's iconic work on such films as The Grand Budapest Hotel.

    Margo and Annie discuss:

    • How Annie’s upbringing in a creative household influenced her decision to pursue graphic design and the pivotal moments that led her into the film industry

    • Her impressive portfolio working on films and specific challenges and joys she encountered while working with distinctive styles of directors

    • Hand-lettering vs. digital design

    • Film prop details and some of the various intricate props she crafted

    • Learning through mistakes, how using a 50-star flag instead of a 48-star flag in Bridge of Spies taught her to ensure historical accuracy

    • Personal Projects vs. Commissioned Work

    • What the job of a graphic designer on a film set typically involves and how it contributes to the overall storytelling in a movie

    • Her captivating and interactive new children's book, Letters from the North Pole

    Connect with Annie:

    www.instagra.com/AnnieAtkins

    www.annieatkins.com

    Connect with Margo:

    www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

    www.windowsillchats.com

    www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Creating Space for the Life You Want: Time-Saving Strategies, Monetizing Creative Talents, and Productivity with Chelsea Wessman
    Sep 18 2024

    In this previously aired episode, Margo is joined by (former) Productivity Coach & Online Business Consultant Chelsea Wessman. Chelsea is a popcorn obsessed, mom of 3, living next to the Utah mountains and is passionate about empowering ambitious mompreneurs to take back their time, make more money without putting in more hours, and create a life that aligns with their values. She helps ambitious women to optimize time, money, and mindset without sacrificing sanity through systems, financial freedom, and time management hacks.

    They discuss:

    • The difference between productivity and being busy and how to figure out which one you’re spending more of your time being

    • Why you don’t have to time block or map out your entire day, week, or month to be productive

    • When you should have a template or system for certain things in your life or business

    • How she helps creatives and other business owners map out online product and service promotional launches

    • Reverse engineering goals

    • The importance of clarity and structure

    • How mindset plays into productivity

    Chelsea is passionate about inspiring others to see more for their life, do more of what matters most, and be more of who you’re meant to be because you’ll never regret investing the time and effort required to reach your potential.

    Resources Mentioned:

    The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz

    High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way by Brendon Burchard

    Connect with Chelsea:

    https://view.flodesk.com/emails/63caebcf75888582c8c6b579

    www.instagram.com/chelseawessman

    Chelsea’s Jumpstart Checklists Resource

    Connect with Margo:

    www.windowsillchats.com

    www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

    www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

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    53 mins
  • Travel by Design: Eva Jorgensen on Crafting Global Experiences and Creative Retreats
    Sep 11 2024

    Margo is joined by travel designer, leader of design trips & retreats, and the author of Paris by Design: An Inspired Guide to the City’s Creative Side, Eva Jorgensen. Eva is also a 17 year design industry veteran with an MFA degree who has taught art, ran an artisanal stationery company for a decade, curated an independent gift shop, and worked as a freelance creative director. Eva grew up in California and lived in France, Belgium, and Ohio for much of her 20s. She now lives in the Utah mountains with her husband, Kirk, and their 2 kids.

    Margo and Eva discuss:

    • Eva's upbringing in California and early artistic inspiration.

    • How both her Mother’s stories and influence and her Father’s entrepreneurial background guided her creative path.

    • How she went from operating a letterpress business to organizing exclusive creative retreats.

    • Her exciting plans for upcoming design-focused trips to Belgium and the Cotswolds.

    • Balancing artistic dreams with family life.

    • Her Ambition to one day write and direct an independent feature film.

    • Finding inspiration through nature, travel, and being offline.

    • How writing a magazine turned into a book.

    • The importance of connection and how her retreats bring people together.

    • Eva’s upcoming retreats.

    Connect with Eva:

    https://www.evajorgensen.com/

    https://www.evajorgensen.com/letters-from-eva

    www.instagram.com/evajorgensentravel

    Connect with Margo:

    www.windowsillchats.com

    www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

    www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

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    1 hr and 18 mins

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I love this podcast!

Margo has such a wealth of knowledge herself and knows some truly interesting creatives in many walks of life. If you want to thrive as an artist, designer or illustrator listen to these as you work and be inspired!

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