Get Paid to Draw: Mike Lowery on Building a Portfolio That Gets You Hired
Release Date: 03/04/2026
Creative Current Events: The Future of Licensing & the Reinvention of Retail
Windowsill Chats
Margo is joined once again by Abby Campbell for a Creative Current Events catch-up episode, and this one is packed. After a short hiatus, the two dive right back into the ever-evolving world of art, design, and creative business—starting with Margo’s firsthand experience exhibiting at the Birmingham Spring Fair’s new Licensing Lab. She shares what stood out, from booth design trends to the shifting landscape of licensing and wholesale in a post-SurTex world, offering a behind-the-scenes look at where the industry is heading. From there, Margo and Abby broaden the conversation into a...
info_outline
Draw Your World: Samantha Dion Baker on Sketchbook Diaries, Everyday Inspiration, and Letting Go of Perfection
Windowsill Chats
Margo is joined by artist, author, and teacher Sam Dion Baker for a conversation about creativity, sketchbook practice, and finding meaning in the everyday. Originally from Philadelphia and now based in Brooklyn, Sam spent over two decades as a graphic designer before returning to drawing in her forties—ultimately building a deeply personal and widely loved sketchbook diary practice. Through her books, teaching, and artwork, Sam encourages others to slow down, observe their lives, and express themselves in their own unique way. Margo and Sam discuss: How a lifelong exposure to art shaped...
info_outline
Following a Good Idea: Salli Swindell on Illustration, Creative Community, and Finding Joy Beyond Client Work
Windowsill Chats
Margo is joined by illustrator, creative community builder, and industry champion Salli Swindell, who has spent nearly five decades in the illustration world. Salli began her career at American Greetings before co-founding several beloved platforms with her brother Nate Padavick—including They Draw, The Illustrator’s Circle, and Illustrators For Hire—all dedicated to celebrating and promoting illustrators around the globe. Margo and Salli explore Salli’s creative evolution, from decades of client-driven illustration work to embracing a more personal, self-directed creative practice....
info_outline
Get Paid to Draw: Mike Lowery on Building a Portfolio That Gets You Hired
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...
info_outline
Creativity’s Edge: Skill Over Talent & the Case for Creating Before You Consume with Susan Riley
Windowsill Chats
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...
info_outline
Credibility, Point of View & Relevance: Gloria Chou’s No-Gatekeeper PR Approach
Windowsill Chats
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...
info_outline
Creative Paths Without a Blueprint: Building Art Programs, Practices, and Possibility with Ashley Lohr
Windowsill Chats
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...
info_outline
Creating a Career Without Labels: How Jill Labieniec Cultivates Creative Satisfaction in Multiple Mediums
Windowsill Chats
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...
info_outline
What 300 Episodes Has Taught Me About Creativity, Confidence, and Staying the Course
Windowsill Chats
In this 300th episode of Windowsill Chats, Margo sits down for a special solo conversation—answering thoughtful listener questions that span creativity, confidence, career longevity, leadership, and the magic that keeps artists going. With over two decades of experience in the creative industry, Margo reflects on how her relationship with art has evolved, what she’s learned from running The Foundry, and the advice she returns to again and again when mentoring artists. Margo shares: How she makes space for her own creativity—and what her personal art practice looks like now Ways to quiet...
info_outline
Aging Out Loud: Caregiving, Creativity, and the Power of Beginning Again with Judith Henry
Windowsill Chats
Judith Henry joins Margo for a deeply honest and life-affirming conversation about caregiving, creativity, and what can unfold when we stay open to possibility at every age. A writer, artist, and podcaster, Judith shares how caring for her parents in the final chapter of their lives became the unexpected catalyst for an expansive creative journey—one rooted in humor, grit, color, and connection. At 61, Judith wrote The Dutiful Daughter’s Guide to Caregiving, a practical and compassionate resource born from lived experience. In her late 60s, she picked up her mother’s paintbrushes and...
info_outlineMargo 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/
Connect with Margo: