Margo is joined by Jennifer Orkin Lewis and Gayle Kabaker—two powerhouse painters, illustrators, authors, and beloved art teachers whose friendship and creative partnership has taken them (and their students) around the world. Jennifer and Gayle each spent years in fast-paced industries—Jennifer as a textile designer in NYC, Gayle as a fashion illustrator and editorial artist—before embracing slower, more intuitive practices rooted in daily sketchbooking, storytelling, and teaching.

Together, Jennifer and Gayle lead collaborative retreats and online workshops that encourage creative exploration and self-expression. Their work is joyful, bold, and filled with heart—and they’re deeply committed to helping others find their voice. In this rich and honest conversation, they talk about letting go of “shoulds,” walking away from stale opportunities, and trusting their own timing—whether that meant leaving agents behind, stepping into teaching, or creating space for personal transformation.

Margo, Jennifer, and Gayle discuss:

• How daily sketchbook practice became their creative anchor

• Why process is more important than perfection

• How their retreats have opened doors for their students—and for themselves

• The power of artistic community and creative friendship

• Why five minutes a day can change everything

• How their individual journeys led them to a shared mission in teaching and creating
  
  

Mentioned in this episode:
July 27th Class: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/painting-faces-florals-and-pattern-play-with-gayle-jennifer-registration-1459034243699

Portugal Retreat: https://uptrek.com/retreat/transformative-sketchbook-retreat-artists-jennifer-orkin-lewis-gayle-kabaker-portugal

Chloe Ward Yoga: https://www.chloeward.yoga/

Zig Markers: https://www.markersupply.com/zigartgrtwma.html?srsltid=AfmBOop1y1ZX-zYJX7i3b7ByZnqncJPHQ7NZ9tRDzucQ3KLAc-YukjFU

Tombow Markers: https://www.dickblick.com/products/tombow-dual-brush-pens/?srsltid=AfmBOorG6HNbBOGAP7igbmAxApp9GwjjeT6vqaJn0B7EBkt-IFO7SS5j

Connect with Jennifer:

https://www.augustwren.com/

https://augustwren.substack.com/subscribe

https://www.instagram.com/augustwren/

Connect with Gayle:

www.gkabaker.com

https://gaylekabaker.substack.com

https://www.instagram.com/gaylekabake

Connect with Margo:

www.windowsillchats.com

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

https://www.yourtantaustudio.com/thefoundry

Margo and Abby are back with another installment of Creative Current Events, a special segment of Windowsill Chats where creativity, culture, and community collide. This episode spans a range of creative topics—from Beloved Asheville’s heartfelt relief efforts in Kerrville, Texas, to the ripple effects of rising postage costs and UPS layoffs on small creative businesses. They dig into a major fair use ruling involving Anthropic that could impact the future of AI-generated content, and explore how tools like Canva’s Magic Write are giving small businesses fresh ways to create with confidence. They also spotlight sustainability-minded artists turning trash into treasure—and an unexpected art gallery found in a Texas truck stop bathroom. As always, it’s a curious and timely mix of what’s happening now and what it means for the creative world.

Articles Mentioned:

• UPS offers buyouts to drivers as it shutters 73 sites, laying off 20,000 jobs

• Anthropic wins a major fair use victory for AI — but it’s still in trouble for stealing books

• How to use AI as a small entrepreneur

• Summerween - It’s back!

• Octogenarian Says Joy Is Contagious

• Turning glass into sand!

• https://glasshalffull.co/

• Visualising Britain's fashion waste problem with cyanotype photography

• A world first in size and scale, V&A East Storehouse immerses you in over half a million works from every creative discipline.

• Texas’s Hottest Art Gallery Is the Buc-ee’s Bathroom

• Unwasted transforms local waste streams into tiles

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

https://www.yourtantaustudio.com/thefoundry

Margo is joined by Andee Hart, a former Fortune 500 sales executive turned thriving creative entrepreneur, candle maker, and coach who helps women overcome sales anxiety and grow their businesses with integrity. As host of the She Sells Differently podcast and founder of Hart Design Co., Andee brings her bold, heart-centered approach to entrepreneurship—and in this episode, she shares her powerful journey from side hustle to full-time business ownership.

Margo and Andee discuss:

• Making the leap from corporate sales to creative entrepreneurship

• Building a thriving product-based business from the kitchen up

• Navigating fear and perfectionism when starting something new

• Why selling doesn’t have to feel “icky” and how to reframe it as service

• The power of email marketing and why it trumps social media

• Strategies for pricing your work with confidence and integrity

• Approaching retailers for wholesale partnerships

• Knowing who your customers aren’t (and why that’s freeing)

• Andee’s counter-cultural approach to sales and marketing

Connect with Andee:

Website: https://andeehart.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andeehart/

Hart Design Co Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hartdesignco/

Andee’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andeehart/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shesellsdifferently/

She Sells Differently Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/she-sells-differently-authentic-selling-business-growth/id1731402504

Connect with Margo:

www.windowsillchats.com

www.instagram.com/windowsillchats

www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

https://www.yourtantaustudio.com/thefoundry