Margo is joined by Sashiko artisan, educator, and storyteller Atsushi Futatsuya for a conversation about creativity, cultural heritage, and the stories carried through handmade work. Born into a family deeply rooted in the Japanese tradition of Sashiko, Atsushi shares his journey from resisting the craft he grew up around to becoming one of its most passionate advocates and teachers. Through his work with Sashi.Co, Sashiko Story, and Upcycle Stitches, he helps people understand that Sashiko is far more than a stitching technique—it is a living cultural practice woven together by history, community, and care.

Margo and Atsushi explore the role of rhythm, repetition, and mindfulness in creative practice, as well as the challenges of preserving cultural traditions in a rapidly changing world. They discuss the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation, the responsibility that comes with sharing inherited knowledge, and why stories matter just as much as skills.

Margo and Atsushi discuss:

• What Sashiko is and the cultural history behind the traditional Japanese stitching practice

• Growing up in a Sashiko family and why Atsushi initially resisted the craft

• How the 2011 earthquake in Japan became a turning point in his relationship with his heritage

• The importance of sharing cultural traditions so they can continue to evolve and survive

• Why rhythm, repetition, and handwork can become powerful forms of mindfulness

• The distinction between visible mending and the deeper cultural context of Sashiko

• Navigating conversations around cultural appreciation, appropriation, and acknowledgment

• The stories, values, and human connections woven into every stitch

• How creativity helps us connect with history, identity, and community

• Why letting go of control is often an essential part of both stitching and life

Connect with Atsushi:
Website: https://sashikostory.com
Instagram: @sashikostory
Instagram: @upcyclestitches

Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by Lauren Henkin, founder of The Humane Space, a mindfulness and lifelong learning app designed to boost wellbeing and reduce stress by sparking curiosity, wonder, and awe. In this conversation, Lauren shares her journey from architecture and fine art photography to tech founder, and how following her own curiosity led her to create a platform built on the belief that wonder, awe, and lifelong learning are just as essential to our wellbeing as physical health.

Together, they explore the role curiosity plays in creativity, personal growth, and human connection. They discuss how our environments shape the way we think, why many modern systems discourage curious thinking, and what we lose when we outsource our voices and ideas to technology. Lauren also shares the values that guide The Humane Space, including intellectual integrity, collaborative creativity, and a commitment to creating content made by humans, for humans.

Margo and Lauren discuss:

• Lauren's unconventional path from architecture and photography to founding The Humane Space
• Why curiosity is a lifelong practice that supports wellbeing, creativity, and resilience
• How physical and digital spaces can be designed to inspire wonder and exploration
• The mission behind The Humane Space and its alternative approach to social media and technology
• The role of intellectual integrity, collaboration, and human-made creativity in an AI-driven world
• Practical ways to cultivate more awe, wonder, and curiosity in everyday life

Connect with Lauren

• The Humane Space App: https://www.thehumane.space/
• Lauren Henkin: https://www.instagram.com/laurenhenkin/

Connect with Margo:
www.windowsillchats.com
www.instagram.com/windowsillchats
www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill

Margo is joined by Abby for another edition of Creative Current Events—the series where they unpack the stories, launches, trends, and internet conversations shaping the creative world right now. This episode covers everything from the rise (and critique) of the "beige epidemic" in interiors to unexpected retail collaborations, bold beauty marketing, shifting brand landscapes, and artists doing interesting work outside the algorithm. Along the way, they discuss what these moments reveal about creativity, originality, accessibility, and where culture seems to be headed next.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Beige Epidemic – House Beautiful
  https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/a71336893/the-next-issue-beige-epidemic/
• Colorful interiors and inspiration – The House That Lars Built
  https://thehousethatlarsbuilt.com/
• Jonathan Adler collection at Michaels
  https://www.michaels.com/shop/jonathan-adler
• Review video of the Jonathan Adler collection
  https://www.instagram.com/reels/DXkZqF7kvtv/
• GIMP's redesign: Photoshop familiarity without the subscription
  https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/open-source-gimp-reskin-gives-it-a-familiar-photoshop-look-without-the-hefty-fee/
• Explore GIMP
  https://www.gimp.org/
• Create! Magazine – Call for Art Submissions
  https://www.createmagazine.co/call-for-art
• Garden & Gun Magazine
  https://gardenandgun.com/
• Cover artist feature – Brian Steely
  https://www.instagram.com/p/DYe7ldUx2YO/
• The Bitter Southerner
  https://bittersoutherner.com/
• The Ordinary's skewered beauty marketing approach
  https://www.creativereview.co.uk/the-ordinary-markup-marche-pop-up-supermarket-uncommon/
• "The Most Valuable Place a Brand Can Be Right Now Isn't Online"
  https://www.instagram.com/p/DWZzckqEYuM/
• Shein acquires Everlane discussion
  https://www.instagram.com/p/DYfcq7Ik49Y/
• The "tone deaf" commencement speech conversation
  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYNfbyEP82q/
• Wylie Welling × Carhart
  https://wyliewelling.com/blogs/journal
• Artist & listener spotlight: Renee Reid
  https://www.instagram.com/reneereidcreations

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