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 "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/

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 integration. She reflects on the early creative influences that shaped her, the role of music in her life, and the challenges of forging a nontraditional career path.

Margo and Susan discuss:

• Why creativity is a cognitive skill rather than a personality trait or talent
• How uncertainty and complexity actually activate creative thinking
• The hidden cost of optimization, efficiency, and "best practices"
• What "Create Before You Consume" looks like in everyday life
• How curiosity becomes a uniquely human advantage in the age of AI
• The connection between creativity, judgment, and human agency
• Susan's path from educator to national thought leader

Connect with Susan:
susanmriley.com

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 discuss:

• Why visibility—not talent—is often the biggest hurdle for creatives
• Reframing PR as relevance-driven storytelling (not self-promotion)
• Gloria's CPR Method: Credibility, Point of View, Relevance
• How cold pitching works—even without contacts or PR experience
• Using AI tools to research angles and draft pitches in minutes
• Press & podcasts as critical trust signals in AI-driven search
• The shift from traditional SEO to AI shopping and discovery
• Mindset shifts to overcome imposter syndrome and "not newsworthy" thinking

Connect with Gloria:

Website: www.gloriachoupr.com

Instagram: @gloriachoupr

YouTube: @smallbusinesspr

LinkedIn: in/gloriaychou

Connect with Margo:

• Website: www.windowsillchats.com
• Instagram: @windowsillchats
• www.patreon.com/inthewindowsill
• https://www.yourtantaustudio.com/thefoundry