Stop Being a Good Girl: Maps, Reinvention, and the Case for Texture, with Tania Willis

What does it look like to build a creative career that keeps evolving, without losing the curiosity that got you started?

This week, Margo is joined by illustrator, designer, cartographer, educator, and all-around creative powerhouse Tania Willis. With a career spanning editorial illustration, advertising, pictorial maps, heritage interpretation, products, licensing, and education, Tania has spent decades finding new ways to make a living from her creativity. She's also the co-founder of The Good Ship Illustration, where she helps illustrators navigate the business side of a creative career.

Tania and Margo talk about the power of creative community, adapting as the industry changes, and why even established artists sometimes need to reinvent their work. They also explore the value of diversifying your income, following your genuine interests instead of trends, and creating supportive spaces where artists can learn without fear or shame.

Margo and Tania discuss:

• Why collaboration and community can accelerate creative growth
• Adapting your business as social media and the illustration industry change
• Teaching, mentoring, and sharing what you've learned along the way
• Reinventing your style when your work starts to feel too predictable
• Following curiosity instead of what you think you "should" be making
• Building a resilient career through freelance work, teaching, products, and licensing
• Why relationships and unexpected opportunities often shape a creative career
• The enduring value of handmade, imperfect, distinctly human work
• Creating safe, encouraging spaces for artists to experiment and learn
• Why sometimes you just have to fly your freak flag

Connect with Tania: www.taniawillis.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/tania.willis The Good Ship Illustration: www.thegoodshipillustration.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/thegoodshipillustration