The Inner Voice of a Creative: Rebuilding, Reflecting, and Reimagining with Tina Backman

Margo is joined by Swedish designer, illustrator, and educator Tina Backman for an inspiring conversation about creativity, self-discovery, and the winding path of a creative life.

From a shy childhood filled with drawing, journaling, and music, Tina shares how creativity became her truest language—and how that expression evolved into an international career in design, education, and branding. Margo and Tina explore the realities of navigating a creative career: the pressure to pursue “practical” paths, the challenges of freelance life, and the courage it takes to follow your inner voice.

Tina also opens up about rebuilding her creative presence after losing her Instagram account, the magic of physical creative spaces, and why gathering with other women has been essential to her journey. It’s a rich, vulnerable, and empowering episode filled with lessons on resilience, reinvention, and reclaiming creative joy.

 

Topics discussed by Margo and Tina:

• Using creativity as a safe space and communication tool in childhood

• The tension between societal expectations and following an artistic path

• Tina’s experiences studying in the UK vs. Sweden—and how that shaped her work

• Transitioning from international freelance work to teaching design

• How to recognize when a project isn’t the right fit (and why that matters)

• Why Tina created her own studio—and how it reignited her inspiration

• The importance of community and local creative gatherings for women

• Balancing creative work with full-time roles, like branding for a Swedish municipality

• Tips for presenting creative ideas in a way that resonates with clients

• Honoring your past creative work, even when life gets busy
  
  

Connect with Tina:

https://tinabackman.se/

https://www.instagram.com/tinabackmandesignstudio/

 

Connect with Margo:
https://www.tantaustudio.com

https://www.instagram.com/windowsillchats/

https://www.patreon.com/c/inthewindowsill

https://www.yourtantaustudio.com/thefoundry