Shameless cross promotion.

For those of you that don't know, I actually run my own little Maker's empire called ZIP & RUTH. As a lesson in why it's a great idea to run more than one blog on similar topics (i.e. 'cross-promotion' in marketing-speak), I would like to plug the killer giveaway and artist feature over on my Z&R blog:

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE AWESOMENESS.

All you have to do is leave a comment about why Emily (featured artist) is so totally fab, and voila! you could win a really pretty handmade vase. Neato, right?

Create. Fail. Make.

I just saw Eat Pray Love. If you loved it, you probably shouldn't read on, because you'll probably hate me after reading this.

You might be asking why I'm writing a movie review, as that isn't exactly in my wheel-house, but this particular movie pissed me off and I felt the need to share.

First off, I love me an inspirational personal journey. You add in world-class food, some hippy-dippy granola-y meditation-y-ness and a healthy dose of hot foreign men who know how to cry and you have a recipe for my perfect film (or life, for that matter). HOWEVER, you show me a story about a wealthy and successful writer who is bored with having a lovely but unfulfilled marriage, and then is bored with her affair with a hot young guy half her age so she just must fly around the world on someone else's dime, and we are looking at a horse of a different color.

I struggle, therefore I am.... wait, there's ANOTHER option?!?

Note from Illana: Jenifer is one of those delightful people that always has a smile on her face; the kind that lights up a room. I have no idea how she does this. I generally smile shortly after realizing that I've been clenching my teeth for a half hour. Call it a hunch, but I don't think Jen has this problem. On a professional note, Mrs. Novak Landers happens to be just a wee bit brilliant, and has devoted her extensive talents to helping people like you and me tap into and unlock our creativity. Kinda awesome, right? I have personally participated in Jenifer's teleclass series and found them to be super inspiring and thought-provoking. Go forth.... click on links.....!
Like this one: Click here for her Facebook
Or this one: Click here for her website

NOT Struggling is an Option?
By Guest Writer Jenifer Novak Landers
Creativity Consultant, Certified Life Coach


I had a spiritual moment at dusk tonight walking around my favorite neighborhood. I looked up to the bird on the wire and realized, I live in made-up scenarios. I make all of them up, they are all MY stories. Why would one story be so convincing and another one fleeting? Because I’m choosing to see them that way. Oh M G.

One scenario is struggling, and not enough, (never enough) and the other is the opposite, a vision of abundance and prosperity and endless creativity on all levels. Except that whenever I plug into the abundance scenario I feel the energy of transformation moving through me and inevitably I default into a belief that IT’S NOT REAL. That I’m just having a “magical thinking” moment. Here comes the return to the struggle. . .

Life Balance? That's Greek for 'Total Personal Mayhem'... right?

Note from Illana: Bo is a totally lovely person. She completely embodies a peace and calm I aspire to while I suck down a cigarette and chastise myself for not working out more. I figure that including her insightful work might light a warm and inspiring campfire under my tooshie. I think it's working.... I'm feeling that familliar tickle of motivation creeping in. If you enjoy her work as much as I do, please check out her book and website. ***BONUS - Make sure you read all the way to the bottom, Bo has generously offered a special giveaway. 

Living a Balanced Life Takes Guts!
By Guest Writer Bo Bradley, Certified Dream Coach®
Author of "Achieving the Balance Dream - 11 Secrets to Living a Life of Balance"


You will never achieve a balanced life if you are wishy-washy and are constantly second-guessing yourself. If you do not believe in yourself and the path you are on you will not have the guts it takes to say "no" to the things that are no longer true for you and "no more" to the things and people holding you back and appearing as insurmountable obstacles.

If you truly wish to life a life in balance then you must be willing to commit to yourself and your dream life. It takes true guts. It is not for the faint of heart. You must believe in the power of YOU!

In my years of coaching, the number one area I see people stumble is the belief and confidence in themselves. Once they stumble, most tend to give up. People often give up right before they succeed. "It's too hard."" I don't want to get hurt."" I can't take the risk. "are common excuses I hear. What the underlying message beneath that is "I don't believe I'm good enough".

So, uh... what's your story?

Would you like to share your story of how you made your business? 

Starting soon, I will be running a business spotlight section on a regular basis. If you think that you have a story that others could learn from, or be inspired by, get in touch by clicking on the 'Get Featured' page on the navigation bar at the top of the page.... you could be the next Makeness Hero!

Take care of yourself, stupid.

In the next few days, I will be highlighting one of the most ignored pieces of the Maker's business puzzle: taking care of yourself. We all know how to take care of buying supplies, making pretty things, researching craft fairs, looking for galleries, but generally speaking, we all suck pretty bad at finding balance between work, hobby, and life.

In the interest of full disclosure, I really blow at this. Like, A LOT. Taking care of others I can totally do. Taking care of business, you bet. Taking care of me, not so much, which is why I am bringing in some lovely and talented guest writers to outline the importance of things like sleeping and eating and putting pretty pictures on the wall of your studio. Wait, what was that? Most well-adjusted adults already know that? Oh. Well, I guess you'll just have to settle for hearing from a a rock-star interior designer, a kick-ass life-balance coach, and a delightfully brilliant creativity consultant.

By Friday, you will be on the road to balance. You will be on the path to creative openness. You will be filled with motivation to create the studio of your dreams!

Make your business matter.

In the coming weeks and months, I will be presenting all kinds of super-duper articles on creating a well-rounded maker-business (hereby known as a Makeness). Articles will help you become more balanced, more focused, and, ultimately, make more money. But, before you can do any of that, you have to decide how much it all matters.

My business(es) have taken years to take shape. I have done all kinds of crazy professions. At one point I sold art at a gallery, made lattes at a coffee shop, and was a florist too; all while I was in grad school and raising a step-son. To say that I get bored easily would be a massive understatement. I have the entrepreneur's curse: I am unemployable. After years of trying to figure out why every job started off strong, and then everyone ended up hating me, I finally made peace with the fact that most companies are like your basic dysfunctional family. Everyone hates each other. They spend their days wishing they could do what you are doing right now. So there I would be, alone at the water cooler, with bosses stealing my ideas and coworkers whispering that I wore the wrong shoes. If this is (or was) you, then you are also unemployable. Congratulations! You are now an entrepreneur. Hope you like risk, because your other options are part-time latte slinging, or becoming a Jewish egg donor (have you eaten your Matzoh Ball soup yet today?).

Now that we have come to terms with our predicament, we decide to get excited about our new found life-path. We are making our hobby into our livelihood! We have Etsy and Artfire and we know our stuff is every bit as good as the people in all those success stories!

Then reality sets in.

We have no idea where to start. The learning curve is steep, and how the hell do all those people on Etsy take such great photos? We tear our hair out. Seriously, it's in little clumps on the floor of our studio. I might decoupage it into an art piece later about our struggles for glory (and rent money).

This is the moment.

This is the moment that separates the you from the pack. How you handle this moment will decide the trajectory of your business in it's early stages. How you handle it when this moment happens over and over and over again at every other stage of your business is what will decide if you are a success or a failure serial lesson learner.