september diy + business book club and giveaway
When I started my handmade business a decade ago there were very few resources for handmade entrepreneurs. There were no blogs like Oh My Handmade Goodness or books like Kari Chapin’s The Handmade Marketplace or podcasts like After the Jump, Fresh Rag, Elise Gets Crafty or While She Naps to help creative entrepreneurs out with the business side of making. (You can check out more podcasts we suggest for creatives here. Since these resources didn’t exist yet, the makers I knew shared tips and advice in person. I was lucky to create a network of fellow makers that I met at craft shows and flea markets where we sold our stuff. We shared what we’d learned with each other about marketing, production, branding and business in general.
Now there are so many great places and spaces that connect and inform creatives. One of the reasons I started our monthly book club at Dear Handmade Life was to share the wonderful books that have helped me gain insight into my business and stay inspired. This month is no exception. Aside from two awesome printing books, Printing by Hand by Lena Corwin and Print Workshop by Christine Schmidt, we’re sharing Soap Crafting by Anne-Marie Faiola. Our business pick for September is I Just Like to Make Things by Lilla Rogers. This last book is truly inspiring for not only business tips but for inspiration as well.
A few weeks ago I listened to Lilla Rogers talk with one of the artists she represents and our Craftcation 2014 keynote speaker Lisa Congdon on Abby Glassenberg’s podcast While She Naps. It was so cool to hear Lilla talk about the evolution of art and illustration since she started out in the 1980s. I highly suggest this book to any creative even if you’re not an illustrator or artist. It’s full of inspirational quotes including this one that I loved so much I did an illustration of it for my post on 13 business tools that keep me from going berserk. Happy reading + making! We’re even giving away a few of these titles to one of our lucky readers. See below to enter the contest.
-Nicole s.
To enter the contest:
If you want to win three of these books I Just Like to Make Things, Printing by Hand, and Soap Crafting, just leave a comment on this post letting us know one of your favorite quotes that inspires you. Post your comment by October 1st at midnight to be entered to win. Make sure to include your email address so we can get your address and ship you some lovely things to read.
I Just Like to Make Things by Lilla Rogers
Printing by Hand by Lena Corwin
Soap Crafting by Anne-Marie Faiola
Print Workshop by Christine Schmidt
The contest is now closed. Congrats to Meghan!
My favorite quote is a Leonard Cohen lyric:
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
“Be yourself. Unless you can be a unicorn, In that case, you should always be a unicorn.”
“I wumbo, you wumbo, he-she-me wumbo. Wumboing, wumbology, the study of wumbo! It’s first grade Spongebob” Patrick Star
My favorite quote is, “Try is good. Aim is better.”
I don’t know who to attribute it to, though!
If it’s flipping hamburgers at McDonald’s, be the best hamburger flipper in the world. Whatever it is you do you have to master your craft.
Snoop Dogg
My latest favorite quote is (and I don’t know its origin):
Love the life you live. Live the life you love.
Jill
My favorite quote that fits perfectly for me right now is “I am learning every day to allow the space between where I am and where I want to be to inspire me and not terrify me” by Tracee Ellis Ross
My favorite quote is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. (Paul). Pretty much works for everything 🙂
my favorite is
Never tell a little girl they can do anything because if you don’t they’ll never no they can’t.
I don’t remember who said it or why but I’m not a little girl and it still inspires me way more then you can do it ever did.