The work doesn't love you back

The Memo from the Desk

Zach here, I've got a number for you to think about.

4576.

That's the average (optimistic) number of weeks in a lifespan.

Granted, that's if you don't get hit by a bus beforehand or if the world doesn't burn out first.

But in the grand scheme if things 4,576 weeks is not a lot of time.

I am currently 32 years and 12 weeks old, I have used up 1,682 of my weeks. I have approximately 2,894 weeks left till I kick the bucket....if I don't get hit by a bus.

And you know what the majority of my weeks has been spent doing?

Work.

Whether it's working for someone else, or working for a client, or working for myself...

…it's still been work.

As entrepreneurs and creative professionals, we can have a tendency to get caught up in the work.

We develop tunnel vision and loose sight of what is outside of it.

The thing is, the work doesn't love you back.

You know what will? Your family, your spouse, your friends, your pets.

They love you back.

While this dispatch is part email newsletter, part Zach's existential crisis —

I mainly want it to be a reminder.

A reminder to take a break from the work.

Now, I've got some homework for you.

Go to the following link and calculate your number of weeks left.

And just let the number of weeks sink in.

The next thing I want you to do is take a break from what you are working on.

Go for a walk outside.

While you are getting fresh air remind yourself why you do the work, who you do it for.

For me I do this work for my wife in the hopes that one day my business will sustain us enough to where she can retire from her teaching career.

Who do you do it for?

Finally I want you to continue to take occasional breaks to remind yourself why you are doing this work to begin with.

One of my favorites ways to take a break from the work is by connecting with the amazing community we have at Maker Division. Whether it's hoping into Circle and catching up on the current discussions in the feed, or listening to community wins on the Friday coaching calls — there's always something there to take my mind off the work and connect with other creative professionals.

So if you are a Maker Division member, I hope to see you in the community soon. I encourage you to peel yourself away from your laptop and just connect with other members for the sake of connecting.

And if you are not a Maker Division member, I invite you to check it out! You can see the recorded tour to get an idea of what it's like or you can join us here.

Hopefully next time I'm taking a break, I'll see you in the community. I would love to connect.

Until Then,

Zach Ebert,

Maker Division Community Manager

Steve: A framework for ai and identity design

On the Bookshelf

A lot of designers are adding AI and Machine Learning to their workflows. Melani De Luca's book is an interesting framework for adding ML to the identity design process. It's part research paper, part book with lots of interviews and deep thinking on the identity design process.

Get Your Copy

Asher Perlman

Artist We Love

Asher Perlman is a cartoonist for The New Yorker and writer for The Late Show. If you follow me on instagram you've probably seem me share his cartoons before. His dry sense of humor and commentary on modern life keep me going some days.

CHECK OUT the instagram

Tenebre rosso sangue by Keygen Church

Now Playing

I can't be the only one that listen to video game soundtracks while I work. Ultrakill's soundtrack is a glorious mix of heavy metal and pipe organs, just give it a listen. PRAISE BE THE CODE.

GIVE it A LISTEN

We're incredibly proud of Nekwan Luke and the growth he's shown since joining Maker Division. His recent client win perfectly demonstrates what happens when you combine great work with clear boundaries.

Nekwan started with a pro-bono landing page redesign for an Organization Design & Management firm, delivering high-fidelity wireframes that gave their digital presence a much-needed refresh. When the client asked for additional case studies, here's where the magic happened: instead of saying yes to more free work, Nekwan took a breath and confidently said, "I'd love to help — but this would need to be a paid engagement because of the value and time involved."

The result? No drama, no awkward pause — just respect for his boundaries and a $2,500 project to create four comprehensive case studies.

Using Maker Division's contract templates, Nekwan protected himself from scope creep and delivered exceptional work in under a month. His key insight? "You don't need a massive following or viral post to book great work. You need to show up, do good work, and be clear about your worth."

That's exactly the kind of confident, sustainable business approach we love to see. Way to go, Nekwan! 🚀

Nekwan Luke

Division Win

"The project kicked off with a pro-bono landing page redesign for an Organization Design & Management firm. After I delivered the high-fidelity wireframe for the page, they saw how much cleaner and sharper their messaging looked — and that's when they hit me with, 'Hey, can you also create detailed case studies for our client acquisition funnel?' I took a breath, reminded myself that exposure doesn't pay the bills, and (a little nervously) said: 'I'd love to help — but this would need to be a paid engagement because of the value and time involved.' And guess what? No drama. No awkward pause. They said yes, respected the boundary, and we were off. You don't need a massive following or viral post to book great work. You need to show up, do good work, and be clear about your worth."

Read more