I just posted this question on Twitter and LinkedIn and got a lot of interesting responses. From paper snowflakes, to muffins, to cookies, to photos, to records; these are the things that first came to people’s minds when considering the question. These things are what they like to make. These are the things they like thinking about making.

After reading books like Pam Slim’s Escape From Cubicle Nation, you start to realize that there’s something to these seemingly mundane activities. Gary Vaynerchuck’s Crush It comes to mind too, as well as Hugh MacLeod’s Ignore Everybody. Making paper snowflakes becomes a craft blog with thousands of readers sharing their passion. Taking photos becomes a successful wedding photography business with landscape photos on the side for fun. Writing songs becomes a stepladder to licensing music for commercials. And on, and on.

Business is a part of our lives, and it’s interesting to watch how it gets played out. What’s sad is to watch the opportunities where it could blossom, but gets pushed aside, because of fear, self-doubt, and the false assumptions of what reality is.

So, what can you make? And more importantly, what are you doing about it?