We were lucky to catch up with Ilana Katz Katz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ilana, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I can’t exactly pick a single meaningful project because my experiences as an Artist span so many creative arenas, but I will share about a musical experience that is vital to me. While I am extremely fortunate to perform/record my original songs as a solo artist, and with musicians from around the world (often in the Blues genre) – I am a busker underneath everything. To me, bringing joy via music to people who weren’t expecting to hear it when they woke up in the morning, is a privilege. I get to surprise people and connect with them and brighten people’s days. They tell me their stories and why the music I share is meaningful to them. Music is such an amazing connector and – especially now – we need that. I especially love to play on the subway in Boston, where I’ve been regularly since 2008. I love being a busker because people people respond directly to the music I am making in the moment, rather than to the fact that I have played/recorded in certain festivals and with certain artists. I also enjoy – when I can – helping causes that are dear to my heart with my busking tips. These days, people will often pay with venmo or pay pal tips, but I still get plenty of dollar bills and to me those dollars are magic. The main non profit I donate to is called the Killer Headstone Project and they place headstones on the unmarked graves of Blues musicians – both men and women – lying in unmarked graves. But I do follow my heart and recently gave a day’s tips to help one of the big animal organizations helping out animals in the California wildfires. There are so many amazing organizations. I do my best. These are all meaningful to me!

Ilana, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Because I do a great variety of things, I’ll touch on a few of the ways I’ve come to my artistic endeavors. I fell into most of them. I never intended to be a professional musician! I never thought I was very good, but always loved to play fiddle. From a young age, all I wanted to do was play the violin (which I often call the ‘fiddle’) like John Lee Hooker played guitar. I loved the blues! I also loved old-time fiddle music and playing in alternate tunings. I started playing weekly in the subway in 2008, (and still do!). In 2012, a well-known Bluesman – Ronnie Earl – invited me to play with him one evening and then – to my amazing surprise – he volunteered to be on my debut album! I always wanted to play blues more than anything and here I was with one of the best-known living blues guitarists on my record. For the next year and a half, he took me around to many shows to play with him. It was wayyyy beyond my wildest dreams! I have my own style with the music and having your own style/voice is key to individualize ourselves as artists. I write my own songs, and more and more I also write for other artists. I sing and play as a solo artist. I also record and perform with many bands. I love it all!

I’ll touch on a few of my other professional creative things I do. While I always enjoyed playing music, I was really focused on getting published as a fiction author. After a number of years, writing a few novels and the adventures of literary agents, I finally ended up self-publishing and that first book – The Underground. It was optioned for a screenplay soon after, so I wrote it, but it hasn’t yet been made. I trust in Divine Timing. I’m about to put out another novel later this year, and am really excited about that. I’ve got a new record that will be coming out, too. Definitely a busy year for me.

I also love doing what people aptly call ‘upcycling’ … In my case, it’s clothing. I take old jeans and jeans jackets and sew designs on them and adorn them with one-of-a-kind designs and patterns. I also take new berets and sew appliques on them. I’ll also take felt and cut out cat or guitar shapes or hearts and make one-of-a-kind berets which sell really well. I love doing all kinds of art, and started watercolor painting a long time ago – for fun – and then one day decided to paint my boots. I don’t filter my artistic ideas, and just try to enjoy exploring things. My ideas for upcycling clothing/shoes sprouted from wanting to wear fun things while I perform. Everywhere I went, people wanted to know where I got what I was wearing. From that, I started selling my berets and jackets at my shows. I do have a small etsy store, too, and people will buy from what I have or custom order berets and things. I also make my own body balm, which I only started making for myself and as gifts for others, but – again – people wanted to buy it. In a time when CDs don’t sell, and people want to support artists, I’m extremely fortunate that people want to buy what I create. It’s good all around. More and more I get commissioned for custom berets, jackets and painted boots/sandals, and even belts.

There are a few other things that set me apart. About ten years ago, I was going to busk on the streets in Newport, Rhode Island. I love to bake cookies, so I baked cookies that morning and brought them to my street gig and put out a sign that said “I baked these home-baked cookies for YOU to enjoy with the music. They are FREE” :) Ever since then, I bring home-baked cookies – usually about 5 varieties – to my gigs. Sometimes I bring tiny muffins, too. The cookies I make are ‘tiny’ bite-sized and people just love them. When I am on the road, people will ask ‘do you have cookies?” and – of course – I do! I only don’t bring them into the subway as it’s not good to bring food there due to rodents and such. ;-)

My most recent artistic undertaking is with the art of henna tattoos. I read “The Henna Artist” by Alka Joshi and just thought… I must try it. Why not? I’ve been doing it for a few years and really enjoy it. I am lucky to be able to do it on both hands, as I’m mixed-handed, but left dominant. I put it on and it lasts a few weeks and then I do it again. Like playing the fiddle, singing, writing, and everything else, I get better over time.

In addition to all I’ve mentioned, I am also what I call an ‘uncomfortable advocate’ as I really just want to spread joy and bring people together, but a couple of years ago, I went to see a friend’s band, and I took a few sips of my drink and I collapsed and was extremely ill and ended up in the Emergency Room. Someone drugged me. I couldn’t even walk. It was horrible and it’s so so sad that this is so rampant, but it is. I hate doing this work, but I am working on several endeavors to change laws and protocols around drugged drink victims. I was EXTREMELY fortunate that I was not alone, but sexual assault is very common with these drugs, so I help victims of these crimes and am working on all of that, too.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I would say that I have a few goals as a musician: I *especially* want to bring joy to people. One of my favorite ways is to busk in the subway or on the streets. People love to be surprised with a live concert that they weren’t expecting to hear when they woke up that morning. To make other people happy makes me happy. There is no replacement for live music. Music has a vibration and “AI” can’t mimic that. Everything has it’s place. I also really enjoy helping people – in a variety of ways. With my writing, I am able to do that, whether it’s my activism, or helping an artist by writing their bio, or writing a letter on their behalf if they need it and don’t have the skills. I am extremely grateful to have the skills I have. In essence, I am a creative person wanting to bring joy to others in a variety of ways… from my novels to my recordings to my live performances to my cookie offerings and more. :)

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I chose this questions not because I think non-creatives will ‘struggle’… but I want to encourage everyone to do what they FEEL inspired to do. I do a lot of different kinds of things, and I used to feel funny about the way I dressed… wayyyy back. I always wanted to wear bright colors and was always wanting to wear the kind of clothing that is in the kids department at Target… ha… and they didn’t have those kinds of things in my size, and so I just started making my own things, pulling together my own combinations. It all made me FEEL so good! But when I was in college, if someone would say ‘you’re wearing THAT?’… I would feel self-conscious. Now, I know that we are individuals… One of my favorite quotes is from Wayne Dyer… “It’s not my business what anyone else is thinking about me.” So, I’m saying… be who you want to be AS LONG AS you aren’t hurting anyone. That is very important. :) I do hope someone reads this and finds a nugget to take with them. :)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ilanakatz.com
• Instagram: @ilanakatzkatz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilanakatzkatz/
• Youtube: @ilanakatzkatz8681

Image Credits

Photo 1: Scott Lindsey
Photo 2, 3: Deke Rivers
Additional photos: Ilana Katz Katz