We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Layne Polzin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Layne below.

Alright, Layne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the toughest things about entrepreneurship is that there is almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that life can change in an instant.

I served in the Marine Corps as a young man, and those experiences taught me discipline, perseverance, and resilience. After my time in the Marines, Native artist Sonny Burnham became both a mentor and a friend. He saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself and encouraged me to attend fine art school. That decision changed the course of my life.

After art school, I began exhibiting my work in galleries and continued developing as an artist. During that period, I spent time reconnecting with my spiritual roots. Part of that journey included participating in sweat lodges, which gave me opportunities for reflection, prayer, and personal growth.

Life eventually led me into a successful technology career, but art never left me.

Then in 2021, everything changed. Following a medical procedure, I developed sepsis and nearly lost my life. During that ordeal, I coded three times. Shortly after recovering, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. While the physical battles were difficult, the emotional challenges proved even greater. I found myself struggling with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and a loss of confidence unlike anything I had experienced before.

For a long time, I prayed for God to give me back the confidence I once had. I wanted to be the man I remembered before illness entered my life. Over time, I realized God wasn’t calling me back to who I used to be. Perhaps I wasn’t meant to go backward.

Maybe I was finally becoming who I was meant to be after everything I survived.

Those experiences deepened my faith and taught me that family, purpose, gratitude, and meaningful work matter far more than titles or accomplishments. Much of my artwork, music, and storytelling today is rooted in those lessons.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a Cherokee contemporary artist, storyteller, songwriter, and co-founder of WALELA Studios, a creative studio based in Oklahoma that my wife Christine and I built together.

Art has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. After serving in the Marine Corps, I was encouraged by Native artist Sonny Burnham to attend fine art school and pursue art seriously. Sonny became both a mentor and a friend, and he taught me that art was about far more than technique. He showed me that art could preserve culture, tell stories, inspire healing, and create connections between people and generations.

After art school, I exhibited my work in galleries and continued developing as an artist. During that time, I also spent years exploring my spiritual roots and seeking a deeper understanding of purpose, faith, gratitude, and personal growth. Those experiences continue to influence the stories I tell through my artwork today.

As life unfolded, I built a successful career in technology while continuing to create art. Then in 2021, everything changed. Following a medical procedure, I developed sepsis and nearly lost my life. During that ordeal, I coded three times. Shortly after recovering, I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The physical recovery was difficult, but the emotional journey that followed was even more challenging. I struggled with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and a loss of confidence unlike anything I had experienced before.

For a long time, I wanted to become the person I remembered being before illness entered my life. Over time, I came to realize that perhaps I wasn’t meant to go backward. Perhaps I was finally becoming who I was meant to be after everything I survived.

That realization changed my artwork, my music, and my perspective on life.

Today, WALELA Studios is the expression of that journey. My work blends contemporary fine art, symbolic storytelling, Indigenous-inspired themes, faith, resilience, healing, and the human experience. Many of my paintings explore themes of identity, perseverance, spirituality, family, and cultural memory. Alongside my artwork, I also write music, including original songs such as WALELA Anthem, Brushstrokes and Whisky, One Day, and Blessed Every Day, which often explore many of the same themes found in my paintings.

WALELA Studios is truly a partnership. Christine is a Cherokee artisan and co-founder who creates meaningful handcrafted jewelry while also managing much of our social media presence and community engagement. The name WALELA carries special significance because it was given to Christine by Cherokee elder Louisa Soap, a Cherokee National Treasure. That gift reminds us of our responsibility to honor culture, craftsmanship, and storytelling in everything we create.

What sets our work apart is that we don’t simply create products. We create stories. Whether someone encounters a painting, a piece of jewelry, a song, or a conversation during one of our TikTok Live sessions, our goal is to create a meaningful connection. The thing I am most proud of is not a specific painting, song, or accomplishment. It is the fact that after some of the most difficult years of my life, I found the courage to create again. Every painting I complete, every song I write, and every person who connects with our work feels like a reminder that I was given another chance.

If there is one thing I want people to know about WALELA Studios, it is that everything we create comes from a place of authenticity, gratitude, faith, family, and purpose. We believe art should do more than decorate a wall. It should tell a story, spark reflection, preserve memory, and remind people that they are not alone in their journey.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the most defining moments of resilience in my life came in 2021.

After a medical procedure, I developed sepsis and nearly lost my life. During that ordeal, I coded three times. After finally leaving the hospital and beginning the long road to recovery, I received another life-changing diagnosis: prostate cancer.

Most people see the physical battle, but what surprised me most was the mental and emotional battle that followed.

For much of my life, I had been healthy, confident, driven, and focused. After sepsis and cancer, I found myself struggling with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and a loss of confidence unlike anything I had ever experienced. There were days when I felt disconnected from the person I used to be. I wasn’t just fighting to regain my health, I was fighting to find myself again.

For a long time, I prayed for God to give me back the confidence I once had. I wanted to become the man I remembered before illness entered my life.

Something unexpected happened. I began to realize that maybe I wasn’t meant to become the person I used to be. Maybe I was finally becoming who I was meant to be after everything I survived.

That realization changed everything.

Instead of focusing on what I had lost, I began focusing on what I had gained. A deeper appreciation for life. A stronger faith. A greater understanding of gratitude. A renewed appreciation for family, especially my wife Christine and the people who stood beside me during those difficult years.

Art became part of my healing process. Music became part of my healing process. Storytelling became part of my healing process.

Today, many of the themes that appear in my paintings and songs reflect resilience, hope, faith, healing, identity, and perseverance. These were all born from that time of my life.

Looking back, resilience wasn’t about refusing to fall. It was about getting up and continuing to move forward after I had fallen. It was about learning that strength isn’t always found in confidence. Sometimes strength is found in simply refusing to quit.

That experience taught me that some of life’s greatest blessings can emerge from its greatest challenges. It also taught me that every day is a gift, and every opportunity to create, connect, and encourage others is something I never take for granted.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

We primarily sell through Etsy while continuing to grow WALELA Studios through social media and direct relationships with our customers and collectors.

When we first started, Etsy made a lot of sense because it gave us access to people who were already looking for handmade, artistic, and unique products. As artists it allowed us to focus more on creating and less on trying to build an ecommerce platform from scratch.

One of the biggest advantages of Etsy is visibility. People who have never heard of WALELA Studios can discover our artwork, jewelry, and products through Etsy searches. It also gives customers confidence because they’re purchasing through a platform they already know and trust.

Of course, there are challenges too. You’re competing with thousands of other sellers for attention, and you’re always working within someone else’s platform. Changes to algorithms, policies, or fees can affect your business, and that’s something every small business owner has to think about.

That’s one of the reasons we spend so much time connecting with people through social media, especially TikTok and Facebook. Our live sessions and posts allow people to see artwork being created, hear the stories behind the pieces, listen to music, and get to know us as people. Those connections are incredibly important because they help build a community around WALELA Studios rather than just a customer.

Christine plays a huge role in that process. She manages much of our social media presence, engages with our audience, responds to comments and messages, and helps share the stories behind our work. She’s creating jewelry almost every day, making meaningful Cherokee-inspired pieces that reflect the same values, craftsmanship, and storytelling found in my artwork.

For us, the goal has never been simply selling products. Whether someone finds us through Etsy, TikTok, Facebook, or a recommendation from a friend, I want them to connect with the story behind the work. If a painting, a piece of jewelry, or even a song helps someone feel inspired, understood, or connected to something meaningful, then we’ve accomplished what we set out to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://walelastudios.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walelastudios/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WalelaStudios/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@walelastudios
  https://walelastudio.etsy.com/