When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, or so they say. But what if life gives you a chronic illness?
The negativity that stems from struggling with everyday tasks, and being constantly bedridden is unbearable for most. While many people give in to overthinking and depression, Simone decided to start her own Canva templates business, Brand & Palms.
Now, she spends most of her days in creative pursuits and loves every minute of it.
A few days ago, we interviewed Simone and found her story extremely inspiring. So today, we are sharing it with our readers:
Tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you, and what do you love?
If I had to define myself in three words, I'd say introvert, dog lover, and a mother. I used to work with children every day, but now I create digital products and sell them from the comfort of my home. I'm wildly passionate about my creative business, I must add and hope to do this in the long run.
How did you become a graphic designer?
Deep down, I started designing because I wanted to provide for my family and fulfill all their needs. I also needed to overcome the negativity and self-doubt and prove to myself that I could do anything I wanted.
In a way, my illness also helped me find a sense of community. When I found I was chronically ill, I felt useless, so I made it my mission to never let any other woman feel the same. I don’t want women to beat themselves up because they have so many things to be factored in day-to-day life. I believe that as long as you’re working on the right thing, it doesn’t matter how long you work, which is why I created Brand & Palms –to provide energy-saving shortcuts to creative business owners.
However, this past year made me realize that working directly with clients is a little too much for me. I was unavailable most of the days, and running out of excuses that seemed plausible. I needed freedom and flexibility from my work, and selling Canva templates online was the answer.
I am still struggling but I refuse to give up. I will work until I turn my side hustle into a full-fledged business.
What inspires your art?
Day-to-day life. It could be as mundane as holding a conversation with a friend or checking my email. I love the simplicity of everyday life and can get inspired by anything really.
What is your daily process like?
On a good day, I start by taking care of everyone, including myself. We have a full house with 3 dogs, 2 cats, and 2 young adults, so this translates into pretty busy mornings, but you can find me behind my laptop by lunch.
But there are days when I have to deal with pain, flares, and exhaustion. Being a business owner with a chronic illness means working around your health conditions. It makes you more innovative and creative, to be honest, as you are constantly finding out-of-the-box ways to access resilience during challenging times.
Who buys your art from Social Media Calendar?
People from all sorts of businesses and hustles, such as female entrepreneurs, graphic designers, brand stylists, bloggers, web designers, content creators, virtual assistants, social media managers, coaches, service providers, etc.
Since I have a wide variety of digital products, including templates, web elements, social media planners, and the likes, almost everyone can find something of interest from my collection.
Do you have any other jobs besides?
Not anymore. When I’m not tending to my family now, I design.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Hopefully, I'd have made the switch from working with clients to selling digital products completely. I also plan to pay it forward, by building courses and materials that can help other creatives start their dream business from scratch.
A Message for her fans:
Simone is the epitome of resilience and persistence. When asked what wisdom she'd like to share with her fans, she discussed that embarking on this journey of being a creative business owner can be extremely lonely. “It’s not all unicorns and glitter….people often underestimate the work involved,” she says. “It can feel freaking hard, even when you know you’re awesome at what you do.”
Because of how difficult it is to start your own business, Simone considers it nothing short of a superpower. She says, “We would be crazy not to share it with others and celebrate our wins. CHEERS TO ALL OF YOU BEAUTIFULLY CREATIVE WOMEN!”
Supporting Designers on Social Media Calendar
Many designers like Simone have found a new purpose through their businesses. You can make their dreams a reality and their lives a little bit easier by purchasing their designs, illustrations, web elements, and planners on Social Media Calendar. Who knows, you might be helping someone find a ray of happiness in the dark!
Getting Featured on Social Media Calendar
Do you think you have what it takes? Join the sellers program at Social Media Calendar for a chance to get featured on our blog.
We provide the fastest payouts, seamless selling experience, effortless marketing, and a platform with thousands of daily visitors. What else do you need? Set up your shop now and let us do the rest!
Do you want to learn to create and sell Canva templates?
Check Jerry's super popular 6-Figure Canva Course and get started.
Take a look at Simone's products
From here, you will find Simone's shop Brand & Palms.
