How on earth did I create print on demand journals – with chronic illness, four kids, a job and more?
It was all very organic and slow.
I started the blog to share my experience. Then I formulated what I had learnt into lessons for those who needed it.
What I was learning in order to blog was actually helpful for creating journals!
In order to blog I had to learn to:
- Create a blog
- Write (for a blog)
- Edit blog posts
- Publish
- Create images
- Tell people about the posts
- and more.
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For years I had used a handwritten symptom management log. As I developed my skills with blogging, I tried my hand at digitizing my symptom management log. I got so interested in playing and created different options. I then opened an Etsy store to sell these.
Around this time, I created my first books Pregnancy and Fibromyalgia and Melissa vs Fibromyalgia. These projects really tested my skills. The writing, editing, reworking and then fitting it for upload to Amazon. I figured the skills were transferable, and they were.
So, with the help of my brother, I uploaded my first physical journal.
I muddled along waiting for his help as I created a couple more journals.
My Paced Planning Journal – this helps one to plan their day in a paced manner, using their energy wisely. I am so proud of this one in particular!
My Brain Foggy To Dos – a simple, pretty running to do list
My Daily Symptom Log – this is a simple daily symptom tracker
My Annual Health Log – it is bigger than the others because I have found it helpful to keep a year running. It has more fields for data so you can dip in and out of extra tracking as needed.
Enter Lulu – Making Print on Demand Journals Easier
Then I found Lulu. It was a revelation. So much easier to use! By this point I’d upgraded my Canva skills too, which helped.
I added different versions of the above notebooks, different internal set ups and covers. I also created My Art Journal and My Gratitude Journal. The thing I love about these two is that they are not just for people with health issues, so they make a great gift.
And my most recent addition is Get On Top of Your Life – this combines symptom tracking with daily paced planning. The perfect marriage to get on top of your pacing!
It was all done in little bits at a time. Once I knew how to create graphics using Canva, I played around with ideas.
What is the point in sharing my print on demand journals journey?
One part sharing my journey and one part encouraging you to work toward whatever hairy, audacious goals you have. I have broken it all down into tiny chunks and learnt what I needed over 10 years. So take whatever goal you have and start taking little steps towards it today.
The extra brilliance is that everything I’ve learnt for creating these journals and running this blog have helped me in my day job too!
Tell us: what is your hairy, audacious goal?
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