A Few Notes on Working with Chronic Illness & Creating a Future For Myself

Working with chronic illness is challenging and one question that people tend to ask me is if I work? Most are generally surprised when I tell them I’m self-employed.

Currently, this blog that you are reading is considered my job.

Blogging Became My Only Opportunity to make money

I’ve been blogging for many years and, though it started as a hobby, more recently I have worked hard to make a part-time income from it.

As someone who lives with variable health, I haven’t been an employee since 2014. Truth is— despite my health improving considerably since then— it still isn’t reliable enough for traditional employment.

Unfortunately– as much as I wish it wasn’t the case– flexible working opportunities for people with chronic illness are limited and hard to come by.

Personally, I would struggle to conform to a traditional work schedule as it would inevitably result in me needing to take time off unpredictably (and sometimes that would be for considerable periods of time).

On the flip side, I wouldn’t want the pressure of turning up to work when my health is poor.

My Fragile Health Means I can’t Yet Seek Employment

My health is still fragile and asking too much of my body results in me crashing. Something that can take anywhere from days to weeks to recover from.

I appreciate that I’m in a very fortunate position to have that choice. Especially as I am far from being self-sustainable.

My husband works full-time and he supports us both. The small income I do make goes entirely on my health (I’m looking at you supplements!).

Given that my income is modest, the next thing people tend to ask me is what would I like to do for work in the future? The truth is most overlook my blog as a hobby and don’t see it as a “real job” with any potential.

Asking MYself What I’d Like To Do In The Future

That said, it’s a question I’ve been asking myself recently. I’d like to set myself working hours and continue to grow my blog but, realistically, I know I also need to diversify my income.

Though I’m not yet at a stage where I’d consider seeking employment, I do long to have a more reliable and sustainable income.

I’ve therefore made the decision to work towards something I’ve admittedly wanted to do for years.

Back in 2013/14, when I was struggling to maintain my full-time job because of my chronic illness, I started to think about alternative ways I could earn money.

At that time, I was the breadwinner of the family (as my husband was a student) and I couldn’t afford to go part-time at work. I knew I needed to for the sake of my health but I also needed to find something that would make up the loss of income.

Earning money from my blog felt a long way off at that point, so I began to think about side projects I could potentially earn money from.

I decided that I wanted to try selling prints of my photography and artwork.

I got as far as purchasing a professional printer; with the idea being that I’d open an Etsy shop. Then, once I earned enough through that, I could reduce my hours at work.

That didn’t happen, though.

My health took a catastrophic turn for the worse before I even had the chance to try. It’s a crash I’m still recovering from 5 years later.

That said, I’ve made a lot of progress and I feel I’ve reached a point where I’m ready to take on that bit more.

Taking Steps Towards Creating A New Business

For the past few weeks, I’ve been working behind the scenes to create a new business for myself. I am incredibly passionate about art and I’d love to make a success of selling prints of my artwork.

Admittedly, I decided this a few months ago but I’ve been putting off getting started due to self-doubt and imposter syndrome!

Thankfully, though, I am surrounded by supportive people who lift me up and support me when I need it.

I still have a few things to work out and it may be a couple of weeks until I can open my Etsy shop. But,  my hope in posting this is that it will hold me accountable and keep me working hard towards making it happen.

It’s Worth Trying

I have no idea what will happen when I do finally open my Etsy store. Truth be told, I am equally excited and anxious about it!

However, I feel I have nothing to lose in trying.

I think, in a way, this will also be a big step for me in moving forward and letting go of the past. Part of me has always held on to the possibility of returning to my previous job.

Yet, as time goes on, I’m coming to accept that it’s highly unlikely I’ll ever be able to do that.

As I have no idea what the future holds in terms of my health, finding work that works for me is going to be a necessity.

I just hope that I am taking steps towards making my way there.

P.S. If you are interested I have an Instagram account dedicated to my art- follow @febstartsart

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Update:

I am now selling my artwork on Etsy. You can visit my shop February Stars Art.