Catching Up

In December 2020, I broke my ankle. The break required surgery, pins and plates, and several months of healing before I could put weight on it. The surgeon said it wasn't the worst break he'd ever seen but it was quite serious and I should expect more than a year for recovery. My injury necessarily slowed my progress on editing and filmmaking, among other goals. For the first three months after surgery, it was difficult to sit upright for more than a few minutes as my ankle needed to be constantly elevated above my heart level, not to mention the relentless exhaustion I felt.

At four months, I was able to put weight on it and begin walking. Now at six months, I am still waiting for the swelling to recede enough to regain my normal gait. Happily, despite being hobbled by a limp, in April my mobility improved enough that I readied the yard for spring. I weeded, raked, hauled debris, and planted flowers. What a joy to do simple chores after months of completely relying on others! So far I accomplished more in the last two months than I thought possible back in December, so there's been encouraging progress. But the backlog of untended personal and professional business that piled up while I laid in bed with my foot elevated continues to fill my time. For now, I've paused my editing work until I am caught up.

Blank watercolor cards by Dixlee Notes

One group of tasks among the backlog relates to a startup I began last fall. I wanted to produce stationery sets, greeting cards and art prints from a stock of original art created by a family member. After a year of planning and product development, I began building the website and online store. As luck would have it, I broke my ankle within a month of the scheduled launch. I finally published the store website in April 2021.

With the site public, now comes the regular hours of weekly work to build an online presence. Developing a social media marketing plan, perhaps even more so than traditional marketing, requires reflection about what value, besides your products, you as a business owner want to share with others. Lying in bed for months, I spent plenty of time watching movies (something I rarely do in normal circumstances), but I also spent a lot of time in reflection and meditation. Since my late 20s, I've found resonance with Daoist philosophy. Most useful to me then as now among its precepts is the utility of the plain, humble, practical and cyclical. I embrace these values and draw comfort and direction from them, so in a time of obstacles and healing, I found myself returning to them to frame my experience and to guide my preparations for the future.

When I was able to again take up the work of building the business, I realized these underlying values must be the foundation of our purpose, identity, products and interactions. Not that my original business plan strayed far from them but creating with intension a product line and an online presence that reflects these values presents a bit of a challenge. How does one create useful, enjoyable products with subtly and grace and still be competitive in a very crowded marketplace? This currently occupies most of my time and energies.

To learn more about the card designs we've published so far, visit the Dixlee Notes store.