A project to work on together offers us a chance at getting unstuck

“What do you think about having one thimbleberry design on one side of a mug and a different one on the other?” I asked my husband, Todd.

We’d been brainstorming ideas for some print-on-demand items that I might try selling. Todd has had a fixed income ever since he was disabled due to ALS 12 years ago. He needs full-time care and it doesn’t make financial sense for me to work while paying someone else to take care of him, so I try to find ways to earn a little income from home.

“Definitely not,” Todd said. “If someone likes a design, they’ll be happy with that design on both sides. And if they like the other design, they might buy two mugs. But for all the people who like one and not the other, they won’t buy anything. Bundling products, or in this case two designs, will limit your potential market.”

“Did you learn that in college or at work?” I asked.

“It’s a basic marketing principle,” he said confidently. “If you want, you can have a promotion, like buy this and get that for half off, but as soon as you combine two different things in a single package, you will turn more people off than you will attract.”

He then went on to share specific examples of where the principle played out from his career in marketing. It made me smile to hear him sound like his old self again, from back before ALS.

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A new energy at home

For a while now, I’ve been brainstorming ideas for an online store that celebrates the beauty and culture of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where we live.

I’ve been thinking about creating T-shirts, mugs, and tote bags with pictures of thimbleberries — wild red berries that resemble the top of a thimble. They taste similar to raspberries but with a little more tang. Thimbleberries are a local favorite, and many people have a secret picking spot.

This latest project has made me realize how stuck Todd and I have both been feeling lately. With the level of his disease progression, it’s hard for him to get out. Days can feel long.

Now this project has brought energy into our home. Todd’s been advising me on my business and has offered to help me with the artwork for my store. Using a HeadMouse and a sip-and-puff clicker, he created a vector image of a thimbleberry photo I took and edited the image to soften the colors and turn it into art. It was slow going for Todd to figure out how to get the image we wanted, but he’s enjoying working on the project.

And I’m having fun talking about ideas while I care for him, as well as drawing sketches and figuring out the logistics.

We’ve been getting feedback from Todd’s caregivers who come through our household, asking them which designs they like the best. I’m hopeful I can make the business work, but even if I don’t, it feels good to have something new to think about.

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