Technology is opening the door for people to pursue their dreams with greater ability and accessibility than ever before. One such remarkable case is that of Emily Kalina, a designer and artist that has struggled with Epilepsy for most of her life. In spite of the challenges her health condition presents, Kalina has built a thriving career as a graphic artist and painter using digital tools to create her art and produce a range of products featuring that art. “Technology has made it possible for me to build the life I’ve always wanted for myself,” she says. “I get to wake up every day and live my dream of being an artist, and I consider myself extremely lucky in that regard.”

Designing On Demand

Kalina paints and creates designs on an iPad Pro using an Apple Pencil, just the way she would with a pencil and paper or brush on canvas. There are no filters or tricks, and because the artwork is a digital file in its original form, she can then use her experience in product design to print them on any surface to sell. It then becomes affordable for her to produce and for her clients to purchase. Kalina diversifies the products she prints on in order to make good use of her time and keep her work affordable and utilitarian, but her best selling products include tote bags, pillows, graphic T-shirts, mugs, puzzles, throw blankets, and placemats. 

Overcoming Obstacles to Build a Career

According to Kalina, having a chronic condition (in her case, Epilepsy) has played a large role in shaping her current work. The unpredictable nature of her condition forced her to develop a sense of flexibility in her approach to creating and producing art. However, technological advancements such as the iPad and on-demand printing have made it much easier for Kalina to overcome the limitations imposed by her illness and create the way she wants to. 

“Thirteen years ago, I had to seek out brick-and-mortar stores to sell my artwork, and many of them were unwilling to purchase wholesale – only on consignment,” she recalls. Now, by capitalizing on her flexibility with current technology, she is able to integrate print-on-demand products from her paintings and designs and create an online store that is affordable for her to run and for her clients to purchase from.

Facing Up to Challenges

Kalina has faced her fair share of challenges in getting her business off the ground. “The long hours, the false starts, the trial and error… building a business is no walk in the park,” she remarked. This is perhaps especially true for Kalina, who has managed to build a strong career for herself despite living with an unpredictable health condition. “It wasn’t just the seizures themselves, but also the medications and side effects I’ve had to endure to maintain some semblance of control over them.” This left her depleted of energy for years, but now that she has a flexible approach that works for her, she has built a growing business and a thriving career.

Beyond her health condition, Kalina has faced the frustration of monetary constraints and limited means. She was forced to create the business with little-to-no overhead costs and no outside help. Before dropshipping and print-on-demand, Kalina had to do all her own marketing, product management, order fulfillment, and many other essential business functions that can now be automated. Even if she could have outsourced some of the work in building the business, she was working in uncharted territory, so no one knew how to do it. She found it a particular struggle to find printing and production facilities that could meet her needs at an affordable rate.

Living and Working in the Now

Kalina has no expectations about where her business will be in five years. Instead, she keeps her focus on the here and now, living and working for today. “I try to remind myself of each little piece of the puzzle that makes up the larger whole, because I never know which part could turn into something important five years down the road,” she says. This keeps her career exciting, as she never knows which direction she’ll be heading in next, which opportunity is going to come her way.

Learn more about Emily Kalina’s work and shop her prints and products at https://emilykalina.com/.