Chasing a Dream: My Honest Journey With Digital Products, Etsy Shops, and Building a Life I Love

Introduction

When we hear the phrase “chasing your dream,” it often sounds magical. We imagine freedom, success, happiness – the kind of life where everything finally feels right. But the truth is that behind every dream there’s a very real journey, filled with challenges, self-doubt, endless hours of work, and moments where you question everything.

My name is Deimile, and this is my story. I want to share it not as some polished “success tale,” but as a real, honest look into what it feels like to start something completely new from scratch. Over the past year, I’ve been building my little digital product world – opening Etsy shops, creating planners and templates, learning how to design website templates, and recently, launching my very own online store. And while it’s been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, it’s also been the most fulfilling. This blog post is not just about what I’ve achieved, but more importantly, about the ups and downs, the small victories, the struggles, and the lessons I’ve learned while chasing a dream that feels bigger than me.

How It All Started

My journey began with a simple but powerful thought: “I want to be free.”

For years, I worked in jobs where I felt stuck, unappreciated, and sometimes even mistreated by bosses who didn’t value me. I longed for independence – to wake up in the morning and feel excited about what I was about to do, instead of dreading the hours ahead. I didn’t know exactly what that freedom would look like. I had ideas here and there – maybe I could start something creative, maybe I could work online – but nothing clicked. Until one day, while scrolling Instagram, I came across something that immediately caught my attention: digital products. To be honest, I had never even heard of digital products before. The idea that people were creating planners, templates, and designs online – and that others were buying and using them – felt like a whole new world opening up right in front of me. I was instantly curious. I started researching, learning, and reading everything I could find. Soon, I decided to invest in my very first online course about creating and selling digital products. That was the moment where everything changed.

Taking the First Step: My First Etsy Shop

Armed with new knowledge, excitement, and more motivation than I’d had in a long time, I opened my very first Etsy shop. I still remember that feeling – the mix of fear and excitement. Setting up the shop was overwhelming because everything was new to me. How do I make my products look professional? What keywords should I use? Will anyone even find my shop among thousands of others? But slowly, I began to figure things out. I created my first products – simple digital planners and organizational tools – and listed them. For days, I refreshed my shop constantly, waiting for something to happen. And then, it did. My very first sale. I can’t describe how big that moment felt. It wasn’t just about the money (because honestly, it was just a few dollars). It was about the proof. Proof that something I created with my own hands – well, my laptop – could actually bring value to someone else.

It was the spark I needed to keep going.

The Rollercoaster of Growth

After that first sale, I felt unstoppable. I threw myself into learning more, creating more, and improving my shop. I discovered Pinterest and realized how powerful it could be for reaching new people. For the first time, I started to imagine that maybe – just maybe – this could turn into something real.

But the truth is, progress was slow. Painfully slow.

Some days I would work for hours, creating new products, tweaking descriptions, researching SEO keywords – and at the end of the week, I might have one sale. Or none. There were moments where I stared at my shop and thought, “Why am I doing this? Is this worth it?” The hardest part? Social media. Even now, this is one of my biggest struggles. I don’t have thousands of followers cheering me on. In fact, most days it feels like I’m speaking into an empty room. I often wonder: what content should I create? What should my style be? How do I stand out when it feels like everyone is already doing the same thing?

And yet, even in those frustrating moments, something inside me refuses to quit.

A New Dream: Website Templates

As I continued creating digital planners and printables, another idea started to grow inside me. I wanted to design website templates. There’s something about the process of building websites that fascinated me – the creativity, the structure, the balance between design and function. So once again, I invested in another online course and dove into learning. It wasn’t easy. It felt like starting from zero all over again. But little by little, I got the hang of it. I launched my second Etsy shop, this time focused on business and website templates. This was both exciting and terrifying. Suddenly, I had two shops to manage, twice the amount of work, and still very little sales. There were days where I thought, “What am I doing? Maybe I should just stop.” But I didn’t. Because by then, I realized something important: even when sales were slow, even when the numbers didn’t look great, this work made me happy.

And that was worth everything.

The Emotional Side of Building a Business

Here’s the part we don’t talk about enough: building a business is emotionally exhausting. There are weeks where I feel unstoppable – full of ideas, motivated, excited to create. And then there are weeks where I feel completely drained. Where I stare at my computer screen and do nothing. Where I wonder how much longer I can keep going without seeing big results. There’s also the pressure. Because when you’re building something on your own, there’s nobody else to push you. Every decision, every mistake, every small win – it’s all on you. That can be empowering, but it can also feel like a huge weight. And yet… despite the struggles, I keep going. Because I’ve never loved a “job” the way I love this.

Support, Gratitude, and Tiny Victories

I couldn’t do this alone. One of the biggest blessings in this journey has been the support of my partner, who believes in me even on the days when I don’t believe in myself. Having someone to remind me of my “why” is priceless. I’m also endlessly grateful for my customers. Every single person who has purchased a product from me has given me more than just a sale – they’ve given me encouragement, hope, and proof that my work matters. Reading kind messages or seeing a repeat customer come back is the fuel that keeps me moving forward. And then there are the tiny victories. Launching my website. Finishing a new template. Seeing my shop reach a milestone, no matter how small. These little things remind me that progress doesn’t always look like a big leap – sometimes it’s just one step forward.

Where I Am Now (And Where I’m Going)

Today, I’m running two Etsy shops and building my very own online store. My website is still new, still a work in progress, but it already feels like home. It’s the place where I can bring all my ideas together – planners, templates, and everything I hope will help others live and work more simply. I won’t pretend it’s easy. There are still days where I want to quit, days where I feel overwhelmed, and days where the numbers just don’t match the effort I put in. But here’s the truth: I wouldn’t trade this journey for anything. Because every late night, every doubt, every challenge is worth it when I remember why I started: to create freedom, to do something meaningful, and to build a life I love.

Final Thoughts

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: dreams don’t happen overnight. They take time, effort, and a lot of heart. And while the road is messy and unpredictable, it’s also beautiful. My story is far from finished. I still have big dreams – to grow my shops, to fill my website with products that truly help people, and to eventually build a business that gives me full freedom. But for now, I’m celebrating the small wins, learning every day, and holding onto the belief that everything I’m working for is worth it. And if you’re reading this while chasing your own dream – whether it’s starting a shop, creating art, or building something new – I hope my story reminds you that you’re not alone. It’s hard, yes. But it’s also the most rewarding adventure you can take.

With love,
Deimile