When the spoons run out: Starting a new business with chronic illness and big ideas

Big ideas, zero energy? Here's how I started a new business while living with chronic illness, because even when the spoons run out, the creativity doesn't.

Chaotic, uncertain, full of growing pains, and somehow, here I am. Still blooming.

Hey there, and welcome to the very first blog post from Loubelle Communications. I’m Lindsey: Designer, semi-professional overthinker, and full-time human navigating life with a chronic illness and a creative brain that doesn’t know how to chill.

If you’d asked me five years ago, I would've told you I was climbing the corporate marketing ladder, one job at a time. That was the plan, the entire plan. I loved the work, the challenges, and the excitement of it all.

But when my health started demanding more than a lunch break and a couple of sick days could cover, that plan quickly changed. Full-time hours weren’t sustainable anymore, not when “functioning” came with a side of flare-ups, fatigue, and an ever-growing list of specialists.

So I started reimagining. What if I didn’t have to choose between rest and purpose? What if I built something that actually worked with my life instead of constantly pushing against it? That’s when I started seriously exploring ideas for starting a new business with chronic illness, and the vision for Loubelle was born. A business that lets me create, connect, and still crawl under my heating blanket at 2 pm if I need to. Because sometimes, that’s just how it is when the spoons run out.

So, what is Loubelle?

Think of it as me, but professionally caffeinated. Loubelle is where I get to flex my marketing brain most passionately. I help small businesses and brands bring their stories to life with clarity, heart, and style. What I do:

• Graphic design (because your brand deserves better than Clip Art)

• Email marketing that gets opened and clicked

• Website maintenance so your site stops being the thing you avoid

• Social media that feels like a real human is behind it

  
  

If it needs love, purpose, or a complete overhaul, I’m your person.

What you'll find on this blog

When the Spoons Run Out is part creative journal, part behind-the-scenes, and part hug in blog form. It’s where I share what it’s really like to chase big ideas, set boundaries, and build a new business with chronic illness, all through the lens of what life looks like when the spoons run out. This space is for the real, the raw, and the in-between moments of navigating life, creativity, and chronic illness. You can expect:

• Honest stories about running a business while managing chronic illness

• Lessons I've learned as a brand-new solopreneur

• Marketing tips that work even when your energy is at a -3/10

  
  

I promise to keep it real. No overachiever vibes, no fancy marketing jargon, no pretending like I have it all figured out. Just real words from a spoonie navigating through one project and one deep breath at a time.

Thanks for being here

If you’ve read this far, you’re officially part of the warrior inner circle. Thank you for supporting this new chapter. Whether you’re a client, fellow spoonie, a friend, or a curious scroller who accidentally landed here, I’m so glad you’re here.

Here’s to making something beautiful, even when the spoons run out.

With grace & grit,

---

If you need help with design, marketing, or want to hand off that digital to-do list you've been ignoring, let's get in touch.