Arianna Patterson had no idea when she turned in a children’s coloring book for a graphic design project at the University of Kentucky that it would kickstart a business.
“I really did not want to do that project, for real,” she said in a Zoom interview, laughing. “I really just threw it together.”
Her professor told her it was portfolio-worthy—a surprise to Patterson after her rushed approach to the work. So she explored Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, which allows authors and entrepreneurs to self-publish their work. “You can upload your files, and then you can sell it to anyone, anywhere, across the world,” she said.
Patterson began selling kids’ books, like her graphic design project, but said she always wanted to expand into journals. Write what you know, goes the common wisdom for writers, and Patterson did.
A Kentucky gymnast about to enter her sixth year of competition for the Wildcats, Patterson now operates a successful side hustle on Amazon publishing Gymnast Journals. Her journals, which feature brightly colored covers designed by Patterson and interior pages that track weekly goals, nutrition, rehab exercises, and scores over the course of a season. They retail for $22.99. Those who use them seem to love them; nearly all her reviews are five-star. “These journals have been life-changing for my gymnasts,” reads one. “This very well put-together planner is a valuable tool for any gymnast who is serious about improving their game,” says another.
Patterson said that her own inability to stay organized using solely digital tools was an inspiration for the paper planners. She keeps both a phone calendar and an analog one. “I have to write it down on my whiteboard,” she said. “Otherwise, it does not make a dent.” She worked through the design based on her own use of journaling. “I thought, in my brain, how would I want this to work? How would I want to work through my goals?” she said.
As a teenager, Patterson did use her phone to write notes before each of her gymnastics meets. She found it helpful for goal-setting because she could break down a larger goal into smaller pieces and watch her own progress throughout her season. “We have all these dreams, but when it comes to executing them, that’s where we often forget about it,” Patterson said. And in gymnastics, detail matters.
“I learned that early in gymnastics, that you have to have your pointed toes, your hands have to be a specific way, you have to be tight, chin up,” Patterson said. “All those details are what makes the imagery so much better.”
Her product extends beyond the page now as well. Patterson recently began a mentorship program, in which gymnasts who buy her journals can contact her for help with goal-setting, visualization, and working through mental blocks. Two gymnasts have taken her up on it so far, she said, and she will be working with them this summer, holding Zoom meetings and keeping in touch via text message.
Patterson, 22, graduated from Kentucky in 2022 with a major in digital media and design and a minor in media arts and studies. During her 2023 season, her fifth, she completed a certificate program in business. Because she redshirted her freshman year after tearing her Achilles before her first official practice, she had a sixth year of eligibility, and she plans to complete a certificate in sales. All of which, she said, will help her expand her business when the time comes. She hopes to expand her journals to include other sports after she finishes her time at Kentucky; she has heard specifically from dancers and cheerleaders that her product would be useful, and has others in mind as well.
But first, gymnastics. Patterson’s big goal for her final season is to break into Kentucky’s bar lineup, she said. “Everyone is telling me how good my bars is, but I can never do a dismount,” she said. She changed her dismount but found it inconsistent. With her first full season of competition without injuries or a global pandemic behind her, Patterson thinks she might finally be bars-ready. She will train this summer at her club gym, Metroplex, in Dallas, before returning to Lexington to finish her career—or at least, her career inside the gym.
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Article by Lela Moore
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