Four learnings from my first four months as a freelance designer

My last day at my previous job was May 13, 2022. I was feeling equal parts excited, nervous, curious, and scared. After almost 2 years of being a freelance product designer as a side hustle, I took the plunge to focus on it full-time.

I’m by no means fully immersed in it, and I’m sure I’ll learn much more as I keep going. But these four learnings have helped me be my best self in my work. We’ll see what happens eight months from now, but I for sure want to take these learnings with me as I continue into my first full-time year.

1. The working environment matters

Even before becoming a freelancer, I mainly worked at home, pandemic notwithstanding. But I would still have regular meetings with coworkers. If I went into the office, I’d run into people in the break area, or I’d be able to turn my chair around to ask a teammate a question.

As a solo freelancer, that vanished.

In my first month, I did what was convenient and stayed working at home in my little working nook. I had everything I needed in my apartment, so why leave if I didn’t have to? I quickly realized this was not sustainable. Working at the same not-very-well-lit desk every day was far from motivating. Though I’m an introvert, I realized I didn’t like always being by myself. I wanted to work somewhere else where there’d be a buzz of productive energy around me. And at least some natural light.

Should I find a local coffee shop? Work at the Panera Bread across the street? Maybe sign up for a co-working space? While these were viable options, with my not-so-stable-anymore income, I wasn’t too keen on having to spend money just to work somewhere.

Then I remembered that libraries existed. I’ve always loved going to libraries (in fact, my first job in high school was re-shelving books at my town library). There’s a sense of community and studiousness. And luckily, there was one only 15 minutes from my house. I visited it one morning, worked outside on the covered porch, and fell in love immediately. It was well-lit with large windows, a cafe, and a healthy flow of people working around me.

Changing my environment from my home to my library did wonders for my focus and productivity. I actually had somewhere to go for work separate from my house.

If you’re feeling demotivated or bored with your environment, change it up! It may not be as dramatic as driving to a new place. But maybe it means getting a new lamp or buying some nice plants or a candle to spice up your working area. You’ll be spending most of your time in this space, so it might as well be a place that, in the words of Marie Kondo, sparks some joy.

2. You will have supporters

One of my biggest fears was thinking that everyone would think I was crazy for quitting my job. TBH I felt a little foolish because I loved my job and I loved the stability it brought me. I just wanted to try something different and work towards one of the goals that I have been developing over the years.

When I told people about this new endeavor, I expected incredulous responses and people trying to convince me not to do it. But what I got was support. People would wish me well. They’d ask for my services. They’d recommend me to others. They’d share my Instagram stories or website links on their platforms. It was overwhelming and wonderful all at the same time.

There was no need for me to be afraid of telling people about becoming a freelancer. In fact, it could only help because people now know what I’m doing and can support me. Even now, several of my current clients come from recommendations from connections.

If you’ve recently made the step into full-time freelancing, let people know! Post it on LinkedIn or your Instagram. Tell your family and friends and encourage them to recommend potential clients. Print some inexpensive business cards from Staples to give to people you meet. If no one knows what you’re doing, how will they come to you for work?

3. Use downtime to your advantage

Perhaps one of the more common statements I’ve heard from other freelancers was to get ready for the “feasts and famines”. Since I’d be reliant on clients outside of myself, my time would be based on if I could find them that month. Or if my regular clients had work for me.

Though I wouldn’t characterize it as such, I did have a “famine” my second month of freelancing full-time. My regular clients didn’t have as much work for me and I didn’t know how to reach out to potential clients. I felt a little aimless.

So I threw myself into all the admin work. I revamped my website to have clearer packages and a more inviting feel. I wrote down my pricing system for my services. I drafted cold emails and made a list of potential people to send them to (which ended up gaining me a few actual and potential clients!). I set up a project management system in Trello so I could organize my days better. I planned my Instagram posts, writing out captions, taking pictures, and recording videos, so I could create drafts and post them as scheduled.

I kept myself busy doing the things that were hard to find the time to do during the “feast” stages. And now that I am busy with client work as I’m writing this, I’m immensely grateful for those famines. They prepared me to better handle my business and manage my time.

Maybe you’re having a “famine” yourself. Think of ways to use the time that will prepare you for your “feast” days. Maybe it’s improving a skill, maybe it’s updating your portfolio. Use the time to your advantage. Even if it’s to rest.

4. Make time to rest

Now that I’m working for myself, I’m the only one who controls what I do with my time. If I want to, I can work until midnight. I can start my work day at 6 am. I can work on Sundays. But honestly, what does that gain me? Sure I get a few extra hours of work, but that’s also fewer hours to unwind from my day.

Unless I have a super pressing deadline that I simply did not manage my time well for, I will end my day at 4:30 pm or 5 pm at the latest. My lunch hour is non-negotiable. My official day starts at 9 am. Knowing these boundaries and communicating them to my clients is super important to me so that I can show up and do the work as my best self.

Another part of rest for me is working on other creative projects that don’t have a deadline. I’m super thankful to have friends who are just as creative as me, whether it’s a friend who can give me feedback on a zine I’m doing, or a friend who I can write haikus with. It’s so refreshing to try other creative projects to allow my brain to rest from my professional work.

Resting may look for you different depending on the circumstances, but if you’re able to, carve out some time to not do work and do something just for you. Go for a walk, meditate, read, try something new, or go on a Wikipedia rabbit hole.

Conclusion

Hopefully, these four learnings can translate to something applicable in your freelance journey. I’d also love to hear from new and seasoned freelancers, what are some key learnings from your experience? If you could go back to your baby freelancer days, what would you tell yourself?