A Graphic Design Student's Guide to Freelance: Practice Makes Perfect

Chapter 6

Gaining Momentum

Goals for Intermediate Level Freelancers

Now that you have your freelance company going, purchased your basic computer equipment, and successfully worked with your first client, it's time to build upon your successes. None of your Intermediate freelance goals should be too hard for you to accomplish, so pace yourself. Don't spread yourself too thin by trying to do too much at once. Your schooling should still take priority over your freelance endeavors, but you can continue to fold your academic lessons in with your freelance experiences by using good time management techniques.

As you gain more confidence in school and freelancing, you'll begin to see trends in how you attack problems and your visual voice (or style) will become more pronounced. Having a unique style is a good thing because it will help your work stand out from your classmates' efforts.

The Intermediate level is about gaining momentum with your confidence and experiences, so don't be shy about working on freelance projects as long as you don't let them interfere with your academic work. You can't fake experience, and you're going to begin working on projects that have the potential to make it into your portfolio. So grab a Red Bull and get pumped up. It's time for you to eat, breathe, and sleep graphic design! The work you produce is likely to be some of your best work to date, and you will need to produce enough work to help you fill your portfolio.

The biggest expenses at the Intermediate ...