My Story: How I Got Started in Freelance Design
Becoming a freelance designer was a path that began to take shape while I was still in college. I attended Florida Gulf Coast University in South Florida and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art with minors in Marketing and Advertising in 2017.
When I began my time in college in 2013, I held an open heart to whatever creative career path I would find and eventually pursue. The only kicker was that I knew with 100% confidence going into school, that path would not be in graphic design. A detail that makes me laugh now.
I started in the sculpture department, eventually gravitating to the printmaking studio in my second year. While in printmaking, an incredibly influential professor opened my eyes to drawing in a way that was more illustrative. He showed me that drawing was not confined to the limiting box of charcoal pencils and messy graphite that I had always associated it with. I fell in love with drawing in 2014 and from that point on, I began obsessively practicing in order to grow my skills.
It was in the year to follow that I started to take up hand lettering. I slowly began to realize that there was something marketable about the illustrations I was creating when paired with lettering. I decided to start an Etsy shop, selling digital prints and greeting cards, to try and make some extra cash while also beginning to get my work out into the world. (The IG account for that shop is still active, if you’d like an even further look at my earliest work. It’s pretty wild to compare.)
Around that time, two things started to happen:
1. I wasn’t selling any prints or cards, but my Etsy shop began to bring awareness to my skills as “someone who could draw.” This landed me my first commissioned projects from friends. My first two jobs were: creating a set of hand-written, Gatsby-themed wedding signs for a friend of a friend, and making a logo design for a girl at my church (she paid me $75 and I was thrilled). I quickly recognized that I couldn’t have scored either of those projects without the active use of my Etsy and Instagram.
2. As someone who at the time had no more design experience than one lackluster class at school, I started to wonder what could become of my drawings in a big picture sense. I started to ask myself things like, “How could drawing actually turn into a career?” and “What would that even look like?”
Things really clicked for me when I came across the work of Christian Watson (1924us) in 2015. I had never seen anything like his work in the realm of graphic design before (at least, what I knew of that world), which felt so very boring and sterile to me at the time.
I was completely enamored by the ways in which Christian’s illustrations and designs bridged the gap between serving a commercial purpose, and offering artistry to the brand and the viewer. His work was the first to show me that designs could be crafted by hand - that this was an actual approach to take - and that seriously excited me. It gave me the unspoken permission I needed at the time to visualize my art being applied to design and offered commercially - and for that, I am forever grateful.
Once I realized that I could apply my drawings and lettering to design, I knew it was an important next step to figure out how. It made sense to seek guidance from people who knew more than I did, outside of school.
It felt like an answer to prayer when I met the two women - Marti Martin and Cait Fick - behind the boutique branding agency Bridge + Bloom in 2016. I had already planned on moving home (to St. Pete, where their home office is located) before getting married to Jesús when Marti and Cait agreed to let me shadow them for the whole summer - knowing that I was really interested in their line of work.
It was an unofficial internship that gradually turned into a friendship. To this day, I utilize business practices and processes that they so generously taught me during that summer. I love them both dearly.
As I went about that internship and beyond (once it ended), I practiced like a crazy lady. I Googled and YouTube-d, and called up Marti and Cait whenever my questions still needed answered. Consistent practice is what led me to get better.
As I practiced, I also SHARED my work. I shared it often on Instagram - unashamed of the output. I just kept sharing. This is what then led me to get my first official branding client (official, because she wasn’t a friend or family member ;)). She had found me on Instagram, and I remember how thrilled and nervous I felt the exact moment I opened her email. On the left is the logo we wound up making together, and on the right is my first personal logo I used on my site + portfolio at the time.
Because I was just starting out, I offered my work to Dawn at a very low rate, but gradually, I began to raise my rates over time.
I think it’s important to mention that my work didn’t suddenly become a full-time job from this point on. During the process of finishing school, actively building my portfolio, and working with design clients, I also worked many different part time jobs (in retail, at a golf course (lol), I even taught drunk ladies to paint at one of those wine+paint places haha). Thankfully, after I got married in 2016, I had the support of Jesús (who was becoming a realtor at the time) to keep pursuing my work in design.
It wasn’t until I graduated college at the end of 2017 that I took the leap to work as a freelancer full time. Finances were tight, but I went for it. I had the mindset that there would always be a 9-5 job out there that I could pursue if this didn’t work out, so why not swing for the fences first on my dreams. Needless to say, I’ve been fortunate enough to continue working for myself to this day.
After many emotional highs and lows, natural doses of self-doubt, late nights, and lots of gratifying work with incredible clients, 2018 was the year that I began to make a full-time income from my work. It was also the year that the name Chez Núñez came to life. Here’s a post where I shared the origin story of the name and what it encompasses.
It’s been HARD work (believe me) with gradual growth, but my motivation to work for myself has always pushed me onward. It’s a dream come true to make designs on a daily basis while serving others in the process. I love the projects that I get to share with my clients and the community that has grown around this brand so much, that sometimes it’s hard to stop working at the end of the day.
Overall, I’m super proud of the fact that at 25 years old, I get to call myself a freelance graphic designer with my husband as my business partner. I’m thankful for every single day that I get to do this thing.
Here’s a small batch of examples of my work from the past couple of years - and a link to my design portfolio for an even closer look.
So there’s my semi-brief story of how I got to this point! It’s been a learning process, and I’m seeking to grow every day! I don’t ever feel like I’ve fully “arrived,” as I’m continually searching for areas to improve as a creative, ways to better my business, and new opportunities to connect with the Chez Núñez community. These are things that I don’t ever see changing.
Based on the last 5 years, here are the top 5 lessons that I’ve learned!
May these offer encouragement or motivation to anyone interested in building a business as a freelance creative:
First and foremost, sharing your work is key. Sharing your work consistently is even better. Even if the thought makes you nervous, just think, “How will anyone ever know what I’m capable of right now unless I show them?”
If you want something, or need help, speak up and ask for it! I went out on a limb and asked for my internship and to this day, I still reach out to my designer friends with questions that Google can’t solve for me. It’s okay to give people the opportunity to be generous with their information - their response might surprise you. And if you present your question with grace and humility, and they’re hesitant to respond, don’t take it personally!
Don’t expect an overnight success story - those don’t exist. Good things take time, patience, and hard work! I am constantly re-learning this!!
Practice! Only practice will lead you to getting better. If you dread the idea of consistently practicing - perhaps you need to reassess your motivations or attraction to that line of creative work. Loosen up, find the joy in the learning process, and make things happen.
Stay open to new ideas and different creative paths through your journey. Let your style, creative voice, and interests evolve as you go. Let your curiosity lead you and stay open to a multitude of options. If you put too much emphasis on pursuing what you think that you should do, or emulating what you see around you, you’ll wind up putting yourself into a box.
Thank you so much for reading my story! I hope what I shared is helpful in your own journey and a reminder that hard work, dedication, and patience will take you far.
xo - Anna
Year-End Posts from the Past 4 Years
