Freelancing Scared (but starting anyway)

Some people start freelancing with a perfect portfolio, a strong client network, and a marketing strategy that looks like it was crafted by an agency. I wish I could say that was me.

I kinda tried, but everything felt so overwhelming that I kept postponing it. I wanted it to be perfect so I told myself I had time. I’m still a student so it can wait, right?  I could wait until I graduated, build my portfolio in peace, and then launch this flawless version of myself as a professional designer. Right?

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Well… Let’s just say that I realized something.

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I want to travel the world, I want to build a brand, I want to do a lot of things and I want to live this life I keep designing in my head. And I don’t want to graduate just to find a job I hate, or worse, waste more time wishing I had started sooner. So after a while, I decided to do the scary thing and just start anyway (hi! This is me working on it).

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If you want the truth, it started with self-doubt, unfinished drafts, a Canva moodboard for a studio I wanted to launch, a hundred tabs open on “how to price freelance services.” Another couple about “how to create the perfect portfolio” and thousands of videos of TheFutur hyping me up about creating this perfect little life.

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In the end, it wasn’t glamorous, it was Google Docs, late nights, fake projects, talking myself out of quitting before I even tried. (and some days it still is like that)

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So why go freelance?

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Freedom.

Not the "wake up at 11 and work from Bali" kind (though let’s be real, that sounds cute.) I mean freedom to choose who I work with. To create things I’m proud of.

To stop waiting for someone else to give me permission to start building the life I want. I wanted to create with purpose , tell stories that made people feel something, and work with brands that weren’t afraid to do something different.

But getting there? That’s the scary part.

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Here’s what I’m learning (so far):

✶ You don’t need confidence to begin, just willingness.

✶ “Imperfect but done” beats “perfect but postponed.”

✶ The first client isn’t the goal. The first step is.

✶ AI can’t replace taste, empathy, or gut instinct (and thank god for that).

✶ You’ll overthink your pricing, your portfolio, and your social media posts. Do it anyway, you can fix it later.

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And what if you’re also scared to start?

Same. Let’s be scared together. Let’s build anyway.

Because there’s room for creators who care deeply, design with intention, and show up with their whole heart, even if they’re still figuring it all out.

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This isn’t a story of “I made it.” It’s a starting pointAnd maybe that’s exactly what someone needs to hear today.

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