a bit of background...

Right about now my imposter syndrome is really kicking in so I wanted to write about this as I am sure there are so many people out there who can relate! I truly believe the journey is what's important because life happens and things change, so it's our path that led us to this moment that define who we are.

For example, I spent many of my school years feeling the pressure to chose a career path that'd fit with societal expectations rather than discovering what I enjoyed; choosing A levels in biology over art still baffles me. Nonetheless, this lead me to focus on a degree in Business Studies where I found a world of entrepreneurship, finally something that resonated with me. This led me to understand what kind of life I wanted for myself: to be my own boss, to be passionate in what I do, to travel, to create, to learn, to be inspired, every day single day for the rest of my life.

Graphic design was always one of my passions yet it was in the side line of my life; working on logo designs for start-ups on an outdated version of Adobe or getting an admin job at a magazine company but pushing to do any designing possible. After several deeply unsatisfying roles and a burn out from a corporate position, I finally decided being self-employed graphic designer is what I want so that is what I set out to do. Having never looked back, I've been lucky enough to have success without a traditional education path, and of course it's a journey, every day I continue to grow and learn so I wanted to share some of the resources I used to help make it all possible.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

I really believe that anything can be taught, a lot of people have natural talents and creative flares but with hard work, determination and resources we all have the ability to become skilled masters in any field. For graphic design, there is nothing more important than pen to paper & practicing.

Adobe Creative Suite is a great starting block to get practising, and the most important programme for graphic designers. If you are serious about graphics and have the funds to purchase the suite, do it! Or like me, make use of the free trials, I cant tell you how many email addresses I made up to get a month free. There are other free design softwares out there if you're not ready to commit yet, Gimp, Pixlr, Canva & Scribus to name a few. 

Depending on what type of graphic design that interests you, there are so many passion project briefs out there to get those creative juices flowing. I highly recommend trying 'fake briefs' as they give structure to an idea, getting creative within the confides of the brief helps you explore ideas that would be presented similarly to client work.

GoodBrief.io is a fake-brief generator to get really creative, WTFshouldiletter is great for lettering & quote design, letsplaywithpatterns for pattern design. Dribble Weekly Warm-Ups prompts creatives to conjure up designs & gain feedback on their work. I really recommended checking instagram for brief challenges; thebriefbank, briefclub, brieftribe, briefbabes & theglowandgrowclub are just a few examples. As well as gaining practice, getting involved with these challenges helped me build my portfolio AND got me connected to the amazing graphic design community online and help me grow my social media presence.

As I write this, I am also planning to embark on 100daysofdesign challenge, which requires designing (and posting) something new every day. This is a highly recommended tool to work on your artistic style & get your designs out there. 

Work Experience

If you are like me and set on working for yourself, Getting a role in a creative environment can be so valuable to your learning and future prospects. My experience in working for a magazine taught me so much, like how to make the best use of InDesign spreads and experience in liaising with print houses and clients. 

Working for corporate in merchandising taught me how to objectively look at design and how to create value to the consumer. Working in an environment with creatives provided different perceptions and alternative ways of thinking and problem solving. As well as gaining professionalism from the work environment has been important when speaking with freelance clients. Learning from others and gaining direct contact into the graphic design world is the best way to develop your skill.

Usually organisations practices are structured to be cost effective, tricks and hacks around planning and process are valuable lessons when turning self-employed. Even small things from the way projects are tracked or file management process have helped save time in the long run. 

Before doing paid projects, I was always using any opportunity I had to design: designing birthday & Christmas cards, menus for family gatherings meals or even invites for friends birthdays. My first paid projects as a freelancer were found through posting an add on GumTree asking if anyone needed a graphic designer, noting that I was a student wanting to build my portfolio so had cheaper rates. In fact, one of the projects I won I still do work for today, over 7 years later! 

Follow Experts & Inspirations

There will  always  be someone out there with more experience; someone with a different perspective; someone with a more interesting approach; someone with more developed ideas. This is the most important asset to keep us learning and striving to be better. Everywhere I go, I soak in the graphic design, whether is it a festival poster a kettle design or even toilet paper packaging, if I appreciate the design, I take a photo or save it & try to find the designer to follow their work. Reaching out to other designers or finding a mentorship program can giveopportu insight to their knowledge and experience. Following organisations like  Creative Boom ,  Behance  & Mindsparkle Mag are platforms which share various artists and their work. This has helped me develop my style as a graphic designer and helped me get inspired when in a creative block. There is always something to be learned.

Online Courses, Events & Literature

There are so many online course out there, from independent designers giving tutorials to professional courses. These have given me solid understanding and valuable teachings to graphic design. I have completed Shaw Academy diploma in graphic design and multiple Skill Share  graphic design courses which have given great overviews to all aspects of graphic design. I have also completed multiple courses outside of graphic design to gain indirect knowledge in running a business or lifestyle and mindset. For example, A Life of Happiness and Fulfillment - Coursera. Udemy & Domestika also are great resources for affordable courses taught by experts in various fields. Every couple of months I am carrying out a new course, to keep my knowledge and skills up to date.

For specific graphic design training, Adobe Creative Cloud  and Envato Tuts+  do some amazing Masterclass youtube tutorials, I've spent hours watching these and gained so much in-depth knowledge.

Talks & Events have been a great way to keep learning new knowledge and networking! Eventbrite  always has some really interesting online events. Searching relevant talks , design festivals and networking events in my local area have been a great way to get inspire & build my network. 

Literature & readings has been really valuable, whether it is subscribing to various design magazines on stackmagazines.com  or purchasing renowned books for graphic designers, a couple of my favourites include; 

Know Your Onions by  Drew de Soto

Type Matters by Jim Williams

How to use graphic design: to sell things, explain things, make things look better, ... by Micheal Beruit 

Designer's Dictionary of Color by Jessica Helfand

Similarly to following experts, these books give great lessons and knowledge in developing your skill and building yourself as a designer. 

To Conclude, but not really

This is an overview of some key resources that've been so valuable on my self taught freelance journey, but there is so much more than this. Mindset, networking, opportunity, financial position and a bit of luck are all key factors not to be overlooked. Overall, my determination to learn, grow and succeed has driven me to take advantage of the resources available, this motivation will keep me going into whatever life brings next!