Reflecting on My Freelance Design Career in 2023

I have to admit that I spent most of 2023 procrastinating on various things in my life. The wall art I bought in March? Still collecting dust in a corner. Unfinished personal projects? Guilty as charged. Canceling plans the day of? Sounds right. However, the most neglected part of my year had to be my freelance career and overall creative thinking. While it took a backseat early in 2023, it gave me the time to focus more on my 9-5 design managerial position, and unrelatedly, taught me more about mental health best practices. Now, I am determined to take on 2024 with a renewed sense of purpose, ambition, accountability and a clear mindset.

Already off to a great start in ending my personal design drought, I managed to rebrand myself and get a website up in a mere 36 hours. I feel like magic (maybe also nuts); casting passion into every pixel and leaving no alt tag unturned. Taking up a little bit more of the digital space, I've also found myself *drumroll* returning to social media. Kind of. My new Instagram, @kylieburstcreative, also made its debut after nearly a year-and-a-half of being uninspired and uninterested in creating for myself.

To keep my creative energy positive in 2024, I've put some thought into why 2023 was a dud and how I can learn moving forward:

1. Maintain Healthy Boundaries

My therapist looked at me after a spill-all session recently and asked me to think about one simple question: What would happen if you just said no?

I was a deer in headlights. If my life depended on answering that question, I'd say sayonara. Saying no was never an option for me, even if it meant taking on projects that didn't align with my design goals. In the new year, I'm implementing boundaries that will help me in my career and encourage others to do the same.

• Respect your time: Freelance design clients won't know to respect your time if you don't do it first. Establish peak hours and efficient communication windows.

• $top feeling guilty: Undercharging? In this economy? Charge based on your worth, not your client's idea of it.

• Screen clients: Not every project/client is going to be a good fit and that's okay. Referrals and recommendations are a thing!

2. Stay True to Your Freelance Design Design Self

When I was in college, drafting and sketching were always part of my design process. Being a visual person with the freedom of a wandering pencil, ideas in the form of chicken scratch often led to a series of great design approaches. I would combine illustrative and digital mediums by scanning in doodles and calligraphy to alter in Illustrator and Photoshop. It allowed me to tap into a more hands-on and personalized approach to design, one I was passionate about.

Working in an industry that prioritizes quick turnarounds has squished my original brainstorming process and seemingly drained me of instilling,

simply put, fun in my design. Being able to recognize this shortfall is only the first step in getting back on track. Since illustrative work is where my style truly leans, I've started to embrace the idea of designing accordingly. If you didn't notice, my new logo is a perfect example!

3. Embrace Change, Be Hungry for Growth

In the creative world, there are countless courses, tutorials, software and tips that are launched every day. It's tempting to stick to what you know and remain on the same path, but that's not always the best approach.

The moon wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the collision of planets.

Continued learning is the most important thing we as designers can keep doing. While I admittedly did take a few courses in Hubspot Academy in 2023, I want more. Whether a shorthand cheat for my favorite program or mastering the industry's newest software, I want to open doors that I never knew existed. Ignorance, is in fact, not bliss.

I can't help but feel optimistic about what my design career will consist of over the next 12 months. I'm also admittedly feeling a little silly-imposter-syndrome-esque for thinking I can pen a blog, but here we are LOL. Cheers to trying new things, being ambitious and standing on business in 2024.

XO