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Recently I was reading about passion projects and realized I haven’t done one in a long time. That thought stayed with me for a bit.
Am I losing myself? 🤨😅
It made me realize that most of my client work actually feels like a passion project to me.
When I went full-time freelance, my first project was so interesting to me that I approached it with a lot of time and intention. To this day, it still brings me clients. I’ve even seen it referenced on moodboards when people reach out.
It reminded me that taking the time to do work you genuinely care about can have a longer impact than you expect.
Curious how others manage this.🫣
Do you still make personal projects, or has client work taken that place for you too?
nah you're not losing yourself! client work that feels like passion is the dream. what made it click for you?
Thank you, Timothy. For me, the alignment comes from working with founders who have a clear vision and truly value thoughtful design. 🙌 What about you?
This is such a powerful realization! That perspective shift is everything - when client work feels like passion work, you know you're in the right space. The fact that you're making this conscious is beautiful. Keep that energy going
Thank you, Faith. I love how you framed that. It’s true, when those lines blur, it’s a good sign. 🙌
The network for creativity
Join 1.25M professional creatives like you
Connect with clients, get discovered, and run your business 100% commission-free
Creatives on Contra have earned over $150M and we are just getting started
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me because i now work for myself again but i'm onboarding new clients, as i'm figuring out how i want operations to be managed, as i'm trying to do my taxes as i also need to actually do the work i'm being paid to doooo 😭😭😭😭 #help
This is literally the freelancer starter pack. You start for freedom and suddenly you're doing admin, finance AND the actual work at once 😭
Landing that first client is arguably the steepest part of the freelance journey. It’s the classic "chicken and egg" scenario: you need projects to build a portfolio, but you need a portfolio to land projects.
At Onfer Studio, we realized that the secret isn’t waiting for the perfect opportunity; it’s creating the evidence yourself:
Treat yourself as a client: Build your own brand with the same rigor you’d apply to a high-ticket contract.
Concept projects: If you don't have the client yet, solve a real-world problem for a brand you love and showcase your workflow.
Leverage trust: Often, that first "yes" comes from someone who already knows your work ethic, not just your CV.
It’s tough, and the ghosting/rejection phase is real. But once you break that first barrier, the momentum takes over.
I really can't wait to break the first barrier
I'm trying new things and ways of photo manipulation for better flyer designs. What are your things?
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