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
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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3 years on Contra. A lot of effort. Still trying to figure out what I'm missing
I've been on Contra for almost three years, and I want to be genuinely honest about my experience I've invested so much time into this platform I've built and published projects consistently shared my work engaged with other creatives participated in challenges applied to opportunities and tried different ways to get noticed
But despite all that effort I still haven't managed to turn my presence here into consistent paid work
I'm not writing this to complain about the platform I genuinely want to learn from people who've figured it out
For those of you who successfully get clients through Contra
What actually helped you land your first few clients?
How important is the Discovery Score in getting discovered by potential clients?
Are there strategies that made a real difference beyond posting projects and sending proposals?
If you were starting again today, what would you do differently?
I've reached a point where I'm seriously reconsidering how much time and money I should continue investing in the platform
I'd really appreciate honest advice especially from designers who've been through the same experience and eventually figured it out
Sometimes a piece of practical advice from someone who's been there can make all the difference.
Your client needs branding or packaging? Let’s collaborate.
I’m looking to connect with web designers, developers, project managers and independent studios whose clients need brand identity or packaging support.
I bring 11+ years of international experience, developing the visual direction and carrying it through to production-ready files.
For new client introductions, I’m offering a 10% referral fee on the first project’s design fees actually paid, after any discount. We agree the referral terms in writing before the introduction, and payments follow cleared client payments.
I’m also open to working as your design partner while you manage the client relationship.
I work entirely asynchronously, without calls or meetings, through written briefs, shared files and feedback.
Have a project or client in mind? Message me here.
Selected work: https://studio.mariya.design/work/
Agreeing the referral terms in writing before the intro is the step most people skip. I run a similar setup for presentation work, so it's nice to see it spelled out this clearly.