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Talked to a retired graphic designer who said slow seasons are the only time to experiment and I was wrong to panic

She told me she spent her slow months learning hand-lettering and that one skill landed her a steady gig for 5 years after. Has anyone else accidentally found a better niche during a dead period?
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3 Comments
perry.jesse
Hang on, is that really true for everyone though? I mean, I get what she's saying, but slow seasons for me have always been panic time because my main client base just dries up until the rush comes back. Hand-lettering is cool and all, but not every dead period turns into a five year gig. I've spent slow months learning stuff like motion graphics only to have nobody care about it because the clients I had wanted straight web design. Sometimes those quiet weeks are just... quiet, and pushing yourself to learn something new when you're already stressed about money feels like a recipe for burnout.
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webb.hannah
Is that retired designer still doing client work now, or did she settle into that hand-lettering thing full time? Seems like there's a big difference between chasing a side skill and actually getting paid enough to survive the slow months on it.
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jana509
jana5097d ago
Does she have a spouse with a steady paycheck or something?
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