I entered 2024 without specific goals, which may appear counterproductive to the New Year's inspiration surge. But I’m grateful I didn’t because, without goals, I gave myself freedom without failure.
This past year has been all about reflection, both in freelancing and in life, focusing on taking things slow, practicing gratitude, and reevaluating what matters most.
This post is long, so feel free to jump to the section that interests you most:
Part One: Freelance Nowadays
Part Two: My Top Freelance Projects of 2024
Part Three: My 2024 Freelance Income Breakdown
Part Four: Where Do I Go From Here?
When I started freelancing in 2011, I was young and hungry to be someone. I looked up to some amazing graphic artists who seemed untouchable, wrapped in high-level personal brands. I wanted that “too cool for school designer” facade at the time. Thankfully, I outgrew that aspiration. Quite honestly, I no longer care about building a name for myself in the design industry—not like I used to. Nowadays, I just want a life I love, aligned with who I am.
Freelancing was a perfect fit for my younger self when work could be everything. I was the definition of a workaholic. I thrived on work. Long hours and seven days a week were a treat for me. So much so that I used to create more work for myself in order to get out of social gatherings.
Then, I started a family. After we had our amazing daughter, my priorities instantly changed. For the first time in my adult life, I found meaning outside of the hustle and grind I’d been doing in front of my computer all day, every day.
The work that once drove me now only feels like a necessity and not a desire. Nowadays, I’m drawn to a slower way of living: I want to spend time with my family, read good books, and explore my creativity in as many different ways as possible. The idea of a Hobbit’s life feels more fulfilling than becoming some form of a design leader, influencer, or entrepreneur.
It’s a realization that seems so silly to realize just now. Perhaps that’s because the world is constantly pushing work culture over self-care, and imposter syndrome takes over when you see others crushing it in their jobs: getting promotions, launching big ideas, creating products, and working with awesome clients. But for me, I’ve learned that the things that go unseen by the public eye matter most: how your family views you, being present, and whether you have taken care of yourself today. This realization is part of the reason I haven't posted much on social media this year... because it just doesn't matter to me anymore.
This year wasn’t about crushing goals and making a bigger name for myself. It was about living intentionally. And behind the scenes of my freelance business, I was crushing it at life.
Freelancing gave me freedom and growth when I needed it most. For that, I’m grateful. Looking ahead, I don’t know what’s next. Perhaps I'll pursue something more stable and, more importantly, meaningful. Whatever that is, I want it to leave room for the life I’ve come to value so deeply.
I had the opportunity to work on some awesome projects. Even after doing this for over a decade, I still get excited to see how my work comes to life.
Onto everyone’s favorite section: my freelance income report! It’s also my favorite section to look back on and compare past years. Hopefully, by sharing how I diversify my income, you can find motivation and learn from what’s working for me.
Quick note: The graphs represented gross revenue before taxes or expenses.
My 2024 Monthly Freelance Gross Revenue
There has been a semblance of consistency these past couple of years, and that’s mostly due to a couple of large annual projects and a monthly retainer with my longest-standing client. That’s the closest I’ve come to reliable cash flow as a freelancer. I hope to connect a little more and continue building my client relationships next year.
My 2024 Freelance Income Streams
Unfortunately, I put no effort into side projects to help diversify my income. I spent as much spare time away from my computer as possible. However, seeing how much my past side projects earned as hands-off, truly passive income is interesting.
- Client work: Most of this year’s income came directly from client projects. Building strong, long-term client relationships has been key to my sustainability as a freelancer. I also specialize in the niche industry of merch for the music industry, so being discovered and connecting with new clients has become much easier than in the earlier days when I was trying to do everything for everyone.
- Digital Products: Although I didn’t add new items to my digital product catalog, they still earned me a little extra income each month—at least enough to pay a bill or two, which is still a win.
- My Shop: Just by existing online, I still earn a tiny amount through my shop, selling merch. My best-seller remains to be my Art Dept. hat.
- Monotype (Font): I put no time into this, but my Corpus Typewriter font occasionally sells on the Monotype marketplace, which is awesome. It’d be fun to create a few new fonts.
- YouTube: Unfortunately, YouTube changed how its Partner Program works. Since I don’t regularly upload new videos, my channel lost monetization, and I will no longer earn anything from my videos.
Looking ahead, I don’t want to set myself up for failure again with arbitrary resolutions or goals. Instead, I want to stay intentional about how I live my life outside of work. (Work will still obviously be a priority.)
This was hard to admit…but I’m no longer interested in being a content-creating, side-hustling freelancer who must be chasing an inconsistent income stream. That’s not the life I want. Instead, I want a slow transition into something fulfilling that offers stability and better work/life balance.
I want to write more and create simply for the love of creating again. My life and career should not be lumped into one: achieving success as defined by others. I hope to separate the two: find meaningful work and rediscover the joy of creating art. That might mean exploring new skills, changing industries, or taking smaller, more meaningful steps forward. Whatever that may look like, I’m ready.
I have many dreams and goals for the new year. However, I think I need more time to stew on them. I often find myself overwhelmed by too many things I want to do. So again, I want to try to be more intentional with my time outside of work.
2024 wasn’t a year of big achievements, but I’m grateful for the slower pace and the opportunity to better understand myself and the life I want.
Here’s to a life filled with purpose, balance, and a little more joy in the everyday.
Past Year In Review posts: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
