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How I Embrace Slow Seasons as a Graphic Designer



As a freelancer or a creative business owner, we face different seasons in our business. There are times when we have client projects back to back and months pass in a haze. And then, there are times when we find ourselves winding down or at a sudden standstill.


We all have those “dry” months, right? You must have had these too at some point in your career or maybe you are facing them now. So what do we do in these times? How do we keep busy and sane? Well Let me tell you.


So rather than making these slow seasons a cause of your anxiety, embrace these slower seasons and re-frame this time to be a gift instead. Think of this time as a business ‘retreat’. These slow seasons are a chance to take a step back, look at your business with new, fresh eyes and reconnect to your ‘why’. They’re also an opportunity to re-evaluate your processes, carry out essential maintenance, pull out the weeds and if necessary, steer course. Some things may be out of our control, but in this post I am going to share a few things that you can focus on during the slow seasons of your business so you can shift the balance, and reclaim these quieter times as a blessing.


Update your portfolio — For us creatives, client work tends to take priority which often means that our own websites or portfolios don’t get the love and attention they deserve. Slow seasons are an opportunity to ask yourself who your ideal client is and whether or not your portfolio reflects that. If you have older work on there that doesn’t reflect your evolving style, or it doesn’t align with the type of clients that you’d like to design for, perhaps now’s the time to remove it and replace it with work that resonates with you and your business going forward.


Share your work on portfolio sites — Once you’ve updated your portfolio, you may also consider sharing your work on social media platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest, Behance, Dribbble, Facebook groups etc. These platforms are a great way of getting more eyes on your portfolio. Not only can you gain exposure to potential new clients, plus they also help to drive traffic to your website.


Personal projects — If you find that your client work stalls but you have an abundance of creative energy that needs to flow, try working on personal projects instead. Personal projects are those that aren’t for a client, but for yourself instead. You can brainstorm ideas & create your own briefs or you can work on fake briefs from Instagram which are put out my many amazing designers.


Start a YouTube channel — If you feel you are somebody who loves talking in front of the camera, then you need to start a YouTube channel. This will not only help you to create a community for yourself, but will also gain you exposure. Create detailed videos showcasing your design style, and you might even find amazing clients from there.


Start a Design Podcast — Podcasts are gaining a lot of traction & yet there are very few good design related podcasts, which gives you a opportunity to stand out & make a name for yourself. Podcast will not only help you in connecting with your audience, but it will also let people know what kind of a person & designer you are.


Start your design shop — You can always start your own design shop to cater to your community. Create different kinds of products using your signature design style & use social media platforms to market them. This will help you to use your creative energy & will also keep you busy.


Spring Clean Your Computer — As creative business owners, it’s safe to say that we generate a lot of content and files that can clog up our hard drive space. During quieter spells is a perfect time to show your computer some care. A computer with hard drive space is a happy one, and so now’s the time to remove all unnecessary files and better still, organize them too. Once you’ve taken out the trash and re-organized your files, not only will your machine run faster, but it’ll also help your workflow and save time in the future. Plus, nothing’s more aesthetically pleasing than files that are all neat and organized.


I know slow seasons are hard, and they tend to make us anxious and we start questioning ourself & our skills. But we need to remember that this is just a phase & this too shall pass. We just need to keep ourself together & power through!


I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any particular tasks that you complete during slow seasons or you have tried any of the suggestions mentioned, be sure to let me know in the comments section!


See you all in the next blog! Tadaa✨

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