As a graphic designer who has been working freelance since graduating in 2003, I have been through all the trials and tribulations that come with working for myself. For the first 2 years I was literally selling my soul, hellbent over backwards trying to get jobs and clients to add work to my portfolio. Craigslist was one of the sites I used to check on a daily basis for work, and although it helped me land a great long-term position with Yahoo!, most of the job postings were absolutely insulting to qualified graphic designers. And yes there were times I swallowed my pride and took these measly paying jobs, with clients from hell, because I was a newbie and felt like I needed the experience, but mostly because I was broke. I learned my lessons the hard way, realizing I was underestimating my own potential, but I soon learned that most designers experience this nonsense and agony when first starting out.

It’s not that I still don’t get the clients who try and haggle me after I give them an estimate, it’s that now I’ve learned the art of negotiation and I also don’t have a problem turning down work, especially if I get the feeling early on that this will be a difficult client to work with. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned and word of advice for freelancers: Let go of the cheap clients who cause you nothing but stress and headache and instead concentrate more on the ones who are easy to get along with, appreciate and respect what you do and are willing to pay you what you’re worth.

From time to time I’ll be offering free downloads to our readers of hi-res photos and designs to use for desktop backgrounds or whatever you like. They will always be original artworks or photos by me, Kat, and I’m happy to share with everyone. The only thing I kindly ask is to please not sell or distribute any of these for profit. Feel free to comment and let me know how you’ve used them.
These first two have a botanical theme. Click on images to view the larger download size.

These tiny handmade cardboard miniatures of old analog audio equipment by Daniel McPharlin have to be the cutest things I’ve seen in a long time. The fine details of these vintage machines that he has recreated into miniatures exhibit an amazing craftsmanship. According to Dan they are “an interesting experiment to render hi tech objects in a low tech medium such as paper or cardboard.”

… and I only mean that in the best sense. The modern computer household can now add a new piece of art and design and create a bridge between new and old. Check out Art Lebedev’s Matryoshkus, a very modern take on the traditional Babushka (or Russian Nesting) Dolls. Also a great learning tool, since these dolls will remind you of what’s bigger. A Bit or a Byte?

The most traditional nesting doll design is one that looks like a young Russian woman dressed in Russian native costume with a scarf on her head. In the traditional nesting doll sets all of the dolls look almost identical to one another, and the number of dolls in the set ranges from 5 to 30, but some custom-made sets contain many more.
from russianlegacy.com

The Serif, a graphic design blog, asked visitors to redesign London’s Tube ticket and received some really creative and quite clever submissions. My favorite is the one above, designed by Adam Rix, which even got a mention in the British newspaper, the Guardian.

Remember back in the days before digital music players and MP3s?
If you do, then you probably made compilations of all your favourite music, to share with your friends and loved ones, on good old fashioned blank cassette tapes.
If you miss making mix tapes this product will inspire you again!