For freelance creatives, encountering slow periods is inevitable. While these lulls can be challenging both emotionally and financially, they also present an opportunity and challenge to grow, improve, and prepare for the future. 

We asked experienced designers from Behance about overcoming the slump and their advice for staying motivated and productive when work slows down. 

1. Focus on Personal Development

Slower times give you the bandwidth to pursue personal growth, which is an essential part of furthering your skill set and ultimately, your career. “During slower periods, I stay motivated by focusing on personal development, exploring new design trends, and networking within the industry,” says María Barón, a freelance creative director who goes by Susurrros on Behance, Setting short-term goals, such as updating her portfolio or acquiring new skills, also helps María maintain productivity and momentum. 

Some effective ways to focus on personal growth include enrolling in online courses to learn new skills or improve existing ones, and staying updated with the latest design trends through Behance, social media, and industry publications to find fresh inspiration. 

Medicina Alternativa by Susurrros (María Barón)

2. Expand Your Potential Client List 

With Behance, you can showcase your work to millions of creative professionals and potential clients. Update your availability to let visitors to your profile know that you’re available for new work, and to be included in our directory of freelancers. You can also list a Creative Service to advertise specific projects you’re available for.  

3. Show the Work You Want to Get

Showcasing the type of projects you want to get hired for helps you build a strong portfolio that aligns with your goals, and helps attract clients who value your style and approach. Paul Lilley of Sydney based studio Ulysses Design Co recalls the initial struggle to find clients in the early days of his business: “We’re lucky enough to be booked out for 1-2 months in advance these days, but when we were starting out getting clients was a struggle.”

Paul’s advice for finding new clients is to show the work you want to get. “Whenever we want to develop our aesthetic or target, we create a bunch of work in this style and share it on Behance,” he shares. Projects like West Coast Beer Branding, Bottle Shop Branding, and Palm Beach Cafe were all created as a part of Ulysses’s strategy to develop their portfolio and attract clients from specific industries looking to hire them for their laid back retro style. 

Palm Beach Cafe Branding by Ulysses Design Co

4. Embrace Passion Projects

Personal projects give you the freedom to exercise your creative expression without restraints. They are a great opportunity to experiment with new styles or tools, expand your skill set, and as Paul mentioned, create the work you want to be hired for. “Doing passion projects is vital for both sanity and morale!” says freelance designer Alan Cheetham. 

When Alan enters slower periods with his schedule, he turns to his notebook. “I open up my notes on my phone and realize how many unrealized ideas I've made in the last decades and think, here's the time to attempt to tick off some of these. Sometimes it's just refreshingly simple to create art/design without a brief.

Various illustration collaborations 2021-2022 by Alan Cheetham

5. Keep a Project Backlog 

Having a backlog of projects ensures you’re never without something to work on. These could be those personal projects, but they could also be administrative or organizational tasks that can help you streamline your workflow or build your business. 

Digital designer Lorenzo Bocchi keeps a running list of things that he can work on during slower times — things that are often overlooked or deprioritized when his schedule is busier. “I have about 50 projects to work on case studies for. I have a backlog of things to do to maintain and improve my internal tools like my own design system, my Webflow builder started, brand strategy processes, and a social media planner.” 

Hello Coach by Lorenzo Bocchi

6. Expand Your Income Streams

Digital assets offer creatives the opportunity to earn passive income alongside their freelance projects. Illustrator Tatiana Vovchek supplements her income as a freelance illustrator by offering vectors and pattern designs as assets on Behance. “ It is my way to build a passive income stream and to give a second life to illustrations I made for personal study or which were not used by clients,” she shares.

In addition to bringing her additional revenue, her assets have helped her find new clients: “I got a client who offered me a pattern design project through Behance having looked at the assets I put on sale.”

100+ DOGS ILLUSTRATIONS FOR PET BLOG by Tatiana Vovchek 

Attach downloadable files to a new or existing Behance project to start monetizing your content to a global community of over 50 million members. You can specify the type of license, set your own price for each asset, and continue to monetize on other platforms. There is no fee to list your assets, but with each sale, you’ll be subject to a 30% platform fee. Upgrade to Behance Pro to eliminate platform fees on all sales you make. 

While the slowdown of work can be disheartening, it can be an opportunity for you to recharge, refine your skills, and explore new horizons. Remember this phase is temporary, and with the right  mindself, you can turn it into a bountiful opportunity for growth.