The Insightful Guides for Creative Freelancers
When I first started freelancing, I was navigating an entirely new professional landscape – one filled with more questions than answers. Rather than keeping my learnings to myself, I followed a core belief of mine: transparency and knowledge-sharing empower others.
From that impulse grew a trilogy of self-published guides for creative freelancers, aimed especially at women looking to carve their own professional paths.
Each book was funded through Kickstarter campaigns and supported by a network of like-minded creatives – from editors and illustrators to designers – most of whom were early in their careers themselves. Over the years, the books have been sold over 5,000 times and have become a trusted resource for aspiring solopreneurs around the globe.
Project Overview
Client: Self-published Author
Timeline: November 2013 – June 2017
My Approach
Interviewed female creatives from around the world, capturing their experiences and aligning them with my own reflections
Wrote the guides in an accessible, second-person style, making them feel personal and conversational
Crowdfunded all three books through successful Kickstarter campaigns (the first was backed by people from 44 countries)
Hired an all-female creative team:
Editing: Diana J. Joiner (now Kern)
Illustration: Ewelina Dymek (TYWBD, WTART), Sara Combs (MCFSB)
Design: Diana Ovezea (TYWBD, MCFSB), Christiane Wallner-Haas (WTART)
A collection of interviews, personal essays, tips and tricks for people starting their freelance journey. Honest, accessible, and designed to demystify the early stages of working for yourself. A simplified audiobook version is also available on Skillshare.
A guide for creatives looking to turn hobbies into income streams. From passion projects to product ideas, this book explores the many ways people make money doing what they love.
An ode to creative freedom and the joy of remote work. For freelancers who crave flexibility, adventure, and time off without guilt.
What I’m Especially Proud Of
Giving Diana Kern her first editing opportunity, and proving that potential matters more than résumés enabled her to pivot and establish herself in the publishing industry she struggled getting into when first starting out
Encouraging thousands of women to take their first steps into freelance life and passion-driven business
Speaking engagements and media coverage followed: TEDxLend, Pecha Kucha Utrecht, 99U, Creative Boom, GirlBoss, ADWEEK, Design Taxi, and others
The success of the books wasn’t defined by a publishing deal—it was community-led, mission-driven, and deeply personal
Looking Ahead
Lately, I’ve been thinking more about freelancing and motherhood – what it means to build a career and raise a child at the same time. Perhaps there’s a fourth guide on the horizon. One that explores the tension, joy, and redefinition of ambition through the lens of parenthood.