Venturing into Freelancing: My Story
Tags: webflow, webdev, freelance, design
Published: 2023-08-26 22:19:34

## Hello,

I'm [Ariel Davis](https://arieldavis.webflow.io/), and right now, I'm working as a Webflow freelancer. Before this, I spent about three years as a software engineer. I made the switch to freelancing in March of this year. In the last six months, I've gone from feeling uncertain about my programming career to not knowing when my next client will come along. I'm still new to this, so I appreciate your patience as I share how I got here. And who knows, maybe my journey will inspire some of you. Trust me, it's quite the adventure.


![Pink HTML closing tag](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/bfjt6a1d6jmiwcryrqu4.jpg)

## Day 0 - Taking a Big Step
Since I had experience as a software engineer, this change wasn't too crazy. But looking back, I could have handled it better. After I left my last job, finding a new one was tougher than I thought, even with all my experience. I applied for jobs like crazy, sometimes hundreds in a week, but nothing worked out. And the few interviews I did get didn't go well. It was tough, but I started to see it as a sign. A sign that what I was doing:
A. Wasn't working
and B. Wasn't making me happy.

So, I decided to switch things up. I still loved programming, but if the usual job route wasn't working, I was going to take matters into my own hands and start freelancing!


![Computer on a desk that reads do more](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ch47cgaujrjggu34hcq1.jpg)

## Learning First, Doing Second
First, I want to give a shout-out to Vako Shvili. His Udemy course "[Complete Web Design: from Figma to Webflow to Freelancing](https://www.udemy.com/share/102FgU3@0_8Yf2SqAMuAkfZltQEChRtx9HJarFqdOOxJ8EliCCbWLIH1YwVRN5G9cgmxuse0/)" is amazing. He takes you through everything step by step, using projects to teach you the basics of Webflow and Figma really quickly. If you're even a bit interested in this field, I totally recommend his course – that's where I got my start.

During this course, I realized that even though I'd been a developer for a while, I knew nothing about design. I couldn't make a website look... well, good. This realization was a big moment for me. I learned about Figma, why certain fonts look better, how colors work together – it was like a whole new world. And when I started using Webflow, that's when things got even more exciting.


![Webflow professional partner](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/mniala8p1icduofz6e1p.png)

## Webflow Magic
I'd heard of other website builders like WordPress and Shopify, but Webflow was new to me. Even before I learned all the details, I had a feeling it would become my favorite way to make websites. If you're thinking about learning Webflow, check out their free [Webflow 101](https://university.webflow.com/courses/webflow-101) course. It's designed for beginners, so you don't need years of experience to get started.

## Looking Ahead
Having my past experience helped me learn Webflow faster, which helped me find my first clients more quickly. I'm testing the waters on Upwork, and I'm aiming to become a certified Webflow Expert soon. That should open up more opportunities with clients. If you've read this far, thank you! Feel free to explore my [portfolio website](https://arieldavis.webflow.io/), and if you're looking for a Webflow developer, send me a message.

Stay tuned for more to come…"