I am a freelancer and I offer services fin the following:
Graphic Design:
I don't work hourly, I work per project. Hourly is the best way to 1. get jipped for what you're truly worth and 2. a great way to get clients to accuse you of “overworking hours," especially when a project spec called for a lengthy turnaround time. As I said, I only work per project.
If anyone could ever summarize their entire professional experience, I would dare say - no, claim - that their professional experience has either not existed or they have not experienced hardships yet. If you, as a freelancer, have not said “yes” to every project for the first one to two years of your career, as I have, then you haven't struggled. If you, as a freelancer, have not had to fire clients because they have violated your contract more than three times, then you have not struggled as a professional. If you, as a freelancer, have not rejected potential clients because of obvious red flags, e.g. refusing to pay a deposit or refusing to sign a contract, then you have not struggled as a professional. I have gone through too many experiences, hardships to where I know my own value and worth as an artist.
I went to Pensacola Christian College for Advertising & Public Relations with a minor in Graphic Deisgn. My major is an art-business hybrid. I know how to market and advertise for myself and others. I know what people will want to see and what will attract people to my designs. The issue with just studying graphic design is that you simply just know how to make a nice-looking poster, but I know how to properly break Hierarchy or the Z-PAttern in order to get the most words read by the most eyes for a poster. There truly is a difference between advertising design and regular graphic design.