Hey freelancing world!

I’m Jennifer, I’m new-ish here, and I’m 30. (No… WAIT, I’M 31! 🤦🏼‍♀️) Who says you’re ever too old to make drastic career changes?

I’ve officially joined the business of freelance design. Well, not officially, I guess… because I haven’t made any money yet.

Nope. Not one cent.

But I don’t mind… yet. I’m getting my feet wet and building my portfolio by offering my services free of charge to a select group of non-profits & businesses around Lincoln County, Maine. I’m still applying for User Experience Designer jobs (which was…or still is?… my real profession) around the Portland area and also looking at remote positions. But even if I were to get a full-time, 9-5 job, I’m determined to keep up the freelancing work as a side hustle.

Since moving back home to Maine this past October, I’ve vacillated between diving head first into full-time freelance design work and finding a secure 9-5 job that comes with an annual salary. It’s a bit scary when you get to be 30 (or 31, in my case) and you feel like you still haven’t got it figured out. I didn’t think it would take this long to find a job in Maine… and while I AM being picky about location (I really want to work remotely), I think I’m a really well qualified candidate for a lot of the UX design positions available.

While I wait to find a full-time job, I’m using this down time to focus on my freelance design career. Who knows, maybe this will pay off sometime soon in the future? If you’re curious about what I’ve been designing for the non-profits & businesses here in Lincoln County, Maine? Take a gander…

Hearty Roots:

Hearty Roots is an amazing local non-profit that encourages youth in Lincoln County to get outside, be adventurous, but also learn mindfulness and build self-esteem. Separate boys and girls week-long sessions are “purposefully portable” and take advantage of Lincoln County’s public lands and waters, allowing kids to bring their families back to those accessible areas long after the camp sessions have ended. I was able to attend the girls’ February break “closing circle" ceremony at Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson, Maine (just across the lake from where I live!) It was awesome to see a group of girls be so thoughtful and kind towards each other and to themselves, and to see them excited about outdoor activities, even in the freezing Maine winter.

I offered Haley Bezon, the founder and director of Hearty Roots, a full branding package that includes logo design, a brand style guide, some print material designs and a responsive Squarespace website. We just finished the logo, and Haley wanted to get some stickers and a banner made up for the Snow Ball Benefit Gala which is benefiting Hearty Roots on March 2nd (come get fancy with us and get your tickets here!)

Here’s the logo I came up with for Hearty Roots - next up, some more print designs and a full website refresh!

Boothbay Region Health Center:

The Boothbay Region Health Center is the Boothbay Region’s community-owned healthcare organization. Their goals, as listed on their website, are:

1. To take local control of our primary health service.

2. To establish a patient-driven primary care practice model

3. To increase access and to use primary health care services appropriately.

4. To make both individual and community-wide choices that will result in improved health status.

What a great organization to help out!

I’ve been working on a poster for BRHC’s upcoming spring fundraising event:

Kennebec Equipment Rental:

A family-owned business for generations, Kennebec Equipment Rental is a staple in Maine’s equipment rental industry, with 6 locations all over Maine. My family is very close with the owners of KER, so I am always willing to lend a hand for any design needs they may have!

I designed their logo several years ago, but was most recently asked to design a t-shirt!

Jefferson Moto

Finally, what’s the use of being married to a freelance designer if you can’t take advantage of free design? For my husband’s new power sports service & repair shop, I designed the logo, business cards, website and signage for the shop! I even came up with the tagline (how witty am I!?) Have some toys you need repaired? Come talk to Henry at Jefferson Moto.