Get a job doing something boring so you have some income. Make a portfolio of work that shows you can execute on ideas, and explain the why behind each exploration and design solution. Show your work, be able to go deeper on explanation for in-person interviews. Inspiration is 1% of the job, the other 99% is grinding through the work to get to inspiration. Employers want to see that you can get there regardless of what you are given to work on. Graphic design is one small subset of a massive design industry. You should at least know about other design functions and how you fit into larger company processes. Better yet, expand your design abilities into other areas. And probably most importantly. Produce more work, even if it's just for yourself. Design something every day and be able to explain to others your process and thinking behind it. Confidence, passion, and top-of-mind information shows in how people talk about their work in interviews. More on reddit.com

Strong-Oil-3245, please write a comment explaining the objective of this portfolio or CV, your target industry, your background or expertise, etc. This information helps people to understand the goals of your portfolio and provide valuable feedback. Providing Useful Feedback Strong-Oil-3245 has posted their work for feedback. Here are some top tips for posting high-quality feedback. Read their context comment before posting to understand what Strong-Oil-3245 is trying to achieve with their portfolio or CV. Be professional. No matter your thoughts on the work, respect the effort put into making it and be polite when posting. Be constructive and detailed. Short, vague comments are unhelpful. Instead of just leaving your opinion on the piece, explore why you hold that opinion: what makes it good or bad? How could it be improved? Are some elements stronger than others? Stay on-topic. We know that design can sometimes be political or controversial, but please keep comments focussed on the design itself, and the strengths/weaknesses thereof. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. More on reddit.com

I'm over 50 and can say with confidence: go to work for the money. Save/invest and you'll have the ability to pursue passion projects while still living comfortably. If I was your age right now I would not go into graphic design. It's over saturated. Spend time in this sub and you'll see a ton of "can't find a job" posts. if you do decide to pursue GD then I would suggest spending a lot of time learning public speaking, giving presentations, people management. If you're going to make good money it'll most likely be in client-facing, designer managing roles. More on reddit.com

I’ve been working as a graphic designer for about 5 years. I like the job and I enjoy being creative, however, lately I feel like people don’t value it, especially with AI slop going around and people seeing design as disposable. I also feel like I constantly need to upgrade my skills, I’m kind of expected to be a graphic designer, marketing person, social media person and on top of that do UI/UX, video editing, motion graphics, 3D design, web design…You get the idea. It’s a competitive industry. I love learning new things and solving problems, so I put up with all of it, but sometimes I wonder if this is something I could do for the rest of my life. I can’t see myself at 60 learning new disciplines at my current pace. More on reddit.com