Everyone is investing these days.
It’s the trendy new thing to buy into a company, currency or piece of art. Investing has become more accessible, so we're all rolling the dice and hoping we get lucky. But for those who do creative work, there’s a safer bet.
The best investment you can make as a designer, or anyone working in the creative industry for that matter?
Your design portfolio.
And I don't just say this because I want you to use Carbonmade or Semplice to create it, although I do. Here’s why:
Creating your portfolio means investing in yourself
Launching your design portfolio means you believe in yourself and your work. Just like you'd invest in company or artist you believe is going to be successful, you're placing a bet on a hunch. You're willing to give something up now (in this case, money and time) on the feeling that you'll one day get something more out of it.
Unlike other investments, you have full control over the success or failure of this one, with no outside influences or trends to threaten it. The only person you’re counting on is you.
And by launching your site, you’re already paying off the investment. It only becomes more valuable once it's live – having a portfolio is inarguably better than not having one. You've already gained from your investment. It only gets better from here.
"Unlike a standard investment, you can influence the success of your portfolio."
Your portfolio is the most passive way to find new opportunities
When you invest your money in stocks, you can't do much to influence the rise or fall of them. You just decide where the money goes, sit back and wait. You might get lucky and make the easiest money you ever made. Or, like many of us, you'll make some here and lose some there. It's a long game.
Having an online portfolio can make you easy money too. It requires very little investment on your part, beyond creating the site in the first place, to land an opportunity. Once it's online, it sells your work while you sleep.
Someone might find it in a search. They might send the link to someone else. That person might bookmark the link for the future. Months later when they’re working on a project and need a designer, they remember your portfolio. Can they remember where they found it? Probably not. The point is, they found it.
And unlike a standard investment, you can influence the success of your design portfolio. You can promote it every time you add a new project. You can optimize and refresh it to make it feel current and appealing to your target audience.
But whether you choose be aggressive about it or not, it's already working for you.
By just being online, you increase your potential returns immeasurably.
When your site doesn’t exist, you don’t know what you’re missing out on.
Launching your portfolio is investing in your future
The practice of “manifesting” may seem sort of mystical and fluffy, but this is the most tangible version of it:
As a creative (designer, artist, architect, illustrator, etc.) you’re hired for the work in your portfolio. People see the type of work you’ve already done, understand you have experience and interest in that area, and hire you to do it again. So knowing this, you can shape your career.
Want to get into UX design? Add UX projects or self-initiated projects to your site. Want to start illustrating full-time? Lead with your illustration projects. Want to get hired for more 3D projects? Curate your portfolio to focus on 3D design.
By putting your desires out there, you are drawing those opportunities to you. It’s nothing mystical. It’s just practical.
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If you're ready to launch you portfolio, you might enjoy using Carbonmade or Semplice. Carbonmade is for those who want to create a beautiful site quickly and easily. Semplice is a bit more advanced, allowing you to build a fully custom site based on your design. You can compare the two and decide which is better for your needs here: Semplice vs. Carbonmade
But whether you choose to use my products or not, I hope you create an online portfolio you're proud of. I know it's the best investment I've ever made.
→ A love letter to my website
→ How to make a UX portfolio in 15 minutes
→ Wild idea: Work on your portfolio while you have a job
