One of the toughest things for me as a freelancer is convincing myself that it’s OK to ask for stuff. For advice from other professionals. For support from friends. For more work from past clients. For feedback from current ones.
The thing is, asking does no harm, and it can lead to good things. It took me months to build up the courage to ask clients for testimonials, which I wanted to put on my freelance website. I felt like I was intruding, felt afraid of how people would respond. But these were people who valued my skills enough to pay for them, so of course when I asked they were willing to spare a couple of sentences recommending me.
When you work for yourself, whether it’s full time freelancing or doing a creative side gig, you’re the one who has the power, the motivation, and the opportunity to push your work further. People aren’t always going to think of you or to know what you want. So it’s OK to ask. More than just OK. It’s what you need.