One thing I’ve witnessed in my bootcamp again and again is how much people tend to underestimate the opportunities for doing design work that are just lying there in their close network of friends and family. It’s almost impossible to not know someone who runs a small business, an online shop, a restaurant, a hobby website, anything that requires a digital touchpoint that you can help make better.
Start talking to your close (and not-so-close) ones about your learning journey, and possible opportunities for solving some of their problems, and you’ll very quickly see a list of potential challenges start to grow. Collect all “leads” below.
Also, it doesn’t have to be just close friends or family, maybe you have a former schoolmate who runs a small startup or has a startup idea, or some acquaintance that has some business. Dump all the leads in here and start looking for real opportunities around you - trust me, they’re there.