Meet Daniel Neuman | Freelance Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Daniel Neuman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daniel, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
Posting consistently on social media has helped me immensely. I’m lucky enough that almost all of my clients have found me through Instagram and I don’t have to go out and pitch myself to businesses. Having the ability to pick and choose which clients I want to work with also helps me stay creative and refine my style and process. Another habit that has helped me succeed is designing and creating just for fun. When I create for fun I have full control over every aspect of the design, this freedom can be challenging but also extremely helpful in defining my own personal style.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The journey to becoming a full-time freelance designer was not an easy one but the hard work and dedication have paid off. I started my career working as a designer at a screen-printing shop, I was cranking out multiple designs a day and realized quickly I could do this on my own. I started posting some hand lettering on my Instagram and quickly gained a following. Little by little I gained more and more freelance clients. I was a t-shirt designer by day and a freelance designer by night. As the freelance picked up I became more intrigued by brand identity design. There was something special about creating an identity for an entire brand and seeing it come to life, I wanted more of that. After working at the screen-printing shop for a few years I accepted a position as an Art Director at a design agency. I was able to expand my abilities at the agency and work on many large-scale projects. I had my hands in food photography, brand identity design, videography, animation, and even a little web design here and there. As I developed my skills I started to create more professional work that I was putting out on social media. I was working with clients from all over the world and realized quickly I couldn’t keep working a 9-5 and then coming home and working until 1 or 2 in the morning. I was on the verge of creative burnout.
I had to make a decision to give up my job at the agency or stop doing freelance. The idea of forfeiting my secure job with benefits and a steady paycheck was paralyzing. I knew I wanted to do freelance but the jump to go straight into it just seemed so risky. It was at this moment I had to trust that God was going to provide and this desire to do freelance was something that he put on my heart. I started to create more designs that pointed toward my faith. I had a lot of fear about this decision, I thought – what if people won’t want to work with me because they see I am Christian, what if I actually get fewer clients because of this? These thoughts were almost the exact opposite. Within a few months, I had surpassed my income at the agency and realized the time had come.
I quit my job in April of 2021 during the pandemic. The amount of freedom I had was incomprehensible. I was able to create my own schedule, pick the clients I wanted to work with and do things I had always dreamed of doing. Working for myself is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. It’s still scary sometimes, and I have to be very self-disciplined and motivated to keep things flowing. It’s a process that is continually being refined and developed but I am so glad I took the leap of faith and decided to go all in.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Lincoln Nebraska is cozy little city with lots of hidden gems. I would suggest going to some of the lakes around the city or even right outside the city. Some of my favorite outdoor spots are Holmes Lake, Wilderness Park, Platte River State Park, and Pawnee Lake. A few of my go-to dinner spots would be The Oven, Blue Sushi, Yia Yia’s (best pizza in town), and HF Crave. Feeling some drinks after dinner? I’d suggest The Other Room, it’s a little speakeasy where you enter through a rotating bookshelf, and the drinks are 10/10. The Haymarket area is another favorite of mine, there are a ton of cool shops and art galleries as well as the best place for dessert – Ivanna Cone.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d love to thank my parents for always encouraging me to pursue my passions and do what I love. They’ve consistently been there for me through the years and have supported me in my career. Also, shoutout to my Mercy City Church family for always pointing me to Jesus and giving me a place to use my gifts to advance the kingdom.

Website: https://www.danielneumandesign.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniel_neuman/

Other: https://dribbble.com/danielneuman

Image Credits
Photo of me in Joshua tree wearing hat: Photo Credit: Emily Stewart (emilystewart.co)