That’s me. Adriana.
I’ve spent 15 years figuring out how to find clients, price work, and build a freelance business that actually lets me enjoy a full life — as an illustrator, working alone, from Romania.
This newsletter is everything I wish someone had shown me earlier.
If you’re an illustrator or designer right now, things probably feel uncertain.
Client work is slower. Budgets are getting cut. And if you’re still in a job, there’s a quiet anxiety that it might not last much longer.
I’ve been there. Not as a fear — as a reality. Fourteen years ago I had no clients, no network, and no idea how to make freelancing actually work.
Now I run an illustration business from my apartment in Romania, earning €50–60K a year — working with clients across the UK, USA, Australia, Europe, and Asia. No networking events. No viral moments. No agency behind me.
Just a system I built slowly, by figuring out what actually works on Fiverr, Upwork, and with direct clients. Over €350K later, I’m still refining it.
That’s what this newsletter is. The real numbers, the real decisions, and the honest mistakes — so you don’t have to figure it all out alone.
What’s inside
↳ Free: Occasional posts on freelancing, income, and what I’m testing. Good if you’re just starting to explore.
↳ Paid — €8/month: The practical stuff most freelancers never get access to.
Real pricing and negotiation breakdowns
Gig and offer teardowns (what converts and what doesn’t)
Monthly reviews — portfolio, positioning, what I’d do differently
↳ Founding — €150/year: The Gentle Hustle Toolkit
Everything above, plus early access to tools and templates as I build them (Pricing Tools, GPT frameworks, templates)
If you’re wondering whether you can actually make this work as an illustrator or designer — without building a new portfolio, getting an agent, or going viral — this is the place to figure that out.
Adriana 🤍
