My professor said to cut my portfolio down to 5 projects, but I ignored her

Professor Davis told me last semester that my 12-project portfolio was too much and to only show my 5 strongest pieces. I thought more work showed more skill, so I kept it all. I just got feedback from a recruiter at a Chicago agency who said they stopped looking after the 7th project because it felt repetitive. Has anyone else had a recruiter give a specific number where they lose interest?

Had to pick between a $500 retainer client or a $5k project with a nightmare brief

Went with the project and spent three weeks just getting them to agree on a color palette. Anyone else ever take a big job that turned into a total time sink?

Choosing a background for a local bakery's menu board

I was designing a menu board for a new bakery in Seattle and got stuck between a soft sage green or a warm cream for the main background. I went with the cream because it made the photos of the pastries look more appetizing and the text easier to read from a distance. It worked out, but I'm second-guessing if the green would have given a more unique 'artisan' feel. Anyone have experience with color choices for food menus?

I keep seeing people skip the flux step on basic soldering jobs

Worked on a 2018 MacBook Pro board last week where someone tried a reflow with just solder, no extra flux. The joints looked terrible and cold. I know the solder wire has flux inside, but for anything more than a fresh wire splice, you need that extra paste. It cleans the pads and makes the solder flow right. How many of you still think the core flux is enough for board work?

Spent three hours on a simple crown repair that should have taken forty minutes

The homeowner in Boise insisted the flashing was fine, but the mortar around the chimney crown was completely gone and water had gotten behind it. I ended up having to carefully chip out the old, failed repair and rebuild the entire crown from scratch. Has anyone else had a 'quick fix' turn into a major rebuild because the real problem was hidden?

Appreciation post: My trip to the Atlanta Botanical Garden last spring

I got so excited pointing out a rare orchid that I walked straight into a decorative pond, phone in pocket. Now I always check my footing before geeking out over flora, anyone else have a clumsy plant moment?

Visited the new bioswale project in my city's downtown park

I was walking through the park yesterday and saw they'd finished installing a big, curving ditch filled with native plants and rocks. A city worker told me it's designed to catch and filter all the stormwater runoff from the nearby streets before it hits the sewer. Has your town added any green infrastructure like this recently?

Tried a new brush pack for a comic panel and got a weird texture I didn't expect. Anyone know why this happens?

Update: Ditching screens after dark led to a silly freelance mess

I stopped using any screens once the sun went down to help me sleep and think clearer for my jobs. First off, I picked up a book but dozed off and totally missed a client's urgent text. Then I got into drawing on notepads, which turned into crazy brainstorming for a gig at midnight. Woke up to find my pages full of wild lines that meant nothing. Later, I meant to type an email reply but hit record on my phone instead, sending a long, sleepy voice note. The client dug it, saying it felt personal and hired me again. Now I'm juggling no-screen time with pen and paper, and it's kinda fun but messy. Ever try a new routine that blew up in a goofy way?