I have been doing graphic design on the computer since I turned 12 years old. The first program I encountered was Paint.NET which I still currently use today. I have grown in my skills over time, and you can too by following this blog/web site with all the resources and tutorials that will follow it. The ways to get the most success out of your own designs is through file/time management, the online community, and word of mouth.
File/Time Management
One of the things I've learned over the years with design is that in order to be successful, you need to find out how to manage your files on the computer, and how to manage your time. I've found various resources to stay on task such as Dropbox, RememberTheMilk, and desktop organization tools like RocketDock to access programs quickly and at ease.
Online community
In addition to managing time well, you also will need to get involved in the online community. This is to get your work publicity. One way to do that is to join a graphics forum (or multiple) to have people review and share work with you. This can help you improve in the long run, and other work you see will be good to criticize and improve on for the creator and yourself. The sites I participate with online are deviantART and the Paint.NET forum.
Word of Mouth
To be most successful and to gain the most money is through your own community at home, not online. The way people hear about your designs is from other people. I would have never had opportunities to design for other businesses if it hadn't been for my mother. She had talked to other people about how good I was at designing and such, which caused people to think of me when they heard the word "design". That shows that word of mouth is important to your success as a designer.
