Learn to Give and Take Feedback
Clients are gonna tell you to change your work. They're gonna tell you to delete your favorite part and change pretty colors to ugly colors. Things happen. One of the most important things I learned early on was "Don't marry your work." It's important to protect the quality and soundness of what you put out into the world, but at the end of the day, as long as the client is signing the check, they get the final say. You do have a duty to stop them from making bad design mistakes, but if it's going to be more trouble than it's worth, just stop. If the changes go outside of work, of course speak up and tell them that it's gonna cost more. If someone is giving you feedback that isn't in the chain of command, talk with your point of contact to make sure they have say in the matter. (Beware of design by committee- it could make your life very stressful.) The way I handle feedback is generally a limited amount of revisions per round and any additional changes go to hourly.
Another side of this is being able to give feedback. Being able to put what you're seeing into words is a really difficult thing, but with practice, it'll come easier. You can get practice by asking for feedback on your social media posts and reading thoroughly what other people have to say. Also give feedback on other people's work if they ask for it and read what other people have commented. By giving feedback to other people, you can learn how to give feedback to yourself. Slowly, you'll start to get an eye for what works. It gets easier with fresh eyes to tell what a piece needs, so you can always step away from something for a few hours to a few days. Plus helping others is always a great way to give back to the community.
On that note, please feel free to give feedback on this illustration.
Context: So a little bit ago, I went full time freelance. It's been a ride full of lessons learned. On my instagram, I asked people for their diehard rules of the trade, and I compiled a list that should help people run their businesses a little more smoothly. If you have some design rules you live by, feel free to comment or message me on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/darumacreative/