At the beginning of my journey as a web designer, I had a serious problem. Not the only one, but the biggest one. I was terrified of looking for clients.

I knew all the methods of finding them, had scripts—what to write, how, and in what situations. I understood where to search for potential clients, but… I did nothing. I came up with a thousand excuses: “I’m not ready yet,” “My design skills aren’t good enough,” and so on.

From a technical standpoint, I was fully prepared. I had templates for commercial proposals, contracts, acceptance certificates, and copyright transfer agreements—in three languages and two different formats. I even had a database of reliable developers in case a client needed a full-cycle website.

But I still wasn’t looking for clients. And this issue was starting to seriously stress me out.

That’s when I turned to my favorite problem-solving technique—the 16 Associations Method.

The 16 Associations Method

This is a tool for self-analysis and psychological diagnostics developed by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. The method is based on the idea that spontaneous associations reflect our internal state and unconscious processes.

How does it work?

1. Identify your problem. Allow yourself to experience the emotions it triggers—don’t suppress them, but feel them fully.
2. Take a blank sheet of paper and number it from 0 to 16:
   • 0 — your initial issue.
   • 1–16 — spontaneous associations.
3. Write down everything that comes to mind without pausing, analyzing, or judging. Any words, phrases, or thoughts—whatever you associate with the problem.

My Example

0 — My problem: “I’m afraid to look for clients. Why?”

16 associations:

1. I won’t be able to handle it.
2. There will be problems.
3. I don’t know something important.
4. Everyone will find out I’m a beginner.
5. There will be difficulties with the developer.
6. I’ll mess up.
7. I won’t get paid.
8. I might get sued.
9. I won’t meet expectations.
10. The developer will charge too much.
11. I’ll be disappointed in design.
12. I won’t make it look good.
13. If I succeed, I’ll get too many orders.
14. I’m afraid to talk to clients.
15. If I succeed, I’ll make a lot of money, but I haven’t set up a business yet.
16. If I succeed, I’ll be overwhelmed.

This list represents the reality level—the first emotions that come to the surface.

Moving Forward

Now, I grouped these 16 words into 8 pairs. In each pair, I chose the most significant association or created a new one.

8 pairs:

1. I’ll mess up.
2. Impostor syndrome.
3. I won’t meet expectations.
4. There will be problems.
5. I’ll embarrass myself.
6. Failure.
7. I’m an introvert.
8. I’m afraid to register my business.

This is the mind level—what I actually think about the situation.

Next, I combined the 8 pairs into 4:

4 pairs:

1. I don’t belong among designers.
2. What am I even doing here?
3. I should just get a factory job.
4. I’m afraid of public attention.

This is the emotional level—what I truly feel.

Then, I reduced these 4 to 2:

2 core associations:

1. I’m not meant for big money.
2. I’m afraid to step out of the shadows.

This is the root of the problem—the most significant thoughts.

And finally—the key word

From these two associations, I identified one key word—the core of my unconscious belief.

My result:
“I am not worthy of a better life.”

Honestly? This conclusion shocked me.

Why Was My Subconscious Sabotaging My Search for Clients?

When I saw my final phrase—“I am not worthy of a better life”—a storm of emotions rose inside me. I already knew I was afraid to look for clients, but I never thought the root of the problem was so deeply ingrained in my mind.

Logically, I told myself: “You’re learning, improving your skills, preparing all the documents—why should you be afraid?” But at an unconscious level, it was like I was sabotaging myself.

When I started analyzing where this belief came from, things became clear—it had been forming for years.

• Environment. Growing up, I often heard: “Money is earned through hard work,” “Business is risky,” “Stability is more important than freedom.” And of course, no one ever said you could just become a designer. It always seemed like you needed special talent or connections.

• Experience. If you’ve faced failures before, your subconscious registers them as “danger.” Maybe I was afraid of rejection or disappointing a client because I had felt that way before.
• Self-esteem. As long as I wasn’t looking for clients, I could consider myself a promising designer. But if I started reaching out and got rejected, what if that meant I wasn’t good enough? My brain chose avoidance as a defense mechanism.

What to Do About It?

The first thing I realized was: I couldn’t just “force” myself to look for clients. That’s like trying to drive with the parking brake on—you can press the gas, but it’ll be a painful struggle.

I needed to turn off my internal saboteur.

Here’s what helped me:

1. Challenge the belief

If my subconscious decided that I wasn’t worthy of a better life, I had to ask: Why not?

I wrote down all the arguments proving that I could and should make money as a designer:

• I already know how to design websites.
• I have a portfolio.
• I’m just as good as other designers who are making money.
• I want to work for myself and have freedom.

Fact: If I have the skills and people need them, then I deserve success.

2. Reframe rejection

A client saying no ≠ failure.
Rejection is just part of the process. It’s like in a store—some people walk in, look around, and leave. No one thinks, “Oh no, this person didn’t buy milk, I must be a terrible milk seller!”

I decided to see client outreach as an experiment—the more attempts, the higher the chances of success.

3. Take small steps

Instead of immediately messaging potential clients, I started with preparation:

• Polished my portfolio.
• Created email templates.
• Wrote a post about my services.

This reduced my anxiety before diving into action.

4. Get the first win

As soon as I landed my first client, the sabotage weakened.
The subconscious works on real-life examples: if it worked once, it can work again.

Conclusion

I believe my experience is a completely normal phase that most beginners go through—especially in creative professions.

Fear of finding clients isn’t about a lack of skills or knowledge. It’s about an internal conflict between wanting to grow and deep-seated beliefs that hold you back.

The good news? I identified the root cause. And that’s a huge step—many people struggle for years without understanding why they’re stuck.

Self-sabotage is just a defense mechanism. My subconscious was trying to protect me from possible failure, stress, and uncertainty. But the paradox is: by avoiding these things, I was also depriving myself of success.

This isn’t about laziness or lack of discipline. It’s a deep unconscious belief that prevents action. But once you see it and work through it, the feeling of being stuck disappears.

And from there, it’s just a matter of taking steps forward and stopping the fear of your own success.