[dgc223]

Have you tried sites like 99designs.com? They have contests where you can submit designs and earn money if your design is chosen. If it's not chosen, at least you'll have some more design samples for your portfolio. Also if your design is chosen you might be able to get some recurring work from the client. Good luck and I wish you the best.

(I am not affiliated with 99designs.com and this is not an ad.)

[thaumaturgy]

I'm not sure why someone downvoted this -- I think it's a good suggestion. I ended up using 99designs as a gallery of portfolios, found a guy whose work I consistently liked, and contacted him through the site.

Someone that's trying to get started like this could wander through some of the cheaper jobs on there (where the payment has been "guaranteed"), do those, make a little money, keep going.

If you're actually any good, it would be a viable option.