I was once told that the fastest way to get your skills up to a level that people will pay for is to find freelance work that isn't far beyond your current scop

I was once told that the fastest way to get your skills up to a level that people will pay for is to find freelance work that isn't far beyond your current scope. If you have a deadline and a paying customer who is counting on you to produce something, then you'll quickly learn how to learn quickly.