Ask HN: How Do I Get Started as a Freelance Web Designer?

This might seem like a silly question. But I really have no clue. HN seems like a savvy group of people and I'm sure plenty of you are freelancers of some sort. So I was wondering if you had suggestions.

I've tried looking around for sites that connect freelance designers/programmers with people looking for designers. All of the sites out there seem quite sketchy.

So how does one go about finding clients and making connections?