I am finding the UI part challenging because I know good work when I see it but I don't know how to do it without a graphic design background
I am a completely self-taught designer, my academic background had nothing to do with design at all.
I'm always sensitive to the UI trends and keeping an open mind to other designers' opinions.
Font end dev is super fun, it's like when you have all the assumptions about a good design, the front work further proves that your assumptions are indeed legit. But of course you have to be able to make those assumptions in the first place