Working for other people can be a horrible way to spend your life.
Even if you’re doing something that you love, doing it 40+ hours per week for other people has a tendency to ruin the appeal.
One way to ease this problem is to create and maintain personal side projects. Below we’ll discuss why this proves true.
What is a Personal Project?
A personal project is something that you can consider 100% your own (or at least 50% if you bring in a partner). It’s something that you create and take on for no one but you. As the common thread that binds the readers of this site together is a love for design, we’ll assume that the project would be design related.
A design related personal project can take any number of forms, big or small. It can be something small like designing an online portfolio, starting a blog or building a personal brand, or something larger like starting your own company or creating the next big thing in web 2.0.
The key is not so much what you do, but that you do something, or even many things.
The Appeal of Personal Projects
As you decide what sort of personal project you should undertake, remember that it should be something that you can get excited about. Something to keep you awake a little at night, to get your brain pumping with fresh ideas and new possibilities. The point here is to find something that will help you rediscover your love of design, not as a profession, but as a hobby or even a passion.
Burnout is something that hits every designer at some point. Being forcefully creative as a way to pay the bills can be mentally exhausting and eventually results in you feeling like you’ve got no creativity left. This is the result of teaching your brain to literally loathe creativity. You begin to associate it with mandatory work and the daily grind.
Creativity should add awe to your world, make life more bearable, and provide you with a fundamentally more enjoyable way to view your existence. That may seem a little abstract or high-minded, but it’s a much more pleasant view than the utilitarian method of being creative simply to earn a paycheck.
The key here is to stop ruining your talent by using it exclusively at work. Instead, channel it through activities that can actually make you happy.
I Have No Time for a Personal Project!
To put it bluntly: bull. One of the best things about doing something personal is that you can go at your own pace, even if that only means spending tiny bits of time on it here and there.
The absolute hardest thing to do is not to find time to keep your personal project going, but to take that first step to actually begin doing anything real at all. Once you have that first victory, however small, the momentum feels good and keeps you going.
Avoid thinking about a personal project as another thing on your professional todo list. This is tantamount to simply taking on more work and will get you no where. Instead, categorize this project under “free time.” Put it up there with starting that novel you’ve been wanting to read and catching a ball game on a weekend. Remember that the way you approach this psychologically will completely decide the overall effectiveness of the exercise. Keep it positive and keep it fun!
As living examples, take the two guys that run this site: David Appleyard and myself. We work together on a number of websites and professional endeavors. We’re both up to our ears in work and share the kind of twisted personality that responds to such a crisis by piling on even more.
Despite the fact that our professional commonalities would provide us no end to current work-related topics, whenever we have any communication beyond a brief email, we discuss crazy new ideas and personal projects. When I really stop to think about it, I realize that I have no time to take on anything extra. However, I also realize that if I don’t have anything new to tackle I’ll quickly become mentally stagnant.
I therefore choose to ignore time constraints and find a way to devote time to enough new endeavors to keep my brain from realizing that what I do every day is actually work instead of a mixture of original and regular activities that I simply enjoy.
Profitability
Whether or not a personal project should be profitable depends on what you’re really looking for from it. My background in business forces profitability to be a key component in everything that I think up (your driver could be something else entirely).
I find that the potential for profitability is a huge factor in the enjoyment I get out of my personal projects. Call me a crazy capitalist, but really I like to constantly consider new means of making an income.
I had a more than full-time design job when I starting writing for blogs such as this one. Despite the fact that I had zero extra time, I began giving up a little sleep to do something new that allowed me to hone my skill as a writer while actually getting paid to engage in what I considered to be a fun hobby.
Before long I had so many new opportunities that client-based design work has had to take a back seat and writing has become my new full-time career.
My advice to you is to find a side project that helps build a marketable talent or product. Find things that you enjoy learning about and doing that can actually make you money someday (why not have your cake and eat it too?). There are far too many incredibly talented people in the world that can’t pay the rent because they lack this key insight.
The world doesn’t need more starving artists. It needs more pioneers like Collis Ta’eed and Vitaly Friedman who took the time to work on side projects that had a high potential for profitability. These endeavors not only led to personal fulfillment for their founders, they rocked the design world by presenting us all with new ideas and possibilities for furthering our own careers.
Closing Thoughts
I’ll conclude by encouraging you one last time to stop creating lists of reasons you can’t start a personal project. Instead, channel all of that thought into actively seeking out something beneficial that you can spend your free time on.
Your goal should be finding something that is exciting and personally fulfilling. Start a project that you’ll actually enjoy spending time on and can help you regain your love for creativity.
Finally, don’t ever make the mistake of thinking that there is a tradeoff between fulfilling personal projects and profitability. Marketability and enjoyability are not opposites, they are a recipe for success!
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I couldn’t agree more, for me working on my own personal stuff not only keeps me sane but also keeps my creativity ticking over, which in turn helps my client work.
It is sometimes difficult to fit it all in, but for me it’s essential.
I agree with Simon; Personal projects keep me sane.
Now it is very essential so we find out a little time for personal projects
Working on personal projects also help increase and sharpen your own skills especially in Web.
I agree with FWB, and personal projects can also work to give you an outlet to safely try out a new technique or technology. I’m constantly making lists of stuff I want to try out during down time, mostly to expand on past school project or to hone my skills. Sometimes, though I like to try something simple to answer the question: “Could I pull this off?”
Amazing how these articles come around just as your getting in to a new project. A great reassurance!
I agree 100%… Currently I’m working on getting my own project up and running.. its VERY close.
It is a T-shirt company, I plan to have multiple small designers around contributing, and offering a small cut.. However at this point in time, budget doesn’t really offer that yet, so I am taking contributions.. I have already had a HUGE interest and the site isn’t even up yet!
http://www.66thieves.com is the URL, right now its just a landing page but its coming!
Follow @66thieves on twitter if you happen to be interested, i keep everyone updated there.
Thanks for the article… Great read!
Hi, I definitely agree! I tend to have creative bursts where I just HAVE to do something creative for myself.
Creativity in commercial design is somewhat limited (especially when the client feels inspired to contribute!), so personal projects are essential to let out all that creative frustration!
totally agree personal project always increase your talent and creativity.
you just have a look on my personal project:
http://www.websitereckon.com
thanks
Interesting, now that I have got my own domain I am thinking of starting up a new personal project, maybe a blog.
great article, completely agree with you, now i’m starting my personal project too, since my idea in the workplace can’t be implemented
“To put it bluntly: bull.” I can’t remember how many times I’ve said that to friends. If you want to do something, especially something you feel passionate about, then do it. There can be nothing more important than your passions.
I have a full time job that’s keeping me busy up to my ears in work, but I try and try to find time for my blog. It’s just far to important for me to just quit. And I can attest to the fact that personal projects keep you mentally sane. Really, I would’ve been in the looney bin by now, had it not been for the blog. And that’s why they call me Sickdesigner. :))
Great article – I work for an agency in London devving sites for various clients, and it’s amazing how many of my developer colleagues have no personal websites of their own – even a one-page CV site would do! I’ve got 2 sites running and 2 in the pipeline and I think it’s so important to make your own sites too, just to give yourself a bit of experience and experimentation.
Solid article and very true – you need to keep those creative juices flowing.
Personal projects are an excellent way to spark new innovative ideas. This is a great inspirational article. Thanks for the motivating words.
Awesome post. It’s reads like this that get my fired up about making time to do the things I love. I’m guilty of making excuses all the time. Thanks for the motivation!
I can’t help but agree that personal projects help keep me sane.
Quite often I find that I don’t have the time to work on the code or even the design aspects of them, but I always have time to jot down sketches and to note down ideas and thoughts. It means that I always have something to distract my mind from the “work” and gives me something to enjoy when I get the time to spend wotking on something for myself.
This is so true. Right now I am in school, so for the last 4 years I have done nothing but personal projects.
Its a great balance when you work too.
Great post!
Personal projects helps learning and inspire you, importantly make you more creative. Great Article!
Very true. Personal projects are hugely important and are great for portfolios. You get to do more interesting work than most corporate stuff, and you get to show that your actually passionate about what you do, it’s not just a job. Good read.
This article is great. It just promotes positive outlooks on personal projects. It is always good to have personal projects on the side. They can also be considered personal goals that keep the creativity flowing. Thanks for this entry!
What a great timing! I was just planning to start my own project and found this article. Thanks for inspiring.
Funny this should come at this time… We just did another project “just because” completely internal: jess3.com/oil
I guess personal projects will soon overtake clients project as more and more people see the importance of having ownership and recognition of their own work.
Having a lot of personal “successful” projects can generate a steady steam of income too.
Thanks for this nice article.
I want to start private project. It is great opportunity to try and work new tehnique and tehnologic. This post inspire me to start to work immediately.
nice article. thanks for the inspiration.
I love working on personal stuff too. I’m currently working on my own portfolio site and blog and have a lot of interesting projects in mind for the summer too.
I’m a software developer and so much of this can be true for people in this field too… I have started blogging… it is not much, but it is a start :) thanks for the inspirational article!
This article is so inpiring.
I have always actively thought about taking on side projects and from the very start i have done. its a great way of not only teaching myself new things on a regualr basis, but also gives me the chance to experiement a little, and enjoy myself.
great read…thanks! :)
I recently finished a personal project – photographing the coastline of the county where I live – that took over a year to complete. Not that I was working on it all the time, but it was great to have something that I could dip into once a week or so that got me away from the computer, and the business, and gave me a completely different creative outlet. It also helps if you have a goal for the project, having something to aim for helps keep you motivated.
This is very true. A lot of people say that they don’t have time, but you can make time quite easily. My wife and I had a daughter last July and since then it has been difficult balancing work and play, but I finally managed to get my blog/portfolio site up the other day. It took its time but even if you have 20 mins or so here and there it helps a great deal.
Interesting read.
I follow the same ideology. And in the process, you learn so much more than you could ever have in that 9 to 5 job of yours!
So true! Personal projects are great for trying out new things, to dare thinking outside the box more than usual and simply letting creativity flow without deadline pressure. You’re allowed to make mistakes without the risk of losing a client. You can also use personal projects to give something back to the design community.
Here’s my latest personal project: an infographic poster about user centred design: http://www.paznow.com/ucd
It was an amazing learning experience for me and makes other people happy too.
Really inspiring…!
Also there’ll be a lot of freeky design ideas (or any ideas for that matter) lingering in ur mind that you can realise without the consent or approval of anyone….
personal projects can be great opportunities to create ur own identity sans ur company’s brand u work for.
I completely agree with this article! Sometimes all it takes is the first step…buying a domain name, setting up hosting, sketches. Once you get going it’s hard to stop.
My newest personal project http://www.wireframeshowcase.com took a long time to develop not because it’s complicated, but because I had to work on it in my free time. But I bought the domain name as soon as the idea popped into my head and once I began I took every bit of free time I had to finish it. It’s very rewarding!
I agree. It’s very important especially as when working for clients you don’t regularly have the chance to practice unconventional/more artistic design techniques.
The major reason I began designing was to create something for myself. Everyone should have a personal expression.
My problem I think, is I have just as many unfinished personal projects as I have chores. Brain overload, most of my free time I just want to do nothing.
Wow, thanks for all the feedback guys! It’s great to see all you guys pursuing your own projects.
Could’nt agree more. Whether you’re a working professional or a student. Personal projects, based on some area that really excite you act as great stress busters and keep you hungry for more information apart from what you’re working on, regularly…
I couldn’t agree more. I enjoy side projects and love hearing about people who step outside of their profession to follow a passion that calls to them.
Thanks for the reminder.
This is something I strongly agree with. If I didn’t have my blog to pour my free time into, I would go insane. Dealing with difficult clients and forcing ridiculous compromises on projects that are born out of nothing but fear can start to discourage a passion for creativity as well as an interest in putting effort into those billable projects. I learned this rather quickly so I don’t rely on my job to help remind me why I wake up and do what I do. *Sigh* if only work was like college…haha
I agree, it is essential, but one of the problems can be the lack of energy, after some tough work projects. Can you “overuse” your creativity ?
Coming home after work, you just can be unable to create anything… that’s my problem, even if I have a lot of ideas :/
I totally agree with the idea that each one needs a personal side project to keep him creative, and add amusement to what we do, however, my only point against this is, I get very tired from sitting in front of my computer all day, and I just think that my personal things should not be computer related to give my bod the chance to refresh and beat the soreness I get from my computer.
What do you think?
very nice post… as usual… i started bloggin’ as a reaction to my daily job – editor on web portal for arts & culture… after a while, bloggin’ became more challenging (interviews, reviews, contacts, etc…) … now, i feel empty when i don’t have time for my personal projects… keeps me sane, indeed… like many peeps said above in their comments… best…
This is nice, we may be doing it in a very different way without even knowing how this can make your life good. I love it.
From Tanzania – East Africa
I have to do this….it’s due tomorrow and i didnt even start -__-