Why side projects will fuel your passion and up your skills
Demanding Clients, looming deadlines, tender proposals. Sound familiar? These things often demand our attention and let’s be honest, can leave us feeling beaten up and drained of creative energy (yes, like a third tier super power).
Why would you want to add more work to the load you already have?
Having a side project on the go allows you to learn, grow and be outright creative in a way that YOU want, meaning you can push your creative boundaries and see what happens. It’s such an important way to keep on top of the game.
To get started, think of something that you’ve always wanted to create. Your day to day workload might be all front-end web development, but deep down you’ve always wanted to create a brand from top to bottom or maybe you work on advertising campaigns but have always wanted to create an app for iOS devices.
Whatever it is, do what YOU want. It’s your side project. As long as you’re enjoying yourself and taking a break from the norm you’re onto a winner.
A few things to remember
Share – Don’t lock your side project away. Set it free and see what the world thinks of your creation. Share it on Facebook, Behance or Dribble and use these platforms to get some feedback – it’ll add to your growth as a creative.
Expand your skill-set – Learn to code, animate or get to grips with that app you’ve only used once and want to know more. There’s so much free information around these days you can pretty much teach yourself anything.
Set some realistic deadlines – This keeps you accountable and forces you to make time for your project. Get some dates in your the diary and remember that you’re the client. Make sure you deliver and be 100% accountable for your side project. Get peers involved if that helps you stick to your timeline.
Risk it for a chocolate biscuit – You wrote the brief, you agreed on the deliverables, so THINK BIG and don’t let anything hold you back.
Side projects open up your creative brain and let you flex your muscles on a brief that might not happen in your day job. It’ll help you grow, learn and most definitely give you new skills to use now and in the future.
What are you waiting for? Get cracking!