Why side projects are vital to the creative industry
The creative industry is a service industry relying on client work to pay the bills. But if we don’t also invest in side-projects, then we could all be paying for it in the end.
Were you one of the fortunate ones who survived 2020’s devastating blow on employment within the creative industry (reportedly 1 in 5 jobs lost)? If so, then you’re most likely servicing your current clients within an inch of your life whilst also putting in the hours to find some new opportunities to fill the gaps.
Being “busier than ever” is music to everyone’s ears, but “sinking” with the WRONG type of work over time can have a severe impact on you and your creative abilities. What exactly is the ‘wrong’ type of work? It could be one of a hundred different things, but it boils down to this – work that you find boring.
No one wants to do the boring work, and no one likes to talk about the boring work, but like it or not, it keeps the cogs turning and the wolf from the door. Whether you’re flying solo or part of an agency, very few of us have the luxury of turning it down; it comes with the territory.
What type of work is ‘boring’?
Whatever your definition of boring work is, it’s most likely because there is little to no creative input required from you. Do you find yourself spending a lot of your time doing unfulfilling work? Did you know this could be damaging your creative abilities long-term?
Put the time in
Like any skill, creative thinking needs to done regularly to be kept in tip-top condition. People aren’t born being brilliant designers. They’ve been encouraged to be creative over long periods of time; by parents, friends and family; by teachers, tutors and peers. “Make a mess!” they will say. “Experiment… just give it a go… see what happens”. And if it didn’t work out? “Never mind. Have another go. What did you learn? Try doing it differently” — thousands of hours of practice... thousands of little successes and failures.
Reality Check
In the real world though, this attitude largely disappears. You have a job to do, and you need to do it on time and budget – again and again. The luxury of days or even hours for experimentation and discovery becomes a thing of the past. Solutions rely more on ‘tried and tested’ approaches rather than those that allow you to think differently.. Time is money, after all.
Turn it on
Having prolonged periods doing work that doesn’t need you to think creatively will unsurprisingly affect how well you can develop ideas. When a job requiring it lands on your lap – being able to turn it on when you’ve not had anything creative to think about for weeks, sometimes months is unrealistic.
What you need is a Side Project!
1. Creative ownership
Working as part of a creative team or within the restrictions of client briefs can at times leave you feeling like you’ve had very little personal input into the final job. A project dreamt up and worked on just by you gives you total control and complete ownership.
2. Remaining visible
As well as yourself, it’s good to remind others of your capabilities. If you create something that you’re proud of, make sure people see it. Visibility is crucial if you are part of an agency where quick response times can often require you to do the same type of work due to familiarity.
3. Learning through discovery
Only ever doing what you know and are comfortable with means it’s going to be a challenge to come-up-with something innovative. You may want to try learning a new skill that is only a side-step from what you’re doing right now or push yourself further to something completely different.
Learning through play is key to human development, so why should it stop when you’re an adult? You need to experience unexpected results, try something you’ve never done before. Step out of your comfort zone, make lots of mistakes, and don’t be scared to try again. However, you learn there will be a benefit.
4. Influence
New skills or discoveries could influence a direction for a future project that you may not have considered before.
5. Your best portfolio
Whether it’s your book, website, or social media presence, your portfolio of work will show people what you’re capable of. If you find that you can’t pull together six killer pieces of work from the last five years, then there’s something wrong. Think of your portfolio a bit like an emergency bag; it should be up-to-date with your best work, ready to present at the drop of a hat.
It’s no different for agencies
Those five points outlined above also apply to agencies, if your best client work isn’t the best it could be, create your own. Since 3M launched its 15% Project in the 1940s, subsequently coining the term “Innovate or Die”, companies have reaped the rewards of allowing their staff to work on side projects that may benefit the business. Did you know Google’s Adsense and Gmail both started life as a side project?
Being ‘innovative’ isn’t something you can expect your staff to switch on if only required to do so once in a blue moon. You need to help them help you. It is your responsibility to ensure the skills you hired them for are put to use and developed so that they can adapt to the shift in what you or your clients need.
Agency side projects can be a great way to engage staff, inject a bit of spark back into your case studies, and never know; they may even get you noticed or help you win some business.
Stick to the plan
If you or your agency have never worked on side projects before, it can seem counterintuitive to invest time on something that’s not billable. Still, I’m hoping that this helps you see the benefits of shifting your mindset or culture to embracing this way of developing skills. Client work will always and should always come first, but that shouldn’t stop you from creating a goal and sticking to it despite the disruptions along the way. Creative people and agencies are masters at juggling jobs, so this shouldn’t be any different.
So what now?
If you want to make the most of side projects, then it will take two things, passion and time. You won’t get anything from it without both of them. There’s no point working on a side project that you don’t feel passionate about; it has to be something you WANT to do whatever the outcome. ‘Success’ (whatever that is) would be nice, but it’s the journey that’s key here.
Even more important is time. Some of you may have every weeknight and weekend free to do whatever you want with it, and some may have hardly any time due to workload or other responsibilities, in which case you need to tailor your goals to suit the time you can spare. Keep it just the right side of achievable so that it is still challenging but also rewarding.
Don’t stop after the first one, either. Keep going, no matter how busy you are. No matter how little you can manage, anything is better than nothing.
Further Reading:
Every Designer should have a Side Project.
Side Project Programs Can Have Major Benefits For Employers
10 inspiring side projects from designers
