{"id":25558,"date":"2016-01-29T23:01:27","date_gmt":"2016-01-29T15:01:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=25558"},"modified":"2021-12-02T21:31:47","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T13:31:47","slug":"creatives-need-side-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/creatives-need-side-projects\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Always Have a Side Project"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Anybody who works or spends time in a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/survive-office-moving-up-corporate-ladder\/\" rel=\"noopener\">corporate culture<\/a> is sure to read about, hear about, or even sometimes experience \"corporate burnout.\" Burnout is a <strong>feeling of despair<\/strong>, a conviction that what you are working on \u2013 and how you are spending the precious hours of your life \u2013 simply <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/things-that-affect-your-mood-to-be-productive\/\" rel=\"noopener\">does not matter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It manifests itself in various ways: a marketing chief storms out of a conference; a programmer disappears for three days without a trace, and ends up in a beach resort. The most common manifestation, however, is a quiet, <strong>miserable, hangdog look of desperation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Why does it happen? Nobody really knows for sure. There may be <strong>different triggers for different people<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>But one of the fundamental symptoms of burnout is a <strong>lack of passion, or at least interest, in one\u2019s work<\/strong>. Since this is the case, perhaps the antidote to burnout is <strong>work that you truly care about<\/strong>. In other words, you need a side project.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ref-block ref-block--post\" id=\"ref-post-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/how-to-keep-blogging\/\" class=\"ref-block__link\" title=\"Read More: Sustainable Blogging: Avoiding Burnout and Keeping Your Blog Alive\" rel=\"bookmark\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Sustainable Blogging: Avoiding Burnout and Keeping Your Blog Alive<\/span><\/a>\n<div class=\"ref-block__thumbnail img-thumb img-thumb--jumbo\" data-img='{ \"src\" : \"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/how-to-keep-blogging.jpg\" }'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<noscript>\n<style>.no-js #ref-block-post-18393 .ref-block__thumbnail { background-image: url(\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/how-to-keep-blogging.jpg\"); }<\/style>\n<\/noscript>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"ref-block__summary\">\n<h4 class=\"ref-title\">Sustainable Blogging: Avoiding Burnout and Keeping Your Blog Alive<\/h4>\n<p class=\"ref-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMaintaining a multi-author blog can be challenging, especially when it attracts a large audience daily. From generating fresh...\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Read more<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Side Projects Reignite Passion<\/h2>\n<p>A side project counteracts the feelings of boredom and despair by <strong>giving you work you care about<\/strong>. A <strong>sense of control<\/strong> and <strong>creative freedom<\/strong> is essential to feelings of well-being, particularly among creative individuals.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/creatives-need-side-projects\/color-palette.jpg\" alt=\"side projects\" width=\"811\" height=\"541\"><\/figure>\n<p>However, these are often lacking in a corporate environment. Such structures dictate that most employees perform at the company\u2019s behest, allowing for very little creative flexibility or outlet.<\/p>\n<p>Creatives need some form of work that <strong>mandates creative freedom at a pace comfortable to them.<\/strong> This sense of control and creative expression can reinvigorate a worker\u2019s drive and fire.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ref-block ref-block--post\" id=\"ref-post-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/finding-passion\/\" class=\"ref-block__link\" title=\"Read More: 10 Things You Should Know About Passion (And How To Find Yours)\" rel=\"bookmark\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">10 Things You Should Know About Passion (And How To Find Yours)<\/span><\/a>\n<div class=\"ref-block__thumbnail img-thumb img-thumb--jumbo\" data-img='{ \"src\" : \"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/finding-passion.jpg\" }'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<noscript>\n<style>.no-js #ref-block-post-17992 .ref-block__thumbnail { background-image: url(\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/finding-passion.jpg\"); }<\/style>\n<\/noscript>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"ref-block__summary\">\n<h4 class=\"ref-title\">10 Things You Should Know About Passion (And How To Find Yours)<\/h4>\n<p class=\"ref-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t'Passion' is a word so excessively used and almost always blindingly paired with work, that if you actually...\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Read more<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Moreover, a side project benefits both creatives and the company they work for in several fundamental ways.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, it lets creatives add <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/ressurect-your-design\/\" rel=\"noopener\">another piece to their books<\/a>, while simultaneously improving the agency\u2019s portfolio. It keeps the creative constantly in a <strong>creative forward motion and doing work he or she feels passionately about<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>How does one find a side project? Consider what you\u2019re passionate about and how you can pursue that passion in a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/exploring-design-projects\/\" rel=\"noopener\">productive side project<\/a>. Or, find an area that you\u2019re curious about and simply <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/learn-wordpress-2015\/\" rel=\"noopener\">start learning<\/a>, after all, from education comes creativity.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ref-block ref-block--post\" id=\"ref-post-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/sites-to-learn-coding-online\/\" class=\"ref-block__link\" title=\"Read More: 13 Sites to Learn How to Code for Web Developers\" rel=\"bookmark\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">13 Sites to Learn How to Code for Web Developers<\/span><\/a>\n<div class=\"ref-block__thumbnail img-thumb img-thumb--jumbo\" data-img='{ \"src\" : \"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/sites-to-learn-coding-online.jpg\" }'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<noscript>\n<style>.no-js #ref-block-post-17606 .ref-block__thumbnail { background-image: url(\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/sites-to-learn-coding-online.jpg\"); }<\/style>\n<\/noscript>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"ref-block__summary\">\n<h4 class=\"ref-title\">13 Sites to Learn How to Code for Web Developers<\/h4>\n<p class=\"ref-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tGone are the days when programming languages could only be mastered programmers like Bill Gates, who later got...\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Read more<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Well-Known Side Projects<\/h2>\n<p>Thus far, side projects might seem like minor therapeutic activities designed to keep your head straight until you return to real work. <strong>This could not be further from the truth<\/strong>. Because of the driving passion behind many so-called side projects, their creators quite often transform their \"side ideas\" into something world changing.<\/p>\n<h2>Uber<\/h2>\n<p>Uber, the international transport network company now operating in 58 countries and 300 cities around the world, started out as a side project by co-founders <strong>Travis Kalanick<\/strong> and <strong>Garrett Camp<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/creatives-need-side-projects\/uber-founder.jpg\" alt=\"uber founder\" width=\"900\" height=\"623\"><\/figure>\n<p><small><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vanityfair.com\/news\/2014\/12\/uber-travis-kalanick-controversy\">Source: Vanity Fair<\/a><\/small><\/p>\n<p>The inspiration? Camp was annoyed that he couldn\u2019t snag a taxi in San Francisco. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uber.com\/newsroom\/ubers-founding\">Kalanick recalls<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><em>\"It was a cold winter in late 2008. Garrett Camp and I were hanging out in Paris for a week\u2026 Amongst the amazing food, the copious amounts of wine and inevitable nightlife crawls there were all kinds of discussions about what\u2019s next\u2026Garrett\u2019s big idea was cracking the horrible taxi problem in San Francisco \u2013 getting stranded on the streets of San Francisco is familiar territory for any San Franciscan\u2026 His over-the-top idea in Paris that winter started as a limo timeshare service.\"<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Clearly, a side project need not stay small. As of mid-2015, Uber was worth an estimated <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/uber-valued-at-more-than-50-billion-1438367457\">$50 billion<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Google\u2019s 20% Time<\/h2>\n<p>One of the most famous and noteworthy stories to come out of Google headquarters was the company\u2019s support of a scheme known a \" <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2013\/08\/just-how-valuable-is-googles-2-1\">20% Time<\/a>.\" It was, at heart, a corporate embracement of side projects.<\/p>\n<p>The New York Times <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2007\/10\/21\/jobs\/21pre.html?_r=0\">revealed<\/a> how, at Google, employees were <strong>encouraged to work on company-related side projects of personal interest<\/strong>. If an employee had an influential idea, the time allotted allowed and even mandated an employee to expand on that idea.<\/p>\n<p>Did Google benefit from letting its people do his or her own thing? Why yes, it did. Some of Google\u2019s most successful products came out of this time, including: Gmail, Google Maps, Google Talk, and AdSense (now producing 25% of Google\u2019s annual revenue).<\/p>\n<p>Why was the initiative so successful? <strong>People simply work better when they have passion for their work<\/strong>. Moreover, when there is personal ownership, employees try harder and think more creatively than they do with mandated tasks.<\/p>\n<p>Google has since <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrzone.com\/lead\/culture\/why-did-google-abandon-20-time-for-innovation\">phased out its support<\/a> of 20% Time. However, Google has not stopped innovating. The allotted time for side projects has simply transformed into a more structured process of creativity and innovation in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2013-05-22\/inside-googles-secret-lab\">Google X lab<\/a>, so far producing concepts such as Google Glass and a self driving car.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ref-block ref-block--post\" id=\"ref-post-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/google-products-and-future\/\" class=\"ref-block__link\" title=\"Read More: 10 Projects Showing Google Has The Future Figured Out\" rel=\"bookmark\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">10 Projects Showing Google Has The Future Figured Out<\/span><\/a>\n<div class=\"ref-block__thumbnail img-thumb img-thumb--jumbo\" data-img='{ \"src\" : \"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/google-products-and-future.jpg\" }'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<noscript>\n<style>.no-js #ref-block-post-24004 .ref-block__thumbnail { background-image: url(\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/google-products-and-future.jpg\"); }<\/style>\n<\/noscript>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"ref-block__summary\">\n<h4 class=\"ref-title\">10 Projects Showing Google Has The Future Figured Out<\/h4>\n<p class=\"ref-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHave a question? Ask Google. You can say that Google is the best search engine out there and...\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Read more<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Despite the fact that Google has turned its back on directly supporting time for side projects, they are still a <strong>key component of employee satisfaction, productivity, and creativity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Other Side Projects<\/h2>\n<p>Although Uber and Google 20% Time are two of the most well known side project success stories, they are by no means unique.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, <strong>Authentic Weather<\/strong> began as a side project of <strong>Tobias Van Schneider<\/strong>, the art director at Spotify, and took off as an alternative weather and social app.<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/creatives-need-side-projects\/authentic-weather.jpg\" alt=\"authentic weather\" width=\"829\" height=\"490\"><\/figure>\n<p>Likewise Buzzfeed\u2019s <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/animals\">Cute or Not,<\/a> which lets you judge whether people\u2019s posted pets are\u2013you guessed it\u2013 cute or not<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/creatives-need-side-projects\/hashtag-generator.jpg\" alt=\"hashtag generator\" width=\"829\" height=\"417\"><\/figure>\n<p>Although none of these projects rose to the exalted heights inhabited by Gmail, AdSense, or Uber, they nevertheless <strong>create a great deal of buzz and traffic for their owners<\/strong>, and their creators certainly enjoyed the fire of passion while working building them.<\/p>\n<h2>The Takeaway<\/h2>\n<p>The takeaway here is that when you \u2013 or your employees \u2013 <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/freelance-signs-to-break\/\" rel=\"noopener\">exhibit signs of boredom<\/a>, fatigue, or even the dreaded corporate burnout, <strong>consider taking time away<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>As Google demonstrated on numerous occasions, even a single day a week dedicated to a passion project can result in dramatic results. Even if you don\u2019t wind up with the next billion-dollar brand, you should certainly see improvements in performance.<\/p>\n<p>And, you might end up with something really cool.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ref-block ref-block--post\" id=\"ref-post-5\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/low-tech-best-solution\/\" class=\"ref-block__link\" title=\"Read More: Low-Tech Solutions and the Power of Thinking Outside the Box\" rel=\"bookmark\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Low-Tech Solutions and the Power of Thinking Outside the Box<\/span><\/a>\n<div class=\"ref-block__thumbnail img-thumb img-thumb--jumbo\" data-img='{ \"src\" : \"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/low-tech-best-solution.jpg\" }'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<noscript>\n<style>.no-js #ref-block-post-17245 .ref-block__thumbnail { background-image: url(\"https:\/\/assets.hongkiat.com\/uploads\/thumbs\/250x160\/low-tech-best-solution.jpg\"); }<\/style>\n<\/noscript>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"ref-block__summary\">\n<h4 class=\"ref-title\">Low-Tech Solutions and the Power of Thinking Outside the Box<\/h4>\n<p class=\"ref-description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tI found a device that measures your alcohol level and tells you when it's safe to drive home....\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Read more<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Anybody who works or spends time in a corporate culture is sure to read about, hear about, or even sometimes experience &#8220;corporate burnout.&#8221; Burnout is a feeling of despair, a conviction that what you are working on \u2013 and how you are spending the precious hours of your life \u2013 simply does not matter. It&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":390,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3410],"tags":[3023],"topic":[4523],"class_list":["entry-content","is-maxi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.8 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why Creatives Should Always Have a Side Project<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Anybody who works or spends time in a corporate culture is sure to read about, hear about, or even sometimes experience &quot;corporate burnout.&quot;\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/creatives-need-side-projects\/\" \/>\n<meta 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