Pro-Passion Project
Side Hustles get a bad reputation among employers.
Common push back is that “it distracts from your job” and “it takes time away from your responsibilities.” On the contrary, they can be extremely valuable to a full time employer. (This is assuming that the side project being pursued isn’t due to the need for a second source of income…. that’s an entirely different article and point!)
Personally, I don’t like to use the term “side hustle” when it comes to creative projects that aren’t started with the goal of generating income. I don’t love “Passion Project” either, because that diminishes the monetary value of the project (#payartists) but it’ll have to do. For me, passion projects are really a way for me to share my hobby out, and as an Enneagram 3, having a goal is part of what is fulfilling about a hobby or pursuit.
Passion projects often scratch an itch or round out a person’s interests that a full time job cannot. Especially for people in creative and strategic roles like marketing who find themselves specializing. For me, the more strategy and strategic planning I do in my career (which I absolutely love), the further away I get from design and content creation. Pursuing a passion project like CoastL Studio allows me to keep my foot in the creation process for my own enjoyment but also to better inform the work I do in strategy and ideation!
For marketing professionals, it can be extremely valuable to draw ideas and inspiration from other industries outside your own. Having a passion project with business goals also helps me to expand my understand across industries (the gift and home decor industries are very different than the alcohol industry… but also surprisingly similar). For me, it helps me to keep my finger on the pulse of consumers and use proven tactics that have been used in trend foward industries like the gift market and apply them in an industry that tends to change tactic more gradually.
Creative pursuits encourage continued creativity. Contrary to the belief that passion projects take energy away from a full time role, it can actually inspire creativity and energy for your job. Personally, I am most productive when I’m feeling fulfilled creatively. Especially in seasons where most of my work is analytical, I can use the creativity in my surface pattern design business to spring board into excitement for the more strategic focus needed in working on analysis and marketing strategy.
Obviously, I’m a bit biased as someone with creative pursuits and passion projects. But as someone who has managed employees and worked in multiple organizations, I have seen these benefits in team members, co workers, and my own managers!