Stoking the Creative Fire
How to nourish your creative soul through personal projects.
As creatives, our strongest asset is ourselves. No two people are alike, and leveraging unique talents is something we all become adept at over the course of our careers. But what happens when - especially when working with clients - we begin to lose sight of that sense of self? It might be time to touch base with what stokes your creative fire.
We all know the scenario: back to back projects with clients who all want to tweak and adjust a concept until it only slightly resembles the creative vision you proposed. It’s all part of the collaborative process, and one we all learn to accept, but it can wear down your creative edge over time. It’s important to keep a clear sight of what really fuels you, fills up your creative reservoir, and fires you up - whether it’s passion projects, pro bono work or purely-for-fun.
Recentering your creative self is surprisingly easy. Here’s how:
1. Make it Non-Negotiable
It’s easy to say “I don’t have time”, but the average work day lasts eight hours and we allow eight hours of sleep...which leaves, well, eight hours. While we certainly don’t recommend burning the candle at both ends, setting aside one or two hours a week purely for personal projects is a great practice to get into.
2. Celebrate Process Over Finished Product
When we choose to rediscover what “the grind” may have gently worn away, it’s important to not set boundaries or restrictions. Whatever you feel drawn to explore, do it fully and without restraint...then see what happens. Placing importance on the skill or process rather than the finished product is a great way to get inspired.
3. Enjoy the Freedom
When working on a personal project - or anything that you’re passionate about - remember to enjoy the freedom! Let your creativity go wild and explore every corner of your incredible brain as you mentally “feel out” your project. You can always rein it in later - but really getting to stretch your creative legs is a rare thing when working with clients, so take the time to really enjoy this freedom - and remember how good it feels as you dedicate your time to something you’re doing purely for you.
There are so many reasons to make passion projects an important side activity to your career. Reclaiming a sense of control over your own creativity reaps benefits far beyond the project itself. You’ll rekindle your confidence, you’ll develop a more flexible way of thinking of and approaching new projects, and you’ll feel more fulfilled. Nourishing your personal creativity can only spill over into every aspect of your life...and that’s a wonderful thing.
