The benefits of creative pursuits are well known, but as we all know all too well, it can be hard to find the time to fit them in or to justify the time spent on them when you work for yourself because there are ALWAYS a million things to do, and this creative thing – whatever it is – takes time away from earning money, or spending time with your family, or..any of the other things we need to do.
These creative hobbies/side projects/personal projects – or however we want to define them – can be so important. They can offer us an escape, time to take our mind off other things, a chance to de-stress, provide something that allows us to immerse fully into a task, something that is just for ourselves. It can ground us, nourish us creatively, energise us, resource us and even equip us to problem-solve, come up with new ideas and face the challenges that work throws at us.
Creative side hustles, personal projects or simply hobbies
I’m really interested in how people tap into their creative interests, how it resources them and if they somehow weave them in to complement their actual work. So, I had a chat with some other freelancers over on Twitter, asking them if they had a creative side project or hobby and, if so, how does it support them as a freelancer?
I was interested to know what they got out of it that informs or enriches their work or supports their wellbeing, making them better at what they do?
The responses included a range of hobbies including playing musical instruments, crafts, painting and writing. Some of them did it for creative fulfilment. For others, an escape. The point is that it’s a markedly different activity and one that is pursued just for you.
Informing, resourcing and enriching your work and wellbeing
It provides an escape by literally getting lost in the music – Playing my guitar transports me to a place where I’m not thinking about anything having to do with my work. It’s freeing! – Drew @b2bContentKing
It’s an opportunity to hone and develop your craft and push creatively beyond the constraints of client work – It allows me to do things that are just for me and go back to the roots of the hobby that turned into a job and in turn practice techniques/experiment. No clients, no pressure. – Liv @TheEvilFrog
It can be a great way to decompress from the pressures of the day and take back something that’s just for you – Knitting clothes! Brings me back to earth after working with words all day. Deciphering patterns reminds me how important it is to write clearly. And I think it’s enriching to have something “creative” which is just for me. – Corinna @corinna_keefe
It gets you out and about providing a change of scenery and focus – Carbooting, when able to. Love hunting for small items that bring me pleasure and have an intrinsic value without being inherently valuable. Everyone needs a hobby. – Giles @GilesMDigital
It provides a creative outlet and even another income stream – I‘ve written a few things under a pen name. Gives me an outlet and has earned me a couple bucks on the Kindle store. I know that writing as a side project is pretty boring, considering, but…– Shana @STx3Content
Creativity creates connections
Lots of people do stuff beyond the work that they’re known for and it spills over into their work because it comes across when they share their personality online. This might be a creative side hustle, a personal project, or even, let’s be honest, just a hobby. This doesn’t have to turn into something that becomes part of a job, it can be just because. Another dimension to you.
There are times when I’ve felt selfish or even foolish spending precious time working on something that has no other agenda than just because I want to do it… yet when I’m doing it, whether it’s sitting writing for my food blog or, less often, dragging a paintbrush loaded with acrylic paint across a piece of paper, it brings me joy and fulfilment. Luckily for me, one of my creative interests is cooking, so there is a useful, edible end result to enjoy.
What I didn’t expect, was how this then created opportunities in my work life for development and connections, even though it had nothing to do with my actual work. By sharing and showing up regularly as something more than the work I do, it’s provided a way-in for conversations and connections to start as it’s something relatable and not pressured by anything work-related.
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