It is said that if you build it, they will come. While at the time, this principle was applied to a baseball field, it is also true with passion projects. The ultimate test of a designer is to prove their competency. A job will not hire you until you can show that you are capable of the work. The best way to prove this is with a diverse portfolio.
I am a big proponent of putting work out into the world that you would ultimately like to be doing. While it’s important to keep the lights on with your day job, that is not the end-all be-all for your creative happiness and freedom.
For example: by day I work in the commercial real estate industry. But in my free time, I enjoy hand lettering, package design, and food/beverage/restaurant branding. One day, I hope to have a full time job in this arena but in order to do that I first need a robust portfolio showcasing my experience.
A few of my favorites
This hand-lettered ice cream logo, was born out of my desire to rebrand a business. What’s the Scoop is an ice cream shop from my childhood and was desperately in need of a tune-up. Instead of waiting for the opportunity to fall in my lap, I took the initiative and think through how I would brand them. This project is merely a thought exercise. However, it does show clients my ability to think through a brand identity as well as hand letter.
This is an example of how a passion project can be born merely from the objects around you. I looked in my fridge one day and found a jar of Von Thun’s Pumpkin Butter. I came up with an idea for a redesign which ended up extending to the logo suite, package design, apparel, and signage for the farm.
Follow your passion
While it is ideal to be paid for every project, some projects are simply fueled by passion. Don’t wait for the perfect opportunity to arrive. If you’re feeling inspired or are looking to carve out a name for yourself in a specific niche, passion projects are the way to go.