The 'passion vs profit' problem
Why you should hold on to your side project – even if it doesn't make money
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Good morning, Colleague!
And hello to my new subscribers *waves* after a lovely numbers boost last week. So nice to have you here. Every Monday you’ll receive a newsletter on a topic related to self-employment and there are various events to help you connect with other self-employed women. Scroll down to the end to find out what’s coming up.
It’s been such a tough couple of weeks, especially for women. If you’re feeling particularly lonely or disengaged at the moment, I have a new free event to announce later in this issue which might help a bit.
This week I wanted to talk about the tension I often feel within my own work: the projects that bring in the cash, versus those for pleasure or self-development.
I bet that the majority of you have some sort of side project on the go.
“The type of people who are drawn to self-employment probably have strong values around freedom and creativity, which make them more likely to have side projects,” says Paula Gardner, a business psychologist and coach at Scarlett Thinking.
The three types of side project
To my mind there are, roughly speaking, three types of side project:
The side hustle — the aim is to bring you money, ideally ASAP. This might be a side income (or additional revenue stream, as experts would call it), or the first step to changing your career entirely.
The hobby — something for pure pleasure. Usually something creative or charitable. It’s still a valid use of working hours and is, in many ways, essential to help you with your bread-and-butter work, as it keeps you focused, calm and happy. It might also be a meditative space that allows you to solve work-related problems. I definitely get my best ideas when I’m not staring at a blank word document.
The inbetweener project — a hybrid of the two. You do it for love rather than for money, and it certainly isn’t immediately lucrative. But there could, potentially, be scope to make money in the future. A great way to dip your toe into a new craft, and build up skills either for personal or professional development. Things like writing a novel for yourself, but that could eventually be sold to a publisher. Maybe it’s a training course you’re undertaking, or a podcast you produce for free. I would say that this newsletter falls into this category for me.
It is, as you can see, a very broad church. For this issue, I’d like to focus specifically on 2 and 3, ie. the projects that don’t make you money (at least in the short term). For ease, I’ll lump these two together under ‘passion project’.
I’ll be coming back to talk about type 1 (monetising or career-switching through your side hustles) next week!
It can be hard to put your passion project first, particularly if you get offered a piece of paid work elsewhere. But failing to make time for it might end up tipping you into ‘what am I even doing with my life?’ existential despair. Working on something other than your bread-and-butter job can help you feel freer, happier and bring a sense of purpose.
I’d go so far as to say that a passion project is one of the key reasons to work for yourself. Our sick pay is rubbish, we don’t get a company pension, but we do get to determine how we spend our day (to a degree). Obviously during periods of immense stress (hello, home schooling) something has to give, but if you don’t ever carve out space for the things you love, you might as well be working full time for someone else.
I’m here this week to help you justify that time. Sometimes you need permission to put down your paid work, and pick up whatever it is you really want to be doing, even if just for 30 minutes. So, here it is: why passion projects matter.
Why are we drawn to doing extra, unpaid work?
You might be a rare unicorn who gets everything they need from their paid work, and if so, good for you! But many of us need to satisfy different urges via different projects — whether that’s scratching a creative itch, learning something new, helping out a good cause, or something else.
“Another reason is the legacy element,” says Paula. “As humans we’re drawn to creating a legacy. In a corporate environment that can be easy — people see what you’re doing, and you’re probably part of a larger project. For those of us working for ourselves, the only people who tend to see what we do are us and our clients. We all want to leave a mark.”
Side-projects increase the ways in which we can leave an imprint on the world. Our own fledgling business might not yet be in a position to ‘make a mark’, which makes it all the more important to find other ways to make a difference, or to get a little hit of personal achievement.
Demi: putting the passion in passion projects
I have three unpaid projects on the go currently (arguably too many!) as well as this newsletter, which is more of a hybrid thanks to my Patreon support. I also do voluntary work for a rape crisis charity; have a campaign in development; and run Survivor Stories - my project interviewing survivors of sexual violence. The latter actually costs me a bit to run, but is also the work of which I’m most proud.
I would never want to be without a passion project. Survivor Stories and Out Of Office are both ways for me to write about topics that really interest me, and not have to wait for an editor’s permission. It’s liberating to create my own spaces, and help within what I feel are underserved communities.
But shouldn’t I be monetising my side project?
There can sometimes feel a pressure to make money from your side projects, but that’s not always the best way to go, and in some instances might even be detrimental.
“A few years ago there were lots of life coaches who said you should find what you love doing, and make a living from it,” says Paula. “But that can be misleading, as not all projects or interests create enough money to live on. It can make people feel that if they don’t make their passion project work financially, they’ve somehow failed.”
It’s also possible that having no money tied up in your passion project is part of its appeal. “Quite often I have clients who say that, once they’ve started earning money from a project, it loses the magic. Sometimes the fact that we don’t have all the time in the world for it is what makes it special,” says Paula. “After all, people writing their second book often find it more difficult, because they write the first for themselves, and the second for their agent or publisher.”
For the most part, I’m glad that there’s no monetary pressure from Survivor Stories and my volunteer work. If I’m having a wobbly day and don’t feel like transcribing a harrowing interview…I don’t. The fact that it’s not directly connected to my income takes the pressure off. Equally, if I ever needed to stop the project or volunteer work there wouldn’t be any financial repercussions.
An unexpected bonus of my passion projects
Interestingly, Survivor Stories and my volunteering have both ended up having knock-on effect within my paid work.
Learning more about the field of sexual violence has meant my work priorities have changed – it’s become a topic in which I now consider myself an authority, and has resulted in paid work writing articles on the subject. I was lucky enough to win an award for Survivor Stories, which has upped my profile as a writer. And I’ve met so many interesting people, who are now friends and professional contacts for future projects. The volunteering has also given me the opportunity to understand a charity from the inside – a field I was interested in exploring. These projects have transformed my professional life, without ever being ‘work’ in themselves – a balance I appreciate.
Following something you’re passionate about can lead you in unexpected directions, professionally (and personally). So in many ways it may count as ‘professional development’, even if it won’t ever directly make you money (not to mention bringing joy or satisfaction in its own right).
I love my passion project, but struggle to find time
The downside in not making ££ from your side project is that, in a battle for your time, it’s likely to lose out. If something has to give, it’s unlikely to be the work that’s covering your bills.
As with everything, it’s down to smart time management. “Someone I know works for three weeks each month, then takes the fourth for the work she’s more passionate about. She blocks out that time, and her clients understand it,” says Paula. “Other people carve out hours at the end of each day, when their paid work is done; work on weekends; or dedicate their early hours to it.”
Productivity expert Karen Eyre-White, who I interviewed previously, always blocks out Mondays for the things she wants to do for herself, and goes into the week feeling satisfied she’s made it a priority.
If you’re not sure what works for you, Paula advises spending a couple of months figuring it out: “Take the pressure off yourself and play around with different methods – try working Saturdays for a few weeks, or getting up early. Then add it into your routine properly.”
Once you’ve blocked some time, try not to put too much pressure on it; that’s a sure way to kill your enthusiasm. It doesn’t have to be ‘nose to the grindstone’ to be a valid use of your working hours. If something isn’t making you money, you can approach it differently, more organically, even if it falls within work hours. Try to distill the idea that time = money. With passion projects it isn’t the case, and that’s partly why we love them.
Other ways to help your passion project flourish
Of course, spending time on a passion project could lower the productivity of your main job. All the more reason – if you can – to consider raising your prices elsewhere. “Think about your money,” says Paula. “We all have different financial comfort zones as freelancers, but if you get too close to yours it can make you anxious, and stop your creativity. Do you need to put your prices up, or go for different types of client?”
One final thought: self-employment can be lonely, so a side project can also be a great way to collaborate.
“You could either work directly with someone else, or just agree to have that time together in a room or, for now anyway, online, where you both work on your side projects,” says Paula. “Not only will it keep you accountable, but you’ll get some of that office level chat, which inspires ideas and helps you think in a different way.”
With that in mind… I have something exciting I’d like to try! On Tuesday 30th I’m hosting a Work Together event. It will basically be an afternoon of working ‘alongside’ each other, via Zoom. We’ll start with a bit of a chat for that water cooler feeling, then mute ourselves and get on with whatever (although I encourage sound on if you have a delightful pet interruption) before having another chat at the end to see how your work’s been going, what you’re up to that evening - whatever. Passion project or bread-and-butter work is equally welcome. If that sounds like your jam, free tickets here
One more event to plug - this Friday at 11am is our accountability session for Patreons of any tier. All readers are also welcome to try their first one for free, or if you’re having a tough time financially just drop me a line and you’re in. It’s a safe space to talk about anything that’s bothering you, get advice and encouragement, and set some goals for a productive April.
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