Why I Still Make Time for Passion Projects (Even With a Stable Design Job)

I have a full time job, an in-house graphic designer for a healthcare company. I get to work on real campaigns, collaborate with smart people, and build within a brand I know and care for deeply. There is stability in that. A salary. Structure. Clear expectations. And for a while, I thought that meant I did not need personal projects anymore. I was wrong.

Stability Is Not the Same as Creative Fulfillment

Typically to unwind after my 9-5, I like to draw traditional body drawing as well as animating cartoons via Procreate Dreams. Photo taken by Michael Burrows.

At work, I design within guidelines. I think about KPIs, stakeholder feedback, timelines, and consistency. That is part of being a professional. And I am proud of that work. But it is not always where my curiosity lives. When you spend 40 or more hours a week designing for one brand, you start to feel how specific your creative lane is. Although subjective, sometimes I do wonder if "a master of one" is truly better than "a jack of all trades". Passion projects let me step outside of the "one mastery" and keep my skillset diverse.

They Remind Me Why I Design

My personal work leans more into illustration and storytelling. It is less about brand systems and more about narrative, mood, and character. When I work on something personal, there is no approval chain. No revisions. No performance metrics. I choose the concept. I choose the visual language. I decide when it is done. That freedom feels different. It reminds me that I am not just a designer executing within a system. I am a creative with ideas of my own.

I've been drawing since I was to hold a crayon, but I truly got my passion in high school to create. More specifically, I animated a looping gif of an alien touching down and being beamed up. While the work itself was not a masterpiece to myself, my animation teacher chose to display it on the building's monitors for an elementary school visiting and the kids enjoyed it. It was that day I realized that my art and designs had the potential to bring a smile to others and, with the dedicated time and effort, bring people together. While I do this through the company I work for, it's just as, if not, more fulfilling to put out designs that can bring joy and inspire.

They Diversify My Skill Set

My day job focuses on consistency and clarity within an established brand. My personal projects stretch into different territory. Illustration. Visual storytelling. Slower, more expressive work. It is a different creative muscle. Even if it never becomes my full time focus, it expands what I am capable of. It keeps me from being defined by one style or one type of output. It builds a body of work that feels more complete and more representative of my interests.

They Protect My Creative Identity

While I'm proud to the work I do with my company, the work I do belongs to the company at the end of the day. My passion projects, however, belong to me. They are a record of what I am drawn to. What I am exploring. How my taste is evolving. How my skillset and expertise is evolving as I refine my personal work. They show that my creativity exists beyond one brand system and one role.

It Is Not About Escape

Working on personal projects does not mean I am unhappy at work. My job gives me stability and professional growth while supporting their mission. My passion protects my own mission and gives me room to explore illustration, narrative, and a different side of my creativity. To live a best life as a designer and creative, I need this balance. Even if it is just a few hours on a weekend morning. Even if it is messy and unfinished. Even if no one sees it. Making space for personal work keeps me connected to the parts of creativity that first drew me in. And that connection is worth protecting.