The power of passion projects
Great ideas start from those with a burning passion for a particular problem, market, concept, or medium.
Every great product, business, game, or market started from a person or group of people with a shared passion for an idea. But not every idea has to solve a problem and become a product or business.
It’s ok to give yourself permission to explore ideas simply for pleasure. Sometimes these ideas are only for you, and sometimes you’ll want to share these ideas with the world.
When we trade our time for services or build products, we create with someone else in mind, namely a user or customer. This is a great thing, and passion can be found here; however, we focus on creating for others in these scenarios.
Passion projects allow us to create for ourselves, with no restrictions, no deadlines, without the need to consider the problems of others.
The fantastic thing about passion projects is that they leave us open to explore anything. These projects do not have to relate to our professional work, and it’s better if they don’t. Exposing ourselves to new mediums and ideas enables us to flex different creative muscles, which powers our creative energy and makes us more effective in our professional work.
Passion projects are often seen as being reserved for artists. Art is a form of self-expression, and the artist’s work is driven by a passion for creating, not by solving a problem.
An individual’s expression does not have to be limited to art. Passion projects can come in many different forms, including writing, speaking, streaming, teaching, or learning a new skill or software.
Once your passion has been unlocked and you’re considering turning your passion into an income stream, the good news is that there has never been a better time. The rise of the passion economy has enabled creators to provide more value to the fans of their work in exchange for income, allowing creators more time to explore and share their passions.
I recently came across Atelier Ventures. A VC firm 100% focused on investing in the passion economy. Their investments include companies like Substack, Patreon, Descript, and Streamloots. All of these services enable creative entrepreneurship powered by passion projects.
I’m excited to be living in a society that fosters creativity and empowers everyone to explore their passions, with the potential of making a living doing what they love. This is the creative dream.
The world needs more creators to share their unique ideas and perspectives.
If you’re a creator and are not sure how to convert your passion into income, I recommend looking at Side Hustle Stack. This free resource is dedicated to helping everyone find an income stream for their passion projects.
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