Comments on: Self-directed, Part 1: What they’re doing

By: Able Parris

Able Parris — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:21:15 +0000

I agree. Self-initiated work helps bring designers and artists back to the creative mindset we had before we entered the workplace. When I had my own studio, most of my clients hired me after seeing my sketchbooks. They'd say something like, "I like your collage work, can you make me a website that feels like that?" I had planned on doing print work!

Luckily, I now work for a company that agrees, too. I have been posting desktop calendars each month on my blog at Newfangled.com. (The calendars are in now way going to bring us new work, but they are something we can offer to the online community. Small as it may be.)

Cheers!

By: Psiplex

Psiplex — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 10:31:32 +0000

Self-directed work invests a lot more than portfolio material back into a firm. The fresh energies and passion released are vital to reinvigorating lagging team connections as well as letting others take ownership of something that may or may not have a commercial outcome. Thanks for sharing!

By: Steve Perry, Evolution in Progress

Steve Perry, Evolution in Progress — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:44:20 +0000

I personally used to spend a lot of time on self initiated projects, and had a lot of fun doing so. Recently however, I seem to have got distracted by day-to-day (read night-to-night) activities such as chores etc., and don't seem to have the time anymore.

Self initiated projects are very important especially when you really push yourself into unknown territory; learning really is fun that way!

There is a great website – http://www.accidentalcreative.com – where Todd Henry talks about this quite a lot. I strongly recommend checking the podcasts out, especially the member ones.

Great post, thanks for the inspiration.

By: Zinni

Zinni — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:23:11 +0000

Great article! Our firm believes in using the personal projects as a great way to have fun on the job and break up the client directed work.

We gave http://www.barackas.com a try, It had moderate success but was fun to do so it was worth it. I think that is the most important thing about personal projects, they should be fun to do. Even if they tank, as long as it was fun and you learned something its never a loss.

By: Wil Arndt

Wil Arndt — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:30:42 +0000

Wow, a mini-profile on IOI! I must be getting along quite well in the world. Nice post, Eric and thanks for including me. I do, however, want to stress the "unless" part of that very final-sounding proclamation of mine ("...won't do self-directed work anymore..."). I'm still a big proponent of self-directed work and we still do this today, but now with a focus on producing tangible outcomes either for society or for our livelihood (i.e., less "glamour" projects for us). And seeing the examples you post here keeps me an inspired believer. Thanks!