Develop Your Personal Projects to Reveal Your Unique Value
To get a great job, you need to find a way to stand out. However, standing out in your current job can be difficult as you are told what you need to do. For this reason, your personal projects are what you need to focus on.
As photographer Thomas Dugg explains, in your day-to-day job, you go for a paycheck. But your personal projects are how you develop a unique voice or personality. This voice is essential, especially in creative fields, to stand out from others in your industry. It is also personally satisfying because it is yours:
Personal projects are what I live for. I cannot explain the hunger that I have to create. It’s just there, gnawing at my brain. If I have free time, you can bet that in one form or another I am focused on a personal project. Commissioned work can be very interesting with the right people, especially if you are hired specifically for your own shooting and thinking style, but completely personal work is just pure expression. I think this is the only way to show who you are – this is what sets you apart from other shooters. There are many photographers who can take beautiful pictures, so creative work helps you define yourself as a person, not just push buttons.
Your work doesn’t always give you the creative freedom you need to develop your ideas. However, your time is yours. It may seem like you don’t have the funding, time, or energy to invest in a personal project, but keep in mind that this is what sets you apart from the rest.
Thomas Dagg interviews | through 99u