For Me, Personally – Why Creative Professionals Should Prioritize Personal Projects
In the fast-paced world of today’s creative professionals, it’s easy to get swept up in the steady flow of client work, deadlines, and commercial demands. While these projects pay the bills and build your reputation, there’s another essential component that often gets pushed to the side – Personal Projects.
Whether it’s a self-initiated photo series, an experimental painting, or a documentary-style exploration of a subject you’re passionate about, personal work can be the heartbeat of your creative growth. Here’s why making time for it isn’t just a nice idea – it’s essential for every creative person.
Lighting Test for the Ofmega Premier for The Dérailleur Project Book.
Skill Development Beyond Client Boundaries
Client work often comes with a specific brief, set expectations, and a fixed style. While this provides structure, it can also limit experimentation. Personal projects allow you to step outside those boundaries and try new techniques without the pressure of meeting someone else’s vision.
You can:
Experiment with new gear.
Push yourself with challenging compositions or post-processing styles.
Explore unfamiliar genres, like macro, street, or conceptual photography.
Over time, these experiments expand your technical expertise and deepen your problem-solving skills – assets that translate directly into higher-quality client work.
Building a Stronger & More Distinctive Portfolio
When clients browse your portfolio, they’re not just looking for technical ability – they want to see a point of view. Personal projects give you full creative control to craft images that express your unique vision, rather than just fulfilling a brand’s needs. The work you create for yourself often becomes the most striking and memorable part of your portfolio because it reflects your style without compromise. That authenticity can be a deciding factor for clients who are seeking something fresh and distinctive.
Creative Freedom Fuels Passion
Even the most rewarding client assignments can feel routine over time. Personal projects reintroduce the sense of play and curiosity that likely drew you to art in the first place. There’s no approval process, no rigid deadline – just you and your ideas. This freedom can help you rediscover the enthusiasm, making you more energized and inspired in every area of my work.
Opportunities for Storytelling and Personal Branding
Personal projects are a powerful tool for showing the world what matters to you. Whether it’s environmental issues, cultural heritage, or abstract concepts, your subject choices communicate your values and creative voice. Sharing these projects online, in exhibitions, or as self-published books can attract like-minded collaborators, spark media interest, and help shape your personal brand in a way commercial work might not.
A Safe Space to Fail and Learn
In client work, mistakes can be costly. Personal projects, however, are your creative sandbox – safe spaces where failure isn’t a setback but a stepping stone. Each attempt, whether successful or not, adds to your experience and strengthens your craft. Sometimes, these “failed” experiments even lead to breakthroughs you wouldn’t have found any other way.
Staying Relevant in a Changing Industry
The creative world evolves quickly – new technology, social trends, and visual styles emerge constantly. Personal projects keep you in tune with these changes, allowing you to adapt and innovate without waiting for client permission. By continuously experimenting, you ensure that your style stays fresh and competitive, which can open doors to new opportunities. Personal projects aren’t just side hobbies – they’re a vital investment in your creative growth. They sharpen your skills, strengthen your portfolio, give you creative freedom, and keep your passion alive.
If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to start one, consider this your sign. Block off a day, pick a subject that excites you, and start a project for yourself. You might be surprised at how quickly those personal experiments turn into your most celebrated work.
So, as Kurt Vonnegut famously said, “To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.”
The Dérailleur Project
The Dérailleur Project is my latest personal work and was inspired by love and fascination for bicycles and their simple yet complicated design. I started the project to document the evolution of the bicycle rear dérailleur and asked everyone I know if they had any dérailleurs I could borrow. The response was incredible and I quickly decided to produce some calendars. The calendars were a huge success so I was inspired to produce a book. My goal was to create a book to the absolute best of my abilities as a photographer and artist at this point in my journey. It truly represents my dedication and commitment to my craft with no compromises and illustrates my passion for studio photography, cycling and bicycles! I created it with the help and talent of my sister, Kimberly Jones at JonesHaus Inc. and put it out into the world with the hope that people will truly enjoy the book and recognize that it was a genuine labor of love.
More Personal Projects
Campagnolo Super Record 50th Anniversary model crankset for The Crankset Project.
I’ve created several other Personal Projects in my career and you can check them out here.
The Crankset Project is the companion project for The Dérailleur Project. I’m planning on creating a book soon featuring all of the cranksets.
See Rock City Bird House photographed with a Fuji Instax Plastic Camera.
Plastic Cameras
Plastic cameras afford the freedom to be creative without having an attachment to the outcome.
I have a variety of cameras I use when I'm making photographs and some of my favorites are made of plastic like the Holga, Fuji Instax 200 and the Lomography Fisheye ll. The Holga uses 120 film the Fuji uses instant film and the Fisheye ll uses 35mm film.
Before. After.
Evan! Photographed in the Before. After. Photo Booth on-location at a local cyclocross race.
I’ve also created portraits based on my personal projects. One of my favorites is titled Before. After. It was inspired by my love for portrait photography and bicycle racing. I set-up the Before. After. Photo Booth at the local cyclocross races for an entire season. Everyone was photographed against the same background with the same lighting. The photographs depict the distinct difference in people’s appearance before and after a bike race without any distractions and capture a wide range of emotional and physical responses from the racers.
What I Wear To Work
Jake, Stephanie and Rob! Firefighters at the Boulder Rural Fire Department photographed on-location at the Fire House for the What I Wear To Work portrait series.
The What I Wear To Work portrait series was inspired by the interesting and unique outfits that some people wear when they work. Everyone was photographed against the same background with standardized lighting so that their personality, pose and outfit would tell the story of what they do.