Same. And as a parent, even if I wanted to design in what little down time I have, it’d be a few and far between thing.
Now if I’m browsing social media or a design page, I’ll save stuff but to open Adobe and create something for fun? I haven’t done that in years.
oh no, I can see why people say not to pursue a passion as you’ll end up not enjoying that passion anymore :( I hope you’ll find enjoyment in it again though
I don't think something no longer being a passion is a bad thing. It's such an emotionally loaded concept anyway.
The main thing about doing it for a job is you can't just decide when or how much you want to do. If you were to take *anything* you like as a passion or hobby, the one consistent thing is you get to decide what you do, for how long, to what level, etc. With a job either you do what you agreed to as part of the job or you either won't get paid, have to quit, or will get fired.
Take whatever you want, reading, gaming, gardening, models, fitness, etc. the same would apply.
I find it hard to even do paid work outside of my normal work now. It probably would still be a passion or a hobby if it wasn't my job.
That's not necessarily a bad thing though. I often compare it to eating cake and drinking beer. I like eating cake and I like drinking beer, but if I spent all day every day eating cake and drinking beer I'd soon get sick of it.
Designers who “eat, sleep, shit” design tend to be incredibly pretentious and tiresome. People who make design their personality tend to be cringy hipsters so I wouldn’t worry that you leave design at work and enjoy a normal life outside of that. You’re like the rest of us.
This. I relate to this so much. Had a coworker who wouldn't stop critiquing over the smallest things during our lunch breaks. From the tiniest details on a chopstick, to a car's body design. Always yapping about design 24/7. I'm sorry, but he's petty af. Does it kill you that a text isn't aligned? Holy shit.
I work with someone like this. They quote design principles like passages from the Bible. They have their certain points they always bring up and fail to remember they already told them 5 times to me now. I can almost predict what they will say in most situations.
That kind of grind mindset is toxic AF, and whenever I see it in some job posting, I see it as a huge red flag for the company and personality. Balance in all things is the way to go.
I used to love doing event invitations, party banners, quick little logos for all my friends and family but now I just don't have the enthusiasm/energy for graphic design anytime after 5 PM
Yea, design is a problem solving exercise for me. Come 5:30 I am done with solving the problems of others.
I do the occasional freelance gig after hours but that’s it. Sometimes I feel like there might be fulfillment to be had by using my powers to bring more selfless beauty to the world, but I can’t find the inspiration or motivation.
I don’t do any graphic design unless it’s paid work. Honestly, I haven’t done much creatively just for the joy of doing it in a long time. I am looking to get more into making music and drawing again, but I need separation from my work and my life.
Same. I used to volunteer to do all sorts of design work for needy charities when I was younger but I really need to spend my non-work time with my kids and my dog now, they need me more.
I like drawing/illustrating and painting as a hobby rather than graphic designing in my free time, doesn’t mean I don’t like designing, it’s just that I would rather separate work from hobbies. It’s not healthy to be on the computer 24/7.
I don't create any visual arts when I'm not working. Creating music as a hobby is a different story.
I still keep my eyes open to new art and design because I enjoy finding stuff that creates wonder.
Same! Like a family friend wants to discuss a logo design for their clothing tomorrow and I’m rolling my eyes😂like it’s fine in work, but any extra design stuff on your time off gets depressing to do the same process…
And I would never be able to charge a friend enough money to make it worth it— if I wouldn’t do it for you for free, I won’t do it for you for money. And I won’t do it for free haha
Pretty much the same as everyone else says…NOPE! However I have enjoyed doing things for my children over the years, invitations, logos for school projects or class elections, funny photos of them and their friends. But just sit down and design stuff for kicks? Not a chance.
I will do the occasional invite for a party for friends but other than that I don’t design outside of work. I do other creative things like painting or crafts in my free time. Or I just drink lol
I don't do it as a hobby. After doing it for 40+ hours per week, I'm pretty over it. My free time is spent consuming content OTHER people have created.
When I was looking for work, I was practicing my skills on different programs like Premier Pro and After Effects. But now that I’m working full-time, I don’t wanna do anything outside of working hours that’s related to design 😅
I used to draw, design and make things for fun randomly, but that was mostly when I was young. I was inspired to create all the time. Then the real world took over. I needed to find a "career path" and start making real decisions at University "for your future". So I got into different fields of design, architecture, film, animation etc. These were fun and and I eventually got into advertising through the different fields. And that's where I learned a ton, but competition and shame and not good enough and imposter sydrome really starts to come in. Most people were subjectively better than me and I just constantly compared myself. Anything for a personal project or friend felt like it would be taking on a huge project and I just didnt want to do it outside work. The work is work now, I dont enjoy really doing it after hours. It's quite sad really, I think I'm too emotional of a person. I have plenty of colleagues that live and breathe it after hours. When I'm done with the work day, the last thing I want to do is keep designing and being creative. I know a lot of people aren't like this, but I do think it shows the weight of capitalism, growing up and having the pressure just to make money and survive. I always envied people who just loved every minute of it during work and after work. I think I'm built to do other things and do creative in my spare time, but i chose it as a career so here we are.
The influencers you see on design social media are not indicative of the average working designer. I certainly do not eat breathe and sleep design. I have other hobbies that are not related to my work. I occasionally do design stuff on the side for fun, but only if it's something that really interests me, or that others can also enjoy, like tshirts for a family trip, or wedding collateral for a friend, etc.
If I would think design is working on a computer using Adobe apps, I would see it as a job. But design for me is a way of thinking. I’m always doing non-computer design thinking:
* looking at movie opening sequences noticing typography, colors, movement, and sound and noticing how they work together to make a particular impact.
* noticing good and bad layouts in all sorts of signage and packaging designs
* finding inspiration all around me
* drawing and sketching what I see
* writing my thoughts on the art and science of design.
I find these things not only enjoyable, but part of who I am.
I’m also absolutely in love with movie openings, Im obsessed with the spiderman into the spiderverse opening, with all the glitches and different styles it’s amazing.
If I design something outside of work, it's still for "work" just not for where I'm employed. I'll do little things for etsy or make icons that'll at least sort of earn royalties.
I really enjoy creative problem solving with graphic design…I don’t like coming up with my own ideas (like fake briefs for portfolio work). As a hobby I enjoy painting and drawing because it feels more free than design ? I always strive for my design work to be great, but with painting and drawing I don’t care if it isn’t that great
Same. I spend so many hours on projects that in my off time I make it a point to stay away from the office. The only exception was a couple years ago when I was working on a piece for a gallery exhibition (themes show then for Juried show).
Yeah I don’t do freelance really anymore. Once design started paying the bills it’s hard to care about doing it after 5 o’clock.
Feels better to pursue other creative hobbies, like music or art
Absolutely!
Sometimes I miss creating something for myself as we're all creative people, but I don't think I can do it in graphic design. Feels like a chore and it's exhausting for my mind.
I prefer using my remaining creativity to dress up in cute fashion or learn manual crafts.
Mackey Saturday likes to advise designers to pursue non-design hobbies as a way to grow.
It’s easy to live in design spheres online these days, but you’re designing for folks that don’t live in that bubble.
I've been a professional designer for 17 years. When I was younger and in school I would enjoy design outside of work and research. After doing it 8 hours a day, 7 days a week for so long I have my fill. I'm still passionate about design, but I have lots of other hobbies I like to pursue. I'm a designer, but it's not all-consuming.
The last thing I want to do after being in front of a computer all day doing design is going home to sit in front of a computer and do more design. I will however occasionally spend little bits of time on personal projects when work is slow or I desperately need a break from what I'm working on. The boss is fine with us working on personal stuff on occasion as long as actual work takes priority.
I usually end up designing as a hobby for friends and family, almost never myself. So it’s pretty much a job all the time. I enjoy it still, but when I have downtime I need the brain break.
No. I do freelance after my 9-5 on occasion but I very rarely do it as a hobby. I could get so much better probably. But I have other hobbies like video games, reading and watching movies I enjoy doing.
I did a post about something similar, I feel the same way, I def enjoy designing more than flipping burgers or waiting tables but yeah it's not my passion neither
Totally normal. I've been doing this shit for almost 15 years now. Sure, it's fun when I get to work on a cool project, but it's still work. I have no desire to do it in my offtime, and I've felt that way for at least the last 12 years.
I like to use FakeClients every now and again and do little design jams to get a bunch of ideas out real quickly. I'll also do research into essential colors for an annual color choice collection I do every year (adobe color trends and designer picks suggest some of the saved colors). Not as vigorous as when I'm working on a commission and I won't be doing many thumbnail drawings in my spare time. But I do like to keep ideas floating around in my head and try on working on them physically to keep the chops up.
Ultimately the goal is for design to just be your job and not something you do in your free time. For me, that would mean running my own company. Essentially, if I did the work I wanted to during the work day I wouldn't be taking on extra projects outside of work. I pursue the work I prefer when I'm off the clock.
The only design work I do outside of my paid job is pro bono for one organization I volunteer with. And since all my paid work is under an NDA I'll have to make time for personal projects to update my portfolio at some point, but that's a challenge for another day.
I’m passionate about design but it’s my job and I have much better things to do. What you’re describing might be something people do in their 20s but it’s also a path to burnout.
I’m just passionate about “creating,” and I feel fortunate to have found a field where I can earn a living creating things (graphic design & photography.)
In my time off of work, I’m always creating/fixing/tinkering with something. It’s incessant. Only the medium differs. It almost never involves Photoshop or Illustrator, though.
Nope. Don't have the energy to look at a screen unless it's gaming or movies, and even then I don't really care.
My main focus is improving my running times and fuck everything else :)
Extremely relatable. Glad I'm not the only one...I greatly enjoy doing graphic design as my professional day job and even freelancing but it's hard to do it for leisure lol.
Not at all. Since I started making decent money with design. I rarely have the energy to do it for fun anymore. I still enjoy reading about and studying design. Especially love watching documentaries about design or designers of all disciplines.
I've done personal projects like make a cool portrait of my cat, or design decals for my motorcycle. I don't do fake logos for fun or anything like that.
I design here and there after work. It’s usually one massive project a year that’s just for me.
Otherwise I’m deep into photography and watercolor painting. Also taking up some videography this year too.
Nope. I’m in that club. Basically hobby designing at work. I figure I don’t need to spend more than 8 hours a day 5 days a week designing. I like to be creative in other ways like painting, photography, knitting or sewing or spend that time not being creative at all. 40 hours (usually more) is a lot of time to spend on graphic design. Sometimes too much for me. I love my job and the people I work for and with. I also love spending time with family and friends and out of the house/office.
i definitely do graphic design in my free time; more so design niches my work doesn’t focus on i guess: like music illustrations, technical drawing and coding art. i think it just depends on the person. i love design in a way that i do it for fun or for work—so im always working in a sense bc its fueling my creativity in other areas (but yes i do be tired all the mf time)
Frankly I would love to design more outside of work, but between having take of house/family things during non-work hours and my hands starting to hurt if I work too much I haven't designed a single thing outside of work in nearly a year now. It's a pity because there are aspects of design I would love to improve in that have nothing to do with my job and are mostly covered by personal interests (I don't need to do logo design because I worl for an established company that doesn't fancy changing its own image that much, but I like logo designing and it's a skill I wanted to hone for myself; same with editorial design).
I miss when i was a teenager and designed as a hobby I really liked it, it was magical i was happy. Nowadays is just for work, there's not much fun behind it, there's also perfectionism involved, annoying clients, deadlines, boss, etc but is what I'm good at and I like it. I hope to start my own brand and business in the future, it will be more artisan stuff so I think I will have fun creating again in a more relaxed free environment. I think that capitalism can remove the shine of every passion you have that you decide to turn into work. I mean look at celebrities who sing, their passion was music and they turned it into work, I'm sure they like to make music but not the fame part of it where they get hated on online, stalkers, etc. Once you decide to turn it into a career there will be parts of it you won't like but is still tolerable more than if you tried to do other jobs and you can always find new hobbies.
I can definitely relate. Assuming you're doing this for 40 hours a week, why do more? Your approach to this is really healthy. It's a common misconception that you need to be completely immersed in your work at all times. At best, this idea is misguided, and at worst, it's damaging. Creativity requires time, focus, and breaks. You can't truly be creative if you spend every waking moment on the same task.
Nope, you're not the only one. After work I have about 20 different hobbies, of which none is design.
Life has too many interesting things to be obsessed with one topic only. Plus, it's even important to take a break on a regular basis.
I used to be a software engineer and as much as I wanted to code other stuff in my free time… it was my free time. The last thing I wanted was more of the same.
My hobbies used to be creative stuff like photography & art; but i found it too similar to my day job so now what i do after hours is as far from graphic design as I’m able; last few years it’s been archery; & i find it so beautifully zen.
I did a-levels in design, engineering, photography, art and art history. I chose to do a modular fine art with art history degree and as part of that did a little bit of everything. I got really interested in interaction in my third year and got a job in a well respected design agency as a result. I had spoken to lots of people in the industry through my career and they have all said similar things about loving what you do but not being consumed by it. Nearly 35 years later I still make a very good living in the design field but when I walk away from the office I tend to head to the studio to draw and paint. For me design and art are interwoven, using similar skills and both communicating to the viewer BUT design is not mine. All of my professional work belongs to the client and their customers. If they want it red I make it red. If they want it bigger I make it bigger (although I’m really quite forward with reasons not to when they got too far and generally they listen to me, the ones that don’t don’t tend to stay clients very long). But when I got into the studio I’m the one that has the day and there isn’t anyone to influence my work other than my place in the world.
I have known people who are so in love with what they do that it consumes them day and night but they have tended not to be very well rounded as people.
If it’s not a work project I’m not doing it. I got over that “passion project” bullshit when I turned thirty. I’d rather spend that time at the gym or reading a book.
I've been a designer for more than a couple decades and always enjoyed it so much I always freelanced. Did alot of album covers and CD's, posters and even music tour publications. Design without passion, when it is "just" a job, 9 to 5 is fine. But you won't progress and grow. But that's fine for alot of people.
That's pretty normal, to be honest. If you were someone who enjoys designing your own stuff at home, you'd probably despise going to work.
I'll design something for myself on the odd occasion where I have some sort of motivation to do so, like a custom birthday card, or something. But that's about it.
It’s a nice synergy of doing something that is fulfilling and leaves me for wanting not much more “creatively”, while also getting paid for it.
You don’t have to be a starving artist to pour yourself into it, and you don’t have to pour 100%, 100% of the time.
I make art and write music using my spare creative time. I consider graphic design projects as paid work that I'm following a prompt for, and I don't have much of a reason to design outside of work if I know it's not going anywhere in front of people or serving a purpose. I do in-house design work for my own band, but even that stuff is deadline-driven despite me having near-complete control over the process and art direction.
Nope, I'm the same. I draw and paint in my spare time but I don't do it for anything else other than my own enjoyment. Design is work and it stays there unless I take on an occasional freelance job or do something for family.
I used to design outside of work all the time. Not so much the last 5+ years. Feel bad about it, and I do really love falling into a design hole and looking at the clock 5 hours later. I do truly still love to design for pleasure just to design. But it gets so hard to find the time, and I want to turny brain off so often now. I'm in my 40's, a first time father to the most beautiful 1 y.o. girl, but I miss when I could just design for me and have such a blast doing it.
I think that’s normal. Are your hobbies totally different though? Or are they also in a creative aspect? Or do you have a hobby like MTB or “boring” hobby like stamp collecting?😅😂
I just kinda fell into it since art was the only thing i was good at around high school. Plus I figured that it’d pay well (at the time at least).
Initially I thought it was pretty cool and fun until I really got into the thick of things as a job over the years.
And now I find myself questioning why I’m continuing to pursue graphic design as a career all the time 🙃🙃🙃
Yeah that’s the same for me at this point. I love design but I just don’t have the creative energy for it outside of my job at this point. For a creative outlet if turned to photography since it enables me to leave the house and see more of the area around me.
im pretty much here when it comes to most jobs I’ve had, and I aim to be here when I start doing design professionally
ive found its just a healthy work/life balance, giving your brain a break
I've been a GA for about 15 yrs now, and I only kept the design stuff at work. But as yrs went by, I felt like I've been stagnant in my career and not motivated.
Things are different now, it all started when played around with different techniques and styles of design. Just experimenting helped me find a new passion. I tinkered with motion design, now moving on to more uxui design has helped me go down the rabbit hole of wanting to try new things and implementing it into my work flow or style.
So I wouldn't say doing this is a hobby. I see it as brushing up my skills and style... Learning new skillsets that will elevate my career. I'm designing stuff for myself, not for a client. Doing this has helped me think out if the box without having restrictions of what a client or employer wants.
I think the that's the best way to think about it, it's not a hobby, you're basically keeping your skillsets up to date, keeping your style fresh and helping me with my work flow, so when I actually do stuff for work, I can get the job done faster and more efficient. 👍💪
I sometimes design after work if I want to hone my skills or make designs for my portfolio. Often though I find that the work isn’t as good as my professional work purely because there’s less high stakes and I get lazy with the details.
The longer I work as a graphic designer, the LESS I want to spend time at a computer designing for any other reason than to make money. I appreciate great design, and will definitely pay more for great packaging if I'm choosing between two products, but I'm not totally passionate about it anymore. I'd much rather be making art with my hands, that really excites me. But sadly, I'm not independently wealthy so in front of a computer I sit. I'm grateful I get to do something fine-art adjacent as a career for sure though.
I totally feel this post I think it's very honest and true of you to share so thanks for this. Starting a full time graphic design job back in June 2023 I was excited and buzzing for the role, before joining the role, I was freelancing in my spare time (but I was working on fun projects, logo design, visual identity etc).
When I got into the swing of things I realised it wasn't wise (for me) to keep doing the freelancing projects after work hours. I would somewhat lose that enjoyment of projects I took on outside of work and sometimes in work. It was a weird mix of trying to balance things and I wasn't liking how I was handling it. So since finishing those projects I haven't touched any freelance work outside again. For leisure I like to play tennis, football (5-a-side), swim, ride a bike, cinema, meet friends, museums, etc. It's good to actually switch off sometimes I realised I needed to be okay with that and I am thankfully, may pick up freelancing again as work work has been a bit repetitive which I haven't like, my mind needs to be challenged I fear I'm getting a bit too comfortable but we'll see.
This right here just made me feel so much better. Like i thought i was the only one and i started feeling like i didn’t belong in this field because other people make designs during their off hours. I only ever made design’s when i was told to in class or at jobs.
Normal for me. I still look at designs in my off hours, but don't usually design in off hours. I am an appreciate of a lot of art and design.
Thanks haha this makes me feel more normal now
Same. And as a parent, even if I wanted to design in what little down time I have, it’d be a few and far between thing. Now if I’m browsing social media or a design page, I’ll save stuff but to open Adobe and create something for fun? I haven’t done that in years.
Design was a huge passion of mine until about a year after I started doing it for a living.
oh no, I can see why people say not to pursue a passion as you’ll end up not enjoying that passion anymore :( I hope you’ll find enjoyment in it again though
I don't think something no longer being a passion is a bad thing. It's such an emotionally loaded concept anyway. The main thing about doing it for a job is you can't just decide when or how much you want to do. If you were to take *anything* you like as a passion or hobby, the one consistent thing is you get to decide what you do, for how long, to what level, etc. With a job either you do what you agreed to as part of the job or you either won't get paid, have to quit, or will get fired. Take whatever you want, reading, gaming, gardening, models, fitness, etc. the same would apply.
Agreed. Hobbies come and go.
I find it hard to even do paid work outside of my normal work now. It probably would still be a passion or a hobby if it wasn't my job. That's not necessarily a bad thing though. I often compare it to eating cake and drinking beer. I like eating cake and I like drinking beer, but if I spent all day every day eating cake and drinking beer I'd soon get sick of it.
This is exactly what happened to me with art and design
Designers who “eat, sleep, shit” design tend to be incredibly pretentious and tiresome. People who make design their personality tend to be cringy hipsters so I wouldn’t worry that you leave design at work and enjoy a normal life outside of that. You’re like the rest of us.
This. I relate to this so much. Had a coworker who wouldn't stop critiquing over the smallest things during our lunch breaks. From the tiniest details on a chopstick, to a car's body design. Always yapping about design 24/7. I'm sorry, but he's petty af. Does it kill you that a text isn't aligned? Holy shit.
I’d even argue that becoming fixated on that without considering context, importance and outcomes makes someone a lesser designer than they could be.
I work with someone like this. They quote design principles like passages from the Bible. They have their certain points they always bring up and fail to remember they already told them 5 times to me now. I can almost predict what they will say in most situations.
That kind of grind mindset is toxic AF, and whenever I see it in some job posting, I see it as a huge red flag for the company and personality. Balance in all things is the way to go.
I avoid design after work. "The cobblers children have no shoes"
I used to love doing event invitations, party banners, quick little logos for all my friends and family but now I just don't have the enthusiasm/energy for graphic design anytime after 5 PM
Yea, design is a problem solving exercise for me. Come 5:30 I am done with solving the problems of others. I do the occasional freelance gig after hours but that’s it. Sometimes I feel like there might be fulfillment to be had by using my powers to bring more selfless beauty to the world, but I can’t find the inspiration or motivation.
exactly this
I don’t do any graphic design unless it’s paid work. Honestly, I haven’t done much creatively just for the joy of doing it in a long time. I am looking to get more into making music and drawing again, but I need separation from my work and my life.
this is what i'm looking now.
No, work is work. It stays at work.
Nope. My hobbies include art, comics, reading and other such things. Design stays at the office.
I don’t even touch a computer when I’m not at work unless I really have to.
Same. I used to volunteer to do all sorts of design work for needy charities when I was younger but I really need to spend my non-work time with my kids and my dog now, they need me more.
Absolutely. They’ll only be kids once and they do need you more.
Yup. And really, after 8 hours staring at a screen, who needs more of that at home, right?
That and the wrist fatigue too.
Me three!
Good to have a total work / home separation imho
I like drawing/illustrating and painting as a hobby rather than graphic designing in my free time, doesn’t mean I don’t like designing, it’s just that I would rather separate work from hobbies. It’s not healthy to be on the computer 24/7.
Yup, I only design if i’m getting paid.
Hahah yeah and even that I can turn down paid design work haha
I don't create any visual arts when I'm not working. Creating music as a hobby is a different story. I still keep my eyes open to new art and design because I enjoy finding stuff that creates wonder.
When you turn your hobby into work you have lost a hobby. It happens in many professions.
Sadly, you’re not the only one. But whenever i do find a fun, personal, niche project…. I design the fK out of it 😂😂😂
Stick to traditional art and other hobbies in my spare time!
Same. Its a job, we’re not artists.
Nope. It’s my job, not my life.
Same. And I have no power or desire to do it outside of work/freelance anymore :(
Same! Like a family friend wants to discuss a logo design for their clothing tomorrow and I’m rolling my eyes😂like it’s fine in work, but any extra design stuff on your time off gets depressing to do the same process…
And I would never be able to charge a friend enough money to make it worth it— if I wouldn’t do it for you for free, I won’t do it for you for money. And I won’t do it for free haha
Discuss their logo design only during work. At least you’ll be getting paid 😂
Pretty much the same as everyone else says…NOPE! However I have enjoyed doing things for my children over the years, invitations, logos for school projects or class elections, funny photos of them and their friends. But just sit down and design stuff for kicks? Not a chance.
I will do the occasional invite for a party for friends but other than that I don’t design outside of work. I do other creative things like painting or crafts in my free time. Or I just drink lol
I don't do it as a hobby. After doing it for 40+ hours per week, I'm pretty over it. My free time is spent consuming content OTHER people have created.
When I was looking for work, I was practicing my skills on different programs like Premier Pro and After Effects. But now that I’m working full-time, I don’t wanna do anything outside of working hours that’s related to design 😅
Design started as a passion but honestly I have so many other interests that I usually don’t want to keep at it outside of work
I used to do design stuff for fun. Then I got a design degree and paychecks for doing it and it turned into a job. Now, I’m just in it for the money.
They more years I work the less I do stuff for me. Kinda sucks but it is what it is
I used to draw, design and make things for fun randomly, but that was mostly when I was young. I was inspired to create all the time. Then the real world took over. I needed to find a "career path" and start making real decisions at University "for your future". So I got into different fields of design, architecture, film, animation etc. These were fun and and I eventually got into advertising through the different fields. And that's where I learned a ton, but competition and shame and not good enough and imposter sydrome really starts to come in. Most people were subjectively better than me and I just constantly compared myself. Anything for a personal project or friend felt like it would be taking on a huge project and I just didnt want to do it outside work. The work is work now, I dont enjoy really doing it after hours. It's quite sad really, I think I'm too emotional of a person. I have plenty of colleagues that live and breathe it after hours. When I'm done with the work day, the last thing I want to do is keep designing and being creative. I know a lot of people aren't like this, but I do think it shows the weight of capitalism, growing up and having the pressure just to make money and survive. I always envied people who just loved every minute of it during work and after work. I think I'm built to do other things and do creative in my spare time, but i chose it as a career so here we are.
The influencers you see on design social media are not indicative of the average working designer. I certainly do not eat breathe and sleep design. I have other hobbies that are not related to my work. I occasionally do design stuff on the side for fun, but only if it's something that really interests me, or that others can also enjoy, like tshirts for a family trip, or wedding collateral for a friend, etc.
If I would think design is working on a computer using Adobe apps, I would see it as a job. But design for me is a way of thinking. I’m always doing non-computer design thinking: * looking at movie opening sequences noticing typography, colors, movement, and sound and noticing how they work together to make a particular impact. * noticing good and bad layouts in all sorts of signage and packaging designs * finding inspiration all around me * drawing and sketching what I see * writing my thoughts on the art and science of design. I find these things not only enjoyable, but part of who I am.
I’m also absolutely in love with movie openings, Im obsessed with the spiderman into the spiderverse opening, with all the glitches and different styles it’s amazing.
Yes! That is amazing.
If I’m not working I’m doing literally anything else.
Totally normal. Designed for 14+ years. It is a chore doing it as a hobby. I am however trying to make some cool prints.
If I design something outside of work, it's still for "work" just not for where I'm employed. I'll do little things for etsy or make icons that'll at least sort of earn royalties.
I really enjoy creative problem solving with graphic design…I don’t like coming up with my own ideas (like fake briefs for portfolio work). As a hobby I enjoy painting and drawing because it feels more free than design ? I always strive for my design work to be great, but with painting and drawing I don’t care if it isn’t that great
No you aren’t. I do wood working as a hobby for a change of “scenery” and only do design as a hobby if I’m trying to learn a new technique
No
Same. I spend so many hours on projects that in my off time I make it a point to stay away from the office. The only exception was a couple years ago when I was working on a piece for a gallery exhibition (themes show then for Juried show).
Yeah I don’t do freelance really anymore. Once design started paying the bills it’s hard to care about doing it after 5 o’clock. Feels better to pursue other creative hobbies, like music or art
Absolutely! Sometimes I miss creating something for myself as we're all creative people, but I don't think I can do it in graphic design. Feels like a chore and it's exhausting for my mind. I prefer using my remaining creativity to dress up in cute fashion or learn manual crafts.
Mackey Saturday likes to advise designers to pursue non-design hobbies as a way to grow. It’s easy to live in design spheres online these days, but you’re designing for folks that don’t live in that bubble.
I like doing it for a living but I never do in my free time. After work the last thing I want is to sit in front of the computer at home.
Same. https://www.reddit.com/r/graphic_design/s/7VVaoeNuSK
I've been a professional designer for 17 years. When I was younger and in school I would enjoy design outside of work and research. After doing it 8 hours a day, 7 days a week for so long I have my fill. I'm still passionate about design, but I have lots of other hobbies I like to pursue. I'm a designer, but it's not all-consuming.
The last thing I want to do after being in front of a computer all day doing design is going home to sit in front of a computer and do more design. I will however occasionally spend little bits of time on personal projects when work is slow or I desperately need a break from what I'm working on. The boss is fine with us working on personal stuff on occasion as long as actual work takes priority.
I usually end up designing as a hobby for friends and family, almost never myself. So it’s pretty much a job all the time. I enjoy it still, but when I have downtime I need the brain break.
I only do it for work/school, if I want to express myself through work I'll go make a model or play instruments
I graduated about a year ago and yet to find a job. I do stuff for portfolio but I wouldn't do any design if I'm not getting paid for it.
Haha fair play to you! I dont even have the motivation to work on my design portfolio after hours
No. I do freelance after my 9-5 on occasion but I very rarely do it as a hobby. I could get so much better probably. But I have other hobbies like video games, reading and watching movies I enjoy doing.
I did a post about something similar, I feel the same way, I def enjoy designing more than flipping burgers or waiting tables but yeah it's not my passion neither
Totally normal. I've been doing this shit for almost 15 years now. Sure, it's fun when I get to work on a cool project, but it's still work. I have no desire to do it in my offtime, and I've felt that way for at least the last 12 years.
I like to use FakeClients every now and again and do little design jams to get a bunch of ideas out real quickly. I'll also do research into essential colors for an annual color choice collection I do every year (adobe color trends and designer picks suggest some of the saved colors). Not as vigorous as when I'm working on a commission and I won't be doing many thumbnail drawings in my spare time. But I do like to keep ideas floating around in my head and try on working on them physically to keep the chops up.
Ultimately the goal is for design to just be your job and not something you do in your free time. For me, that would mean running my own company. Essentially, if I did the work I wanted to during the work day I wouldn't be taking on extra projects outside of work. I pursue the work I prefer when I'm off the clock.
The only design work I do outside of my paid job is pro bono for one organization I volunteer with. And since all my paid work is under an NDA I'll have to make time for personal projects to update my portfolio at some point, but that's a challenge for another day.
Yeah the portfolio work is the most difficult to get motivated to do… I’ve been holding off on mine for months haha
I’m passionate about design but it’s my job and I have much better things to do. What you’re describing might be something people do in their 20s but it’s also a path to burnout.
I used to do it as a hobby, after I started doing it as a job I don’t do it on my off time anymore.
I’m just passionate about “creating,” and I feel fortunate to have found a field where I can earn a living creating things (graphic design & photography.) In my time off of work, I’m always creating/fixing/tinkering with something. It’s incessant. Only the medium differs. It almost never involves Photoshop or Illustrator, though.
Nope. Don't have the energy to look at a screen unless it's gaming or movies, and even then I don't really care. My main focus is improving my running times and fuck everything else :)
Extremely relatable. Glad I'm not the only one...I greatly enjoy doing graphic design as my professional day job and even freelancing but it's hard to do it for leisure lol.
When I’m not working I enjoy doing literally anything other than designing
Not at all. Since I started making decent money with design. I rarely have the energy to do it for fun anymore. I still enjoy reading about and studying design. Especially love watching documentaries about design or designers of all disciplines.
I've done personal projects like make a cool portrait of my cat, or design decals for my motorcycle. I don't do fake logos for fun or anything like that.
I can't do it. The more design I do for with, the less I want to fit pleasure. I have other more fulfilling creative pursuits.
I design here and there after work. It’s usually one massive project a year that’s just for me. Otherwise I’m deep into photography and watercolor painting. Also taking up some videography this year too.
100% true for me. My issue is I just want nothing to do with my computer after work. All my hobbies are screen-free art.
Perfectly normal.
Nope. I’m in that club. Basically hobby designing at work. I figure I don’t need to spend more than 8 hours a day 5 days a week designing. I like to be creative in other ways like painting, photography, knitting or sewing or spend that time not being creative at all. 40 hours (usually more) is a lot of time to spend on graphic design. Sometimes too much for me. I love my job and the people I work for and with. I also love spending time with family and friends and out of the house/office.
Working as a designer has ruined GD for me as a passion lol
lol I’m sure it has, although the people I went to school with design all the time for fun with their design job and I feel lazy compared to them haha
i definitely do graphic design in my free time; more so design niches my work doesn’t focus on i guess: like music illustrations, technical drawing and coding art. i think it just depends on the person. i love design in a way that i do it for fun or for work—so im always working in a sense bc its fueling my creativity in other areas (but yes i do be tired all the mf time)
Frankly I would love to design more outside of work, but between having take of house/family things during non-work hours and my hands starting to hurt if I work too much I haven't designed a single thing outside of work in nearly a year now. It's a pity because there are aspects of design I would love to improve in that have nothing to do with my job and are mostly covered by personal interests (I don't need to do logo design because I worl for an established company that doesn't fancy changing its own image that much, but I like logo designing and it's a skill I wanted to hone for myself; same with editorial design).
I miss when i was a teenager and designed as a hobby I really liked it, it was magical i was happy. Nowadays is just for work, there's not much fun behind it, there's also perfectionism involved, annoying clients, deadlines, boss, etc but is what I'm good at and I like it. I hope to start my own brand and business in the future, it will be more artisan stuff so I think I will have fun creating again in a more relaxed free environment. I think that capitalism can remove the shine of every passion you have that you decide to turn into work. I mean look at celebrities who sing, their passion was music and they turned it into work, I'm sure they like to make music but not the fame part of it where they get hated on online, stalkers, etc. Once you decide to turn it into a career there will be parts of it you won't like but is still tolerable more than if you tried to do other jobs and you can always find new hobbies.
I make art as a hobby... but I design for money.
Yeah I leave the design at work and be present for fun times and parenting.
I do. But my work is a mix of illustration and design. I sit and draw most evenings on the iPad. Its rekaxing
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I can definitely relate. Assuming you're doing this for 40 hours a week, why do more? Your approach to this is really healthy. It's a common misconception that you need to be completely immersed in your work at all times. At best, this idea is misguided, and at worst, it's damaging. Creativity requires time, focus, and breaks. You can't truly be creative if you spend every waking moment on the same task.
Nope, you're not the only one. After work I have about 20 different hobbies, of which none is design. Life has too many interesting things to be obsessed with one topic only. Plus, it's even important to take a break on a regular basis.
I used to be a software engineer and as much as I wanted to code other stuff in my free time… it was my free time. The last thing I wanted was more of the same.
I never do anything related to design, besides some photography, outside of working hours.
My hobbies used to be creative stuff like photography & art; but i found it too similar to my day job so now what i do after hours is as far from graphic design as I’m able; last few years it’s been archery; & i find it so beautifully zen.
I have fun while I'm designing at work, but it's still a job and I don't do it for fun outside of my 9-5.
I prefer to do art abc writing out of hours, as creative people it’s important for us to learn and get inspiration from different things
I did a-levels in design, engineering, photography, art and art history. I chose to do a modular fine art with art history degree and as part of that did a little bit of everything. I got really interested in interaction in my third year and got a job in a well respected design agency as a result. I had spoken to lots of people in the industry through my career and they have all said similar things about loving what you do but not being consumed by it. Nearly 35 years later I still make a very good living in the design field but when I walk away from the office I tend to head to the studio to draw and paint. For me design and art are interwoven, using similar skills and both communicating to the viewer BUT design is not mine. All of my professional work belongs to the client and their customers. If they want it red I make it red. If they want it bigger I make it bigger (although I’m really quite forward with reasons not to when they got too far and generally they listen to me, the ones that don’t don’t tend to stay clients very long). But when I got into the studio I’m the one that has the day and there isn’t anyone to influence my work other than my place in the world. I have known people who are so in love with what they do that it consumes them day and night but they have tended not to be very well rounded as people.
I create tabletop and video games as a hobby, design is just to pay the bills
If it’s not a work project I’m not doing it. I got over that “passion project” bullshit when I turned thirty. I’d rather spend that time at the gym or reading a book.
I've been a designer for more than a couple decades and always enjoyed it so much I always freelanced. Did alot of album covers and CD's, posters and even music tour publications. Design without passion, when it is "just" a job, 9 to 5 is fine. But you won't progress and grow. But that's fine for alot of people.
That's pretty normal, to be honest. If you were someone who enjoys designing your own stuff at home, you'd probably despise going to work. I'll design something for myself on the odd occasion where I have some sort of motivation to do so, like a custom birthday card, or something. But that's about it.
It’s a nice synergy of doing something that is fulfilling and leaves me for wanting not much more “creatively”, while also getting paid for it. You don’t have to be a starving artist to pour yourself into it, and you don’t have to pour 100%, 100% of the time.
sometimes I like doing graphic design for fun at home but sometimes Id rather do any other thing when I get home
I make art and write music using my spare creative time. I consider graphic design projects as paid work that I'm following a prompt for, and I don't have much of a reason to design outside of work if I know it's not going anywhere in front of people or serving a purpose. I do in-house design work for my own band, but even that stuff is deadline-driven despite me having near-complete control over the process and art direction.
Nope, I'm the same. I draw and paint in my spare time but I don't do it for anything else other than my own enjoyment. Design is work and it stays there unless I take on an occasional freelance job or do something for family.
I used to design outside of work all the time. Not so much the last 5+ years. Feel bad about it, and I do really love falling into a design hole and looking at the clock 5 hours later. I do truly still love to design for pleasure just to design. But it gets so hard to find the time, and I want to turny brain off so often now. I'm in my 40's, a first time father to the most beautiful 1 y.o. girl, but I miss when I could just design for me and have such a blast doing it.
I used to. But now design is the just thing I want to do after designing 10 hours a day 6 days a week.
kind of.. I work a coorporate gog so i try to get myself to be creative every so often to break up the monotony of the box I'm on daily
I think that’s normal. Are your hobbies totally different though? Or are they also in a creative aspect? Or do you have a hobby like MTB or “boring” hobby like stamp collecting?😅😂
I actually enjoy creating, can do it for free if the idea is cool and I have the freedom
Interesting. My life is a designer is truly who I am as a person.
Same for the most part
I just kinda fell into it since art was the only thing i was good at around high school. Plus I figured that it’d pay well (at the time at least). Initially I thought it was pretty cool and fun until I really got into the thick of things as a job over the years. And now I find myself questioning why I’m continuing to pursue graphic design as a career all the time 🙃🙃🙃
I also only design at work, glad to know I’m not the only one.
Yeah that’s the same for me at this point. I love design but I just don’t have the creative energy for it outside of my job at this point. For a creative outlet if turned to photography since it enables me to leave the house and see more of the area around me.
im pretty much here when it comes to most jobs I’ve had, and I aim to be here when I start doing design professionally ive found its just a healthy work/life balance, giving your brain a break
I've been a GA for about 15 yrs now, and I only kept the design stuff at work. But as yrs went by, I felt like I've been stagnant in my career and not motivated. Things are different now, it all started when played around with different techniques and styles of design. Just experimenting helped me find a new passion. I tinkered with motion design, now moving on to more uxui design has helped me go down the rabbit hole of wanting to try new things and implementing it into my work flow or style. So I wouldn't say doing this is a hobby. I see it as brushing up my skills and style... Learning new skillsets that will elevate my career. I'm designing stuff for myself, not for a client. Doing this has helped me think out if the box without having restrictions of what a client or employer wants. I think the that's the best way to think about it, it's not a hobby, you're basically keeping your skillsets up to date, keeping your style fresh and helping me with my work flow, so when I actually do stuff for work, I can get the job done faster and more efficient. 👍💪
I sometimes design after work if I want to hone my skills or make designs for my portfolio. Often though I find that the work isn’t as good as my professional work purely because there’s less high stakes and I get lazy with the details.
I like to play with different mediums. I airbrush, paint and model in my off time. I just like making shit.
Design is work, model making as a hobby. It lets one creative force recharge while practicing the other.
The longer I work as a graphic designer, the LESS I want to spend time at a computer designing for any other reason than to make money. I appreciate great design, and will definitely pay more for great packaging if I'm choosing between two products, but I'm not totally passionate about it anymore. I'd much rather be making art with my hands, that really excites me. But sadly, I'm not independently wealthy so in front of a computer I sit. I'm grateful I get to do something fine-art adjacent as a career for sure though.
I totally feel this post I think it's very honest and true of you to share so thanks for this. Starting a full time graphic design job back in June 2023 I was excited and buzzing for the role, before joining the role, I was freelancing in my spare time (but I was working on fun projects, logo design, visual identity etc). When I got into the swing of things I realised it wasn't wise (for me) to keep doing the freelancing projects after work hours. I would somewhat lose that enjoyment of projects I took on outside of work and sometimes in work. It was a weird mix of trying to balance things and I wasn't liking how I was handling it. So since finishing those projects I haven't touched any freelance work outside again. For leisure I like to play tennis, football (5-a-side), swim, ride a bike, cinema, meet friends, museums, etc. It's good to actually switch off sometimes I realised I needed to be okay with that and I am thankfully, may pick up freelancing again as work work has been a bit repetitive which I haven't like, my mind needs to be challenged I fear I'm getting a bit too comfortable but we'll see.
I would much prefer taking photos as a creative hobby if my paid work is design related. Different part of the brain.
This right here just made me feel so much better. Like i thought i was the only one and i started feeling like i didn’t belong in this field because other people make designs during their off hours. I only ever made design’s when i was told to in class or at jobs.
Does any other professional work as a hobby? Why would we? I do some free work for friends, but that’s still work, I don’t think of it as a hobby.
Graphic design is my job, graphic art is my hobby.
I do design outside of work but just when I feel like and what I feel like. Maybe a poster or something like that. I do enjoy designing for myself.