Do That Thing: 5 tips on starting your passion project!
Are you looking to TAKE YOUR PASSION ONE STEP FURTHER and kick start your very own project? 💡 @heather_sabrina from @dothat_thing – a new kind of grassroots mentorship scheme that brings together #creatives from #BAME (black and ethnic minority) backgrounds across the UK to learn from, lean on and lift up one another – shares her top tips on kick-starting your passion project.
Heather shares her top tips on kick-starting your project:
📝 Pen to paper: Is the hardest part, but the most important. You can spend weeks, months, years thinking of an idea, but until you articulate it on a piece of paper, you won’t start moving forward with it
⏰ Fit it around your life: Sometimes you want to start a new project or take a different direction, but you already have a lot of other commitments. I suggest sitting down, looking at your likely schedule for the next month, and putting aside a portion of time – as you would for a new hobby – and dedicating those pockets of time specifically for that project. To get started, you might want to cordon off a Sunday or take a day off to plan
💡 Write down why: When you decide something new, write down why you’re doing it. Put it in a prominent place – stuck above your desk, as the background on your phone. This will help you stick to it, and remind you of what you’re trying to achieve.
🤝 Ask for help: Want to start something but don’t know how? No one will have the perfect answer, but there are big networks out there and lots of willing people, who run their own projects, happy to share their insights. Messaging people whose blogs I have read, who I follow on social media, meeting them for a coffee or having a phone call has been so valuable for bouncing ideas off them and hearing how they deal with their project.
💪🏼 Keep trying: Don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t move your project on as quick as you might like. Give yourself space and pick it back up when you feel you have the emotional, physical and mental energy. Yes, sometimes you have to push yourself, but punishing yourself will sap the joy out of your inspiration💡
Read Hannah’s full interview and how you can get involved with her Mentorship scheme (also featured in issue 17 of Unread)
ABOUT DO THAT THING
Do That Thing is a mentorship scheme goes beyond the industry silos of #PR, #advertising, #media buying, #design or social media – it starts with #creative people of colour wanting to earn a living from their talents. So far they have collaborated with a number of awesome creatives and partnered with @_unmistakables, who have supported in creating the scheme and championing it forward!
If you’re from a black or ethnic minority background and are a paid #freelancer or #employee in the #creative sector, then why not share this experience while building upon your own? & if you’re starting (or seriously considering) a career in the paid creative sector, apply to become a Do That Thing creator!
