What Should Your Passion Project Be?
What is a passion project, exactly? It's a creative side gig that comes with a whole host of proven benefits: It makes you more productive at work, happier, and healthier.
Nearly 4 in 10 Americans have one, according to a recent study. And according to that same study, you can turn your passion into a money-making side hustle: Side hustlers make an additional $686 per month, or $8,232 a year, on average.
Think you're not particularly passionate about anything? Chances are you have a beloved hobby, you just aren’t thinking of it that way. To reframe your thinking, try mapping out your day. What brings you joy? Many seemingly simple day-to-day tasks and activities—cooking, browsing DIY blogs, or listening to podcasts—can be transformed into a hobby. Love watching late-night TV? You might consider giving improv classes a try.
If you're still stumped, no worries. We’ve curated some ideas to get those creative juices flowing. Simply choose your interest, then read on to discover what passion project is right for you, plus learn how to get started. Even if you're just looking for a good time, not to cash in, there's a project out there for you.
Start a furniture upcycling business.
Do you spend your weekend at the local flea markets and pinning "trash-to-treasure" inspo on Pinterest? Is your home covered in so many woodworking projects you can barely fit them all in your own home?
Try profiting off of your skills: Start by scouring Facebook Marketplace, groups like the Buy Nothing Project and Craigslist, or garage sales for low-cost, high-quality furniture—think bookcases, side tables, or dressers—that needs a bit of TLC.
Once you’ve found the perfect piece, gather a few basic tools—a drill, a palm sander, and paint brushes, for example—then get going. After you’ve worked your magic, photograph the upcycled piece and create listings in local Facebook groups.
Become a fitness instructor.
There are two types of people of people: Those who can't start their day without that 7 a.m. barre class, and those who would rather sleep in. If you fall into the first category, then consider becoming a fitness instructor.
It's a great way to turn that hard-earned sweat into hard-earned money. Instead of paying to attend class, you’ll be getting paid to attend class.
All you have to do is choose a certification program: Do you love to dance? Join the Zumba Instructor Network. Thrive on a good HIIT workout? Get certified as a group fitness instructor. Prefer to zen out? Try a program like the Kripalu School of Yoga.
Rent your home (and hit the road!).
Oftentimes, your travel bucket list is longer than your bank account can afford. There's no denying that traveling is an expensive hobby. One way to make it more attainable: Rent your home.
Instead of leaving your home empty while you hike through the volcanoes of Hawaii, snap a few pictures of your space and create a listing on a short-term rental site, like Airbnb or VRBO. By renting out your house or apartment, you’ll be able to subsidize (or even fully pay for!) your own accommodations on the road.
Use your skills to help others.
Those hand-knitted mittens and cross-stitch masterpieces deserve to be admired by more than just your inner circle. You can, of course, make extra money by selling your artistic creations on Etsy. But you can also use those same items to help people in your community.
If you like to knit, for example, consider making cold-weather items (blankets, hats, gloves, or scarves) to donate to a local homeless shelter. If you like to draw or paint, create homemade greeting cards for organizations, like Send a Smile Today, that regularly send uplifting messages to cancer patients.
Create a food blog.
Do you have a roast chicken recipe that could rival Julia Child’s? Are you friends always asking you to bring your famous insert-dish-here to next week's girls' night?
Then it's time to chronicle your adventures in the kitchen. Getting started is easy: Use a service like Wordpress or Squarespace to build a website. Create pages on Facebook and Instagram. Then get cookin’. (The hardest part will be choosing a blog name!)
You’ll also want to take the time to learn a little bit about food photography, since a high-quality image is the best way to entice readers. There are plenty of free online resources, like this guide from Serious Eats, to help you learn all about composition, equipment, and lighting.
Launch a podcast.
What does being extroverted have to do with podcasts, you might ask? If you love to meet people and can talk to just about anyone, creating an interview-style podcast may be a very enjoyable project for you. Hosts who are genuinely engaged with their subjects and have meaningful conversations have some of the most interesting and successful podcasts.
It may surprise you, but you don’t need fancy equipment or a lot of technical knowledge to start a podcast. As long as you have a clear concept, a microphone (the one on your computer or phone works to start!), and free software (like Audacity) to edit your audio, you’ll be on your way to creating your own hit show.
