Passion Projects: What Is it & Why Is It Important?

Mikaela Brown, Contributing Writer

October 24, 2024

What are passion projects and why should you do one?

Passion projects are work someone takes part in solely out of interest that they feel is exceptional and significant.

These are mostly independent projects that can serve you well in the long-term future post-secondary education; you could write them down as extracurriculars for colleges, personal statement topics, or use them to assist the diversity on your resume. This demonstrates your attention to detail, ability to succeed, and dedication to your respective craft.

I started drafting a novel in the fifth grade because of my love/high interest in writing. Now I am publishing a horror novel based on a family who moves to a new town and finds a ghostly surprise residing in the comfort of their new home. I plan to use it on my professional resumes and list it as an extracurricular activity for college applications. It’s always good to remember that your project should be something you are passionate about and not only partake in it for the advantages you can receive.

The fun thing is that you can collaborate with your friends, family, or choose to do it all on your own!

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Examples of Passion Projects

Writing/publishing a book
Volunteering for community service
Starting a club
Starting a business
Starting a non-profit or foundation
Creating art
Creating an app

Pros/Cons of Passion Projects

Pros	Cons
You can prove that you’re dedicated to a task and can complete one in a proper time window.	Passion projects can take up a lot of your time.
Passion projects show an interest in learning and building on new skills.	Depending on your project, reviewers may not take it seriously if your project has not shown great impacts on the community.
You can learn to set more realistic and relevant goals while under the pressure of creating your project.	Sometimes projects (like writing books, creating foundations, etc.) can be pretty costly.

Conclusion

While passion projects can have a positive impact on your future, it’s important to make sure you motivate yourself to commit to a project that is in your interests instead of doing it solely for money. I do not believe it’s fun to dedicate yourself to a large project when you’re only doing it for monetary purposes. It should be something that you genuinely enjoy doing. Additionally, passion projects are a great way to “get your foot in the door” or add as an extracurricular when it comes to college applications or resumes. There are so many variations of projects, and you can get started today!

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About the Contributor

Mikaela Brown, Staff Intern

I work as a full-year staff intern and go by she/her pronouns. In addition, I am a member of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Nevertheless, I am in eleventh grade and have published many articles through different school news publications throughout my time at Wilson School District. In my free time, I like to write my novels and watch television shows like "Impractical Jokers," "Dance Moms" & "Dancing With The Stars." Furthermore, I love listening to Taylor Swift, Charlotte Cardin, The Beaches, and most importantly, Nelly Furtado. I am intrigued/excited to "tap into" my creative side and write several new pieces this year including some of my musical interests, composing creative, thrilling, stories of strong, positive messages on the literary magazine, and continuing to broaden my knowledge in journalism, creative writing and current events.