Obviously an important part of running a successful business is to provide a service that people want. If no one is willing to pay for your work, then you have a hobby, not a business. But revenue aside, there’s a lot to be said for a hobby. If you’re like most freelancers, then web design began as just a hobby for you.

You were constantly learning, exploring, and testing. You didn’t have a requirements specification or a client to please. The development experience was organic and could change direction to match your whim. If you decided you wanted to use a little AJAX, there was no deadline saying you didn’t have time to learn it.

That period was fun. You learned so much faster when you could follow any path that caught your interest. You had the time to dive into the details and truly develop your craft. The process is fun and exciting because everything is possible and each discovery is new. This is the Zen concept of beginner’s mind .

I can say that I haven’t looked at web development with beginner’s mind in a long time. So I’m talking a small step to try to recover some of that perspective. I’ve started working on a WordPress theme. (Hey, I said it’s a small step.) Since there’s no specific timeline, I’ve really enjoyed tinkering around at various steps of the way. I don’t think I’m creating anything truly groundbreaking, but I am enjoying the process. I’m also not afraid to experiment with ideas that frequently end up wasting a few hours. It’s a very different situation than trying to get a client’s site done on time and under budget.

I strongly encourage you to do a “meaningless” project. Don’t volunteer to do a site for a not-for-profit or for a friend that you don’t want to charge. Truly pick a project where you don’t have to answer to anybody else. Play. Even if only briefly, try to get to beginner’s mind.

filed under: Web Development