I've got a number of personal projects going. Mostly for my own benefit and for non-profit and clubs I have interest in. They give me opportunities to try out technologies and techniques that are new to me at my own pace, so that when I'm comfortable with them, I can suggest and implement them on a professional level. These personal projects provide multiple benefits to everyone involved; The organizations I do them for are getting the benefit of the work done for free and I get the benefit of playing and learning in a sandbox that eventually can become a part of my permanent resume/portfolio. I don't work on these projects at the office, they're not of a direct benefit to my employer. So I don't expect them to pay me for my time doing them any more then I would expect them to pay me for my time for any night classes I take to advance professional skills of my own choice.

"Soup won't be computerized; It's a liquid."