I've recently started to complete side projects. I also graduated in 2012 so I was in a similar position a few months ago. What clicked for me was that I realized I didn't have to do anything heroic. At first I'd start a project and feel like I had to complete it in a couple of weeks, but then you're trying to spend all your free time on it and you tend to burn out quickly that way. Instead now I start a project, spend a few hours on it, and then just try to spend a little bit of time on it every day. Even just 20 minutes can make a huge difference. The key is to just do a little bit, steadily, over a long period of time. It really adds up. And doing that keeps you engaged with the project and wanting to spend time on it.