If you're working on projects outside of your full-time job, do it BEFORE work. Go to sleep relatively early, wake up at 5 and put an hour towards your projects every day.
You can work in the evenings as well, but you've done your work, so there's nothing wrong with chillaxing with your other half/friends/beer/PS3/any combination of the above.
I can't do it before work, especially since I am not a morning person. I do all of my best work at night, which is when the company I am employed with doesn't get me ... so really doing projects late at night is a win-win situation for me.
I totally agree, that's when I am most focused. I get up at 5am every day now and work on a few projects to learn Django/Python, I can get in a good 3 hours of learning/creating before getting ready and heading to the office. In the evening I have time to get in a workout then head home and relax with the family.
You can work in the evenings as well, but you've done your work, so there's nothing wrong with chillaxing with your other half/friends/beer/PS3/any combination of the above.