You have more freedom than you think to do great and interesting work in the job you have now. Just don't wait to be asked, you just invent without being asked

You have more freedom than you think to do great and interesting work in the job you have now. Just don't wait to be asked, you just invent without being asked to invent. You just need initiate and bootstrap the idea yourself on the side quietly, then when ready for demo, show it to your boss and ask for some sponsorship to keep working on it (you gotta make sure it has clear business impact for them) Most reasonable bosses will allow for some time invested in new and interesting ideas. If your boss always shoots it down then find a new boss.