Discover - Develop Your Niche
In the world of creativity, the individualization of your style, as well as the type and content of your work, are your niche. Your special slice of the artistic pie. Finding yours can be a struggle, or it can just naturally occur. First, let's try to find it, then let's focus on developing it. Start with a few simple questions:
5 things to ask yourself:
A niche is rarely forced. Our minds take us somewhere when we are alone and dreaming. That's the best place to find what you are passionate about.
1. What do you naturally do?
2. What do you write about when you are writing just for you?
3. If you're an artist, what do draw or doodle in your notebooks no one sees?
4. If you could draw or write something would it make someone laugh/ help the environment/ rival the best science fiction film ever?
5. What can you loose yourself in for hours and enjoy every minute?
What do you like to watch on T.V.?
If you go to your profile on you favorite streaming television channel, what 'for you' or 'based on your viewing' options pop up? These are based on your preferences as determined by what themes you commonly watch. Do you watch thrillers? Romantic Comedies? Documentaries?
We escape into television. It calms us. It excites us. It takes us away from our lives for a bit. We watch what we like and the niche for your work, above anything else, should be focused on something you like.
You will spend hours and hours working your niche. If you don't like to escape there then your work may not bring the enjoyment you expect.
Say you find your niche, then what?
I'm just going to throw an example out there, but please plug in your own. So fictional Jane, has determined that her passion and purpose are in painting beautiful murals in her city. So far she has only drawn and sketched in her notebook. Yet, importantly, she's inspired to do more.
Welcome, the rest of this site. Finding your niche is the beginning. Developing it equals living your dreams. If you have a niche and purpose to work for, then you know your goal. Once you have your goal. you can develop the skills and work the logistics to reach it. Here's a key way -
Start at the end, and backwards plan to today.
Example:
Jane can sketch pretty good. Her goal - paint beautiful murals around her city. Her backwards planning process might look like this:
Talk with a muralist or two and learn what skills, training and tools she would need> find the right training for what she wants to paint> find out the cost of training and materials> save for the cost of training and materials> take the training and practice painting the murals on smaller canvases> find a client and submit draft> paint the mural.
Of course, she could add to each step or add more. Maybe she apprentices with a muralist. Maybe after her first mural, she develops a robust social media site and portfolio. However, the important thing is that she didn't just jump out there and invest thousands in supplies and attempt to paint when she was just starting. She built her plan, which increased the likelihood of success for her dreams exponentially.
Same goes for anyone looking to find and develop their niche. Remember - baby steps. Plan backwards from goal to where you currently are. While you do, check out the videos on this website where people who have reached their goals are giving back to help inspire other creators.