Over the past 10 years or so Ive been perfecting the art of not giving a fuck.

And it was finally time for me to convert this over to my growing art career. Once you learn to not give a fuck about the haters and the trolls (part 1), you then will likely encounter the social media creators who want to give you the ingredients to their secret sauce that is making sales on the internet. One of the biggest recommendations I seen over and over again is to niche down. Art is SO subjective. Theres an audience for just about everything out there. So if you are a multifaceted creator, why would you feel the need to niche down? Really, you probably don’t actually feel the need, but are being told by tons of other creators that you should do xyz in order to grow your audience, get engagement and convert to sales. Who can blame them though, that’s their niche!

I happen to be a multifaceted person / am 99% sure I have undiagnosed ADHD. I like trying (and sometimes abandoning) lots of different things. But why should that mean that I shouldn’t be able to find success and make sales too? In the past I felt pressured to create a “brand” and stick with it. Really the closest thing to a brand I was ever rocking was a hot mess mom with chronic pain and illness, and it was time to embrace that. Realistically I can not and will not run my art business the traditional way (we already learned that in part 1). I have good days and bad days and simply cannot do a 8 hour/5 day a week type thing. So I am, much like my art, a bit flaky and all over the place and that is how I am choosing to show up in my life. That my friends isn’t so much a brand as it is authenticity. Authenticity is something often preached about, but is it authentic if you have to niche yourself down to fit in a box and market yourself like a robot? I am authentically a hot mess, but a lot of people actually relate to that and also like that I just so happen to make some cool shit every now and then and want to stick around for it. This is where a chunk of my followers come from, I guess if we are talking about brands then they must like my brand of awkward/weirdness, and I love them for it!

So, is not having a niche….a niche?

Welcome to my inebriated brain at 2 AM folks. As much as there is talk about finding your niche, I now see talk amongst many fellow creators about not niching down and how they actually feel like that is stifling their creativity, instead of having the freedom to grow and learn as you create with the flow of your life. Obviously there are time and places for niches, it was something I also learned about while doing my fitness and nutrition certifications. Niching down to find your target audience. I specifically worked with women of all different shapes, sizes and abilities and helped them reach their goals and feel good about their health. So gym dude bro’s weren’t my niche. But again, art is subjective. So who is my target audience? Um people who want to buy my art obviously! And who am I to say what that looks like!? But now we get to the part where I really question if not having a niche is a niche, because this, I find, is a draw to other creators.

When one week I paint a detailed animal and the next week I paint a greyscale super hero, I usually will lose followers who may have been here for one or the other. But you know who doesn’t leave? Other artists! While the subject matter and medium may change, even if it’s not their thing, they may still admire the colour pallet used, the texture created, or other specific details. Creating relationships like this can then open you up to their followers and fan bases as well and allow you to grow from there, finding more like minded people who are drawn to your authenticity and the cool shit you make!

So to niche or not to niche. Is no niche a niche? I guess after all this, I really don’t know (another 2 am hamster wheel, round and round without actually getting anywhere). But I feel that if you live your life on purpose, do everything with gratitude and joy, that this will open you up to a greater flow of energy in your life that will continue to attract more of what you love and desire and want in your life.

I would love to hear your thoughts on creativity and niches so please feel free to reach out, wether that be here, email or instagram, this is a subject I plan on returning to in the future!

*Obviously this post isn’t meant to offend anyone, I truly believe to each is own, and if you find something that works for you, go for it! This is just my personal experience and the experience of several other creator friends of mine. <3