Why I’ll never niche down.
About a year ago, I heard the term “multi-passionate creative” and it was one of those moments that feels like a sharp pinch of clarity. All my life I’ve been a multi-passionate creative. I can remember as an adolescent jumping from art to craft to art to craft. It was like I was tapping into my primordial hunter/gatherer instincts, only my basket was full of skills and handmade treasures instead of nuts and berries. I painted rocks to look like animals, crafted dollhouse miniatures, painted still lives, knitted scarves, and even designed my own line of tote bags. Most kids will pick up various fads or trends that they later discard, but for me, each new hobby became a treasured part of my collection of skills. I only moved on to the next skill out of pure hunger to learn, not out of boredom with the last skill I’d learned. Even to this day, I’d happily pick up an old childhood hobby to return to. I’ve never met an art or craft I didn’t like.
“It was like I was tapping into my primordial hunter/gatherer instincts, only my basket was full of skills and handmade treasures instead of nuts and berries.”
It wasn’t until adulthood that I learned that being a serial hobbyist is not considered an asset. Frequently, business experts will say “niche down!” if you want any chance that your creative endeavor will bring you real success. Do one thing and do it for a long time. Build a following that knows you for that one specific thing. Be consistent. Don’t confuse your audience. This is when the dark clouds began to gather for me. I have to choose between being an artist and a craftsperson? Not only do I have to pick one medium, but the work I make has to have the same theme or subject? This concept was deeply depressing for me. I don’t know how much time I have left on this earth, and there are still a million and one crafts and skills I have yet to learn. Why in the world would I waste my limited time only focusing on one? The phrase “jack of all trades, master of none” haunted me.
It took me a long time to realize that I did not care about this philosophy and I didn’t have to subscribe to it to get what I wanted out of life. Niching down is a strategy of Capitalism – not of creativity, nor of life. I stopped trying to decide if I was an artist or a craftsperson (I am both). I stopped trying to choose between painting, sewing, or crafting (the answer is all of the above). I am still constantly seeking and learning, inevitably introducing new skills into my collection.
“I stopped trying to decide if I was an artist or a craftsperson (I am both).”
I will still never niche down, however, I must admit that I find a particular joy when my various mediums converge. This idea became the inspiration for my class Mixed Media Sewing. In it, I blend painting, embroidery, and sewing to create something that is both artful and functional. I loved putting this project together because it combined three crafts that on their own are pretty common, but when put together form something greater than the sum of its parts. Projects like this pull me out of a creative rut and get me excited about making again.
If you’re also a creative type, I invite you to join me on Skillshare. In addition to getting unlimited access to my class Mixed Media Sewing, you’ll have thousands of different courses at your fingertips. There’s everything from content creation, to drawing lessons, to how to keep your houseplants alive. I hope to see you there!
