These days I am going back & forth on trying to find what truly ticks me & what should be my next big adventure in the realm of reinventing myself.
In short, I need to figure out a niche.
It’s an exciting time, I won’t lie. There are so many things I like. So many things people have told me I am good at. So many things the world needs, but only so many things that can make me money. It’s pretty damn exhausting, I will be honest.
A question I am asking myself often is about what would I still do “if money was not a factor”, ergo if I was a billionaire or something & never had to think about money.
One thing stands out for sure & it is helping people be the best version of themselves.
Masters Of Fate is my genuine attempt at exactly that & also to know myself even more by sharing my journey with the world through the lens of writing.
So far, in my pursuit of ‘niching down’ as the gurus call it - after reading some great authors, watching some educational YouTube videos & talking myself through multiple steps - I do have some findings to share.
You see, finding a niche is a deeply personal process.
And it’s best achieved by writing your thoughts out on paper, before you jump head first into execution mode.
While tring to find your niche embrace the power of contradiction. Let your thoughts pour out on paper & let your writing explore the tension between opposites, the spaces where conflicting ideas collide.
In the midst of your indecision, write pieces that argue passionately for each of your potential niches. Inhabit each perspective fully, without judgment.
Then, step back and examine the beauty and energy that emerges from the contrast. Your true niche might be found in the crevices of these contradictions, in the sweet spot of your diverse interests.
Seek out the edges, the uncharted territories where your potential niches overlap and blur. These liminal spaces are where innovation thrives, where new ideas are born.
Don't confine yourself to predefined categories; instead, become a cartographer of your own creative landscape. Map the connections between your interests, and dare to explore the uncharted terrain that lies between them.
Conduct a grand experiment with your indecision. Embrace it as a source of creative energy, a starting point for exploration and discovery. Each day, write from a different niche, don a new hat, immersing yourself fully in that perspective. Keep a journal of your experiences, noting how each niche feels, what insights emerge, and how your writing voice adapts. Over time, patterns will emerge, and your true niche will reveal itself through the accumulation of these writing experiments.
Your niche = your next big adventure!
Remember, your niche is not a cage but a launchpad. It's not meant to confine you but to propel you forward. Choose a niche that challenges you, that pushes you to the edges of your comfort zone.
Embrace the niche that scares you a little, the one that demands you to grow and stretch in unexpected ways. In that space of challenge and growth, you'll find the energy and inspiration to create your most powerful work.
I love this quote by Maya Angelou: "What I try to do is write. I may write for two weeks 'the cat sat on the mat, that is that, not a rat.' And it might be just the most boring and awful stuff. But I try. When I'm writing, I write. And then it's as if the muse is convinced that I'm serious and says, 'Okay. Okay. I'll come.'
Finally, trust in the transformative power of commitment. Recognize that your new adventure is not a lifelong sentence but a chapter in your ever-evolving creative & adventurous journey.
And the best part is that there are no rules.
I would also recommend picking up “Art Matters” by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Chris Riddell. This little book is one my favorite things to read when I am frazzled. Also makes for a great gifting option! Below is an excerpt from the book that I abide by quite a bit:
I learned to write by writing. I tended to do anything as long as it felt like an adventure, and to stop when it felt like work.
Which meant life did not feel like work.
When you start, you will have to deal with problems of failure. You want everything to happen & you want it now. And things will go wrong.
So, my advice is to commit to your chosen adventure with passion and curiosity, knowing that it will shape you as much as you shape it. Embrace the lessons and growth that come from deep engagement with a particular path. And when the time comes, trust yourself to know when it's time to let go, to evolve, and to begin a new chapter in your journey.
Happy niche-flixing! I hope you binge stream this.
Until next Sunday.
xx
Hey Ishita, I came across your post and (firstly) I feel your pain! Niching down is a nightmare for me as I have too many interests and I don't like boxes. But have you heard of the concept of *emotional niche-crafting*? It's a way to claim your corner of the internet whilst giving yourself the freedom to write about whatever you want. Here's a piece about it: https://www.thenewworkday.com/p/crafting-my-niche