THE TRUTH ABOUT NICHES

This entry might be considered an unpopular opinion. I’m aware of that. Niches are created to categorize. And in a social media/business sense it works. It helps develop a personality. But, my problem with niches is that humans are not meant to be defined to a single category.

When I first came to college, I was so dead set on majoring in film and directing movies someday. And over time, I started to get less interested. I see this happening with not only humans in general, but also in a business sense. Brands reinvent themselves all the time, sometimes it makes or breaks their success. This exact niche concept is what causes so many people to scratch their logos and start over. I’ve personally struggled with this on my design Instagram. I’m only 19, so my graphic design style (as well as my fashion style) is constantly changing. And this is totally normal.

I’ve always been into graphic design, I just didn’t really say it outloud. And before I decided to major in film, it was the same thing. I’ve always been a person to set my mind to something and stick to it until it’s done. But, sometimes I lose interest. And losing interest in something I’m putting my time into, isn’t worth it to me.

This morning I opened up a journal I used to write down my goals in. I’ve gotten huge into manifesting this year, as have the rest of the world. I’m not that special in that sense lol. Besides the point, I read through all my goals that I wrote in August. Some of them I was surprised to see they already came true. Some others I don’t really have interest in anymore, or there don’t matter as much to me.

My goals were pretty scatterbrained. I had so many ideas and things I wanted to do. I had accomplishments in film, social media, graphic design, real estate, health, etc. Although this was fine, I noticed even more how I’m not meant to be in a niche. I have so many interests, it’s what makes me me. If i’m not sharing all of my interests, I don’t truly feel like me. I’m not being authentic.

I’ve seen so many Instagram pages go through feed rebrands, even if it’s just a preset change. In my own personal feed, I think my preset change was pretty obvious. But, I feel like I’ve grown so much in the past year. I have a completely different mindset and style from myself last year. I’m still myself. If anything, I’ve become more myself.

One of the songs on my Spotify repeat lately is ‘What Once Was’ by Hers. One of the last lines in the song is “I was at the end of every tether waiting for what once was”. In my own words, we stretch ourselves so thin to hold on to things that just aren’t us anymore. Film will always be a part of me, and someday I’m sure I’ll get back into it. But, I had to accept the change to understand what I really wanted. If I still was a film major, I wouldn’t be able to pitch to my clients, start a design account, start a blog, or launch my clothing line. 

Every year after I turned sixteen I feel like I’ve learned so much. And every year this feeling gets stronger. I keep telling myself “Okay, now I know everything I need,”. I’m always wrong. Humans are meant to change and evolve as they learn more about life and how they fit into it. 

So bottom line: My issue with niches, is that it closes us off to so many opportunities. We don’t fit into one box. I recently finished the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad (highly recommended). He also touched on this subject. (I’m paraphrasing) He talked about growing up, he would stick to a job and switch to a different field. He believed every job taught him something new. If he had just stuck to one place, he wouldn’t be the successful millionaire he is today. I could go on and on about what I learned in this book. It completely changed my perception on wealth and success. 

Just don’t forget: You are a human, not a niche. 

You’re not just a friend or a doctor or a sister. You’re a plant owner, a Harry Styles fan, a vehicle enthusiast, you are so much more than the label you are given when you’re sent into the workforce.