I WON’T ‘NICHE-DOWN’

Chenise Sinclair photographed by Celeste Shiels

If you haven’t heard the term before, I’ll quickly break it down for you. Niching down simply means focusing the content you create and share to be about a specific topic. It’s about targeting a very defined audience, instead of trying to be everything for everyone.

For businesses I believe niching down is essential. For artists and all other creatives; I believe it is not.

As the desire for online popularity increases more and more, who has more followers, who has the most engagement, who has the most aesthetically pleasing content, I have seen time and time again advice from other creators to ‘niche down’, ‘pick a subject and become the expert’, ‘be the best in your industry.’

Now, I know their advice comes from a good place. They want to help others build their audience and grow as an online creator. But for someone like me, hearing this felt limiting instead of helpful.

I thought, “But I know lots about all different things. I don’t know everything about one specific thing — nor do I have the desire to only stick to one thing.”

I like to explore and learn and share about everything!”
I found that I ended up feeling frozen.

I wouldn’t share anything at all because I was overthinking about'; “Will this post be the one that makes me lose people?”, “I went viral for Swarovski crystal ornaments and now I can only post about that?”, “Now I post about book reviews and everyone follows me for that but I also want to share this other thing and if I do they’ll unfollow me…” 

Sigh.

I wanted to show up online but not with this much pressure. What an exhausting way to think — and live.

We are little collages of people we’ve met and loved, books we’ve read, music we listen to, fashion we express ourselves with, products we try, pain we have endured, mistakes we have made, and we are not designed to fit in one box.
One ‘niche’.

WATER-SHED is my space to share my collage pieces. You can pick and choose what you’d like to read from me.

I am my own niche.
I am one in 8 billion.
Just like you are.

No one except you has been in your shoes and has experienced your life.

What is your story?
What are you deciding to let define you?
Do you have the courage to show up for yourself to find out?
Do you have the courage to show up to the world as your true identity?
Do you have the courage to be disliked?

Or a better question would be, do you have the courage to be loved?

“Not everyone is going to get you, accept you, or even try to understand you. Some people will just not receive your energy well. Make peace with that and keep on moving towards your joy.

Nearly every single person in the world, no matter how kind or amazing they’re perceived to be by the majority, will have at least one person who dislikes them. Only if you stayed alone in your house all day and no one saw you, spoke to you or knew of your existence, would no one would show hatred towards you. You acquire haters by being a somebody.”

- Vex King from Good Vibes, Good Life.

All my love,
Chenise Sinclaire.