Finding your Niche as an Artist

Why should I find a niche instead of just creating what I want without thinking about the market? If you ask yourself this question, let’s find out what a niche is and is it really important to have one if you want to be a successful artist.

First of all, there are no clear rules in art. There is no universal recipe or blueprint that will give you a 100 % guarantee of becoming a successful artist. But in my opinion, some good practices will help you to achieve your goals quicker. One of them is choosing a niche and sticking with it at least for a while.

Finding a niche is important not only to find clients more easily but first of all, to have a clear vision of what you’re doing and where you’re going. Finding a niche provides clarity, structure, purpose, and focus. Being an artist is good, but what kind of artist are you? Photographer, painter, sculptor, performer? What medium do you use? What is the subject matter that you represent and what is your purpose for creating art? When you answer these questions, you will find out that you’re not just an artist, but let’s say, a nature-inspired artist creating realistic watercolor paintings that speak about ecological issues. When you narrowed down your focus and found out what exactly you’re doing or want to do, then you know what your niche is.

But why is it important to have a niche? Can’t I just create whatever I want without thinking about the purpose? The answer is, yes, you absolutely can. But you will more likely be perceived as an amateur. The lack of consistency will make it more difficult to create trust in the eyes of your customers/collectors and position yourself as an established artist. Without having a clear purpose, your art is risking to look chaotic, purposeless, and less valuable. Having a clear message and vision will help you to attract the right people that are interested in your art much quicker.

So what actionable steps can you take to define your niche?

1. First of all, analyze your existing art. What works are you most proud of? What are your favorite medium(s) and subject(s)? Think about your skills and talent and what you’re naturally drawn to?
2. Ask yourself, why do you create this particular type of art and not the other one? What is your message and why is it so important to you?
3. Look at the works of your colleagues and competitors that do the same thing you do or want to do. How do they position themselves? How do they talk about their art? What channels do they use to sell/promote it?

Finding your niche will not only provide you a clear path but will also help you to speak about your work in a more clear, consistent and meaningful way. You will see that it will start to work as a magnet and just like by magic, you will start to attract people that are resonating with your art. So narrowing down your focus and finding a niche is not limiting your art or your creativity. It actually helps your art to stand out and get the exposure and attention it deserves.

So make this exercise and let me know if you found your niche! And if you still have problems with identifying one, let me know and I will be happy to help:) Take care! Anastasiia