Finding Your Niche: A Fireside Chat at CreativeLive

Not too long ago I had the opportunity to sit down with a group of CreativeLive students attending a special week of programming in our Seattle studios. This conversation was never intended to be published, but after listening to this intimate conversation with some fellow creators, I had to share it.

One of the things I really love about having students in the studio is 1:1 interaction and that non-tangible exchange that happens when a group of people gets together. I mean let's face it, the internet can be a mixed bag. It's sometimes hard to ask important questions. It's been hugely beneficial for me to seek out and find safe communities where I can learn, explore, and ask questions that I might otherwise be afraid to ask, and this is something I recommend all of you find, too.

In this conversation we explore:

* To find your niche and truly differentiate yourself, you need to make art that no one else can make. Show the world how you see the world.

* If you want to make money with your art but don't enjoy the business side of it, you have two good options: either partner with someone who enjoys the business side or figure out exactly how much you need to comfortably live, and reverse engineer what it would take to make just that much without having to do too much of the stuff you hate.

* To build a community, first start by giving and asking nothing in return. If you want likes, comments, and shares on your photos, first give likes, comments and shares to others. Participate.

Enjoy!

Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world's top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.