Being a creator means I usually find new ways to create and express myself or tell a story differently. I’ve been creating for such a long time that I definitely understand and respect the importance and enjoyment of diversifying your work. And with how the world works now with so much content being made and shared, diversifying is essential. Here is why and how you can diversify your work.
Specialize vs. Universal
Most people can’t decide which is better: specializing or having a universal amount of skills, or as my dad would say “jack of all trades”. I personally believe you need to be somewhere in between. Being able to diversify your work shows that you can do multiple things, but knowing how far to diversify is key to not losing a niche or sense of specialty in your work. I bet you’re thinking “How oxymoronic! Michelle, please explain!”
Find Connections
What do you currently create? For this example, let’s say you’re a blogger. Within that specific form of creation, you can find many ways to create in new forms. Photography, graphic design, YouTube channel, writing a book, opening a store, and live streaming are some (and certainly not all) examples of mediums you can use to diversify your work but keep it all relating to one another. And if you have a very defined niche, like us geeky bloggers or even more specific gaming bloggers, there are other mediums that are very much suited to those niches like Twitch streaming. Finding connections to what you know and love to do is a great way to start diversifying.
Develop a New Skill
Not sure about you, but I’m the person who sees some new form of creation and goes “I gotta do that!”. Do I always do it? No, but I certainly do enjoy developing new skills and improving current ones. Diversifying your work is a very motivational reason to start learning and doing new things. Maybe you want to get into photography but your only camera is on your phone. Or you want to get better at graphic design but don’t have anything but your laptop. These shouldn’t stop you at all, because it’s the perfect stepping stone to getting started and you can add all of your new skills to your portfolio of work later.
Showcase Your Growth
The more you practice something and work at doing it correctly, the better you get. I can honestly say I was not the best blogger when I started 5 years ago but I spent time working at it and learning and doing it consistently so I have grown. I’ve grown to the point of becoming a HuffPost Blogger and getting featured by WordPress Discover, all because I just kept doing it and growing. You should never fear growth because it’s so much better than being static. Diversifying your work is a great way to grow as a creator because it pushes you.
Embrace Change
Speaking of not staying static, don’t be afraid to change things. Even the smallest of changes can make you improve and learn so much. Even if the change didn’t fully work out in the end, you still grew from it. And each change just further refines your skills.
Really, Do What You Want
Is diversifying the best option for you? Honestly, it’s really up to you. For some, specializing is the strongest decision for them creatively. For others (like myself) diversifying is part of our passion and drive as creators. And the degree to which you diversify your work is always different. Some do a little, some have huge expansions. It is all up to you, your goals, and your strategy to figure out what is best for you.
Have you diversified your work? How did you do it?
I alternate between gaming & mental health, Wednesday posts are still without a theme but I like that aspect of it. I’ve got plans to use skillshare to learn other things, so I’m going with the flow right now. It works for me. 😊