Focus.
The one thing.
Stick to your lane.
Work in your Zone of Genius.
Specialize.
Niche.
Maintain consistency.
It’s all common career advice for writers, and it makes sense. Most of the widely heard publishing success stories come from writers who specialize in one genre, one style, or maintain some other consistent factor over the long term. Specialization makes some of us fantastic at what we do, and this consistency suits the market’s demand for products.
But specialization is not the only path to success.
Many writers, other creatives, and other professions find profound success doing the opposite.
Diversify.
Adapt.
Embrace versatility.
Explore.
Synergise.
Expand.
Cross-pollinate ideas.
Pursue multiple streams of income.
Professional diversification can be the foundation of a robust, resilient, and sustainable working life, even if that means moving from job to job. After all, none of us know when an industry will be disrupted, or a job terminated for any number of reasons.
A diverse range of practices gives us a diverse range of skills, a diverse range of mental processes. Diversity enhances creativity and promotes sustainability. We’ve got lots of knowledge and experience to draw from to solve problems, and we can pivot and adapt when necessary.
If you are a single focused thinker, a single disciplinary worker, then embrace that as a strength and follow that one lane all the way with pride.
If you’re not, then embrace that as a strength, too.
Some of us just aren’t wired for The One Thing. Some of us thrive in this diversification and multi-passionate work.
What’s better?
Force yourself into maintaining a solitary focus, struggle, and work in a miserable fashion not suited to your unique strengths and interests.
Or…
Work and live in the way that suits you best and forge your own unique path to your own unique version of success based on your interests and strengths, no matter how many of them you may have.
I am a writer, and an artist, and a musician, and a crafter. I have many interests in areas outside of the arts and I pursue them all (as time and energy allow) with a dogged enthusiasm. While I maintain “writer” as my single profession, I write all kinds of things on all kinds of topics. Embracing my multitudes of creative passions, and other interests, and diversifying my practices enable me to be a better fiction writer, and enable me to write from wide experience when I teach about writing and creativity.
Do I contradict myself?
Walt Whitman, Song of Myself
Very well then I contradict myself,
(I am large, I contain multitudes.)
Yes, I specialize in being a writer by profession, but in my daily creative practice and as well as the things I am drawn to write, I contain multitudes.
Following the whims of my kaleidoscopic creativity is satisfying. It enriches my life, fosters calm contentment, all of which allow me to be an all round better human.
Sure, there are authors in single niche categories, writing one type of book, with one author brand, selling way more books than I currently do. That’s okay. I’m still successful.
Some people are wired to focus. They have their thing, and that satisfies them, and they do great things with that one thing.
Some people are wired to take a little bit of all the things and do great things with their creative kaleidoscope.
You can even sit somewhere in the middle, following one thing for a time, pivoting to another when it no longer serves you for whatever reason or you simply are drawn in a different direction.
It’s a key to true, sustainable success. Follow what you’re drawn to, the way you’re drawn to do it. If that’s one thing, then double down on that. If it’s a kaleidoscope, then follow those beautiful, varied patterns in your own way.
