BECOMING JASMINE: PART 5

I know it has been a while since on of these but I promise I am getting there.. today I discussing a lesson I learnt in 2015 and the downsides of having a niche. 

This is one thing that really became an overwhelming lesson of 2015 for me personally. Some of you may have been here from the start and some may be new but when I started creating my personal style of typography it wasn't plastered over every magazine cover, most advertising campaigns and thousands of accounts dedicated to it. Nearly 4 years ago the focus was definitely on Helvetica or classic calligraphy. When I started to experiment with turning my hand writing into typography using brush and ink it honestly was such a personal thing. Over the years I saw something that I held so personally recreated and really become a "style" - it was no longer personal. 

It was a crazy feeling to be creating work that felt 100% authentically me but then to scroll through social media and see other accounts with the same thing and questioning my work to think 'is this even mine anymore'. This is when I knew that my attitude towards my work had to change.

I was not this one "style" and I wasn't going to allow myself to be put into a pigeonhole for it. But this is where the downside of working within a niche comes in. You become so known for that particular niche of work that it consumes your portfolio. Today I am always taking on projects that push me creatively and take me out of my comfort zone. That is why in the last year you would have seen me taking on collaborations for products, fashion, print design and especially playing around with my typography - because that is what makes me happy. When I am used as a tool to "just write this word in your style" is when the studio is dull. 

Now this doesn't mean jumping all around the creative fields, but for me it was about pursuing creative outcomes that would be within brand and push me creatively at the same time. If you're still wanting to operate in a niche field you really have to make sure that if you are exploring outside of the pigeonhole that you're still within brand while still growing and pushing yourself.

I will never be satisfied with doing what everyone else is doing or being comfortable. You can hold me to that.

jasmine x

ps. you can also hold me to posting these more regularly. if you want any particular topics covered just write them in the comments below. I am thinking some opinions on social media/blogging may be coming soon..