Whether you’re a day-jobber with a crafting side hustle or crafting and making is your full-time business, it can be hard to commit to doing what you love every day. But the truth is, changing jobs, coming up with a new idea for a side business, or avoiding committing to your specialty within your Maker business are all signs that you haven’t really found your strengths yet.

If we want to have successful lives, and to truly live (and work) with purpose, we have to focus on the work that makes us feel valuable and satisfied. So how do we do that?

GET HONEST WITH YOURSELF

While we talk about being honest with ourselves and acknowledging that our dreams are to be a creative entrepreneur, we often don’t share that dream or commit to it. We also don’t show the full extent of our excitement or interest in our craft. Why? Because we think it sounds silly, or because we don’t want to jinx it.

But we crave purpose, and for some of us, crafting and making is our purpose. That’s why committing to what you want to do, and getting clear on what you want to do, is the best way to build a thriving creative business and a happy life. This honesty will allow you to pursue what makes you feel most fulfilled, and that’s something that will keep you coming back day after day, year after year. But to get honest with yourself, you have to know which questions to ask.

FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS

According to Susan Sorenson, a writer for Gallup.com, “The best way for people to grow and develop is to identify how they most naturally think, feel, and behave — their talents — then build on those talents to create strengths, or the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance.”

When it comes to your creative business or interests, what are your greatest strengths? Do you have a special knack for teaching people how to create their own artwork, or can you create DIY décor comparable to what’s sold in trendy boutiques? Also ask yourself: What are you more passionate about than anything else in the world? Do you get worked up talking about different paint brushes and tools, or could you talk all day about DIY products? The answers are limitless, but they’re usually the first thing that pops into your head after you ask the question, so don’t overthink it.

In these two answers lie what you need to make a truly successful Maker business that you’re fulfilled and sustained by. You don’t have to leave crafting to be a weekend hobby; it can be front and center in your life — and just think how much happier that would make you!

You can pair your strengths, those things that you’re better at than others may be, and your passions, those things you can talk about until you’re blue in the face. Once they’re paired, you have an unstoppable foundation that will help you differentiate your Maker business, as well as fuel your in the process.

So what can you do to get clear on those strengths and passions?

GET CLEAR ON WHAT MAKES YOU DIFFERENT

Answer the questions below to get an idea of your strengths and passions, and how you can combine those to create a stronger, more successful, more fulfilling Maker business.

1. What am I most gifted at?
2. What about me stands out to the people around me?
3. Where do I thrive that is different from most?
4. What value drives me more than anything else in the world?
5. What do I find myself thinking about more often than anything else?
6. When I have free time, what work do I gravitate towards?

Don’t shy away from being honest with yourself about where your current position aligns with your purpose, or where you really want to be in your heart of hearts. Remember, too, that our dreams always seem bigger than we are in the beginning. The answer to all those rising fears is to start with persistent and measurable steps and to remember why you started by keeping in mind those passions and strengths you just listed.