HP Innovation Issue 19: Fall 2021 | Page 79

WORK / LIFE : NEW LABOR

“ As much as this past year was a source of tension and isolation , it was also an opportunity for inspiration .”

— JOSHUA ST . JOHN , HEAD OF CREATORS , GLOBAL PRODUCT PLANNING & INDUSTRY STRATEGY FOR Z BY HP
COVID-19 and the significant role creative industries have played in the world ’ s digital transformation .
“ The pandemic accelerated the rock that we were already pushing up that hill to make the art space more democratized and transparent ,” says Everette Taylor , chief marketing officer at Artsy . “ Creators have more platforms than ever to showcase their creativity and make a living off their work .”
EMERGING PLATFORMS FOR CREATIVES As with industries like retail and healthcare , the COVID-19 crisis may prove an inflection point for digital transformation in the creative world .
“ I think the pandemic emphasized trends that were already in front of us : remote work , creation of digital experiences , virtual events and productions , podcasts and streaming ,” says Joshua St . John , Head of Creators , Global Product Planning & Industry Strategy for Z by HP . “ As much as this past year was a source of tension and isolation , it was also an opportunity for inspiration .”
Creators of every stripe now have a huge range of platforms where they can reach new audiences and paying customers . There ’ s Substack , the newsletter-publishing platform on which the top-earning writer now makes more than $ 500,000 a year . Patreon , a subscription service that allows fans to support creatives directly , saw a 38 % uptick during the early months of the pandemic . SoundCloud and Spotify helped burgeoning musicians self-publish songs and earn income ( at least a few dollars ) as gigs and concerts were canceled . Clubhouse and TikTok became outlets for poets , dancers , and other creatives who were unable to perform at live venues .
The rise of non-fungible tokens ( NFTs ) also enabled artists ranging from writers and musicians to digital illustrators and filmmakers to make money — sometimes millions of dollars — from one-of-a-kind digital renderings of their work via blockchain . And this type of technology may be more than just a passing fad : According to a recent survey of more than 30,000 Americans by the consumer insights firm Piplsay , 61 % of respondents view the emerging NFT technology positively . J
Lorraine Nam at her desk filming a YouTube tutorial for the crafts store Michaels , opposite .
THE CREATIVES
BETH SHERIDAN Nature and travel photographer Houston , Texas
@ bethasheridan
STEVEN SHARPE JR . Content creator and mental-health advocate Brooklyn , New York
@ stevensharpejr
LORRAINE NAM Collage artist and illustrator Brooklyn , New York
@ lorrainenam
AVA HALVAI Founder , ARTXV London , England @ artxvnft
TARA Painter London , England @ tarartistic
CALEB LEWIS Illustrator Keighley , England theglasspool . com
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