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 .
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
STEVEN SHARPE JR . Content creator and mental-health advocate Brooklyn , New York
LORRAINE NAM Collage artist and illustrator Brooklyn , New York
AVA HALVAI Founder , ARTXV London , England @
artxvnft
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