How to support your favorite creators
It’s time to squash the myth of the starving artist.
One of the goals of This Should Help is to recalibrate our culture’s relationship with art and media. The internet has conditioned people to think all creative work should be free even though it’s not free to produce. And tech companies have exploited this cultural shift with business models that generate billions of dollars in ad revenue while gypping the creators they rely on to fill their newsfeeds.
The Creative Independent reports that the average median income for professional creators is $20,000 to $30,000 per year, with nearly 60 percent of respondents making less than $30,000 annually. Depending on the source, that’s up to 36 percent less than the national average. And, as is the case with most money matters, the unsung heroes of the creative class — women, people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community — earn even less.
If you’re looking for someone or something to blame, let’s turn our attention to the myth of the starving artist.
“Rarely do we think of [creators] as wealthy or successful, even cracking jokes about the wastefulness of art degrees and theater classes,” Jeff Goins writes in his Wall Street Journal bestseller, Real Artists Don’t Starve. “We have heard how pursuing creativity is not a safe career bet, whether that means chasing an interest in literature, music, or some other artistic endeavor. All my life, I heard it from well-meaning teachers, friends, and relatives. The advice was always the same: Get a good degree, have something to fall back on, and don’t quit your day job.”
This myth persists because it allows consumers to exploit creative work because creativity is considered, as Goins writes, a “nice outlet for self-expression” instead of what 1,500 CEOs from 60 countries and 33 global industries shared in an IMB survey: Your most important asset if you want future success.
And while many of the systemic problems will take bold political action and a shift in public opinion, you’re not helpless. How you spend your time, attention and dollars speaks to who and what you value as a consumer in our new economy.
If you’re unsure of how to support your favorite creator, here’s a quick guide:
1. Buy their stuff.
That’s the most helpful way to make sure creators get to keep creating without worrying about if they’ll get paid (on time or at all), be able to afford health insurance or even a hot meal. Since most creators already underprice their products and services, avoid asking for hookups, friends and family discounts or anything else you wouldn’t ask of a corporation. And let your favorite creator know if there’s something you would buy from them if they offered it to you. I promise they’ll be grateful for the feedback.
2. Share their stuff.
Tell everyone who you think would be interested in your favorite creators and add context to why they’ll love their work as much as you do. Marketing a creative business is expensive and word of mouth is still one of the most persuasive and inexpensive ways to get people to pay attention and pay for creative work. If you have direct contact with a media brand, influencer, podcast host or publication that should know about your favorite creator, offer to make an introduction on their behalf. And let your favorite creator know if they’ve made it hard for you to share their stuff even though you want to. I promise they’ll be grateful for the feedback.
3. Give them grace.
Hold your favorite creators accountable when they miss the mark. But extend compassion when they express genuine remorse for their missteps. Most of us are learning as we go, doing the best we can with what we have and working to create stuff that gives your work and life meaning and fulfillment. In a culture that’s quick to cancel anything and anyone, I promise they’ll be grateful for the benefit of the doubt.
If I’m your favorite creator, here’s how you can support me: Subscribe to this newsletter (and save 20% off forever!), gift a subscription to a cool human in your life, share the newsletter with your friends, interview me on your blog, podcast or video channel, or buy me a coffee (seriously!).