Adobe has published a report about “The Future of Creativity”. The brand behind Photoshop and Lightroom discovered that more than 165 million creators joined the global creator economy in the last two years. The study finds that the Creator Economy –the economy empowering people who are monetizing their content, goods and services online by leveraging their own creativity, talents and passions –grew by more than 165 million creators over the past two years to 303 million creators globally. Additionally, the study finds that the Creator Economy continues to grow and is reshaping every aspect of culture and society, from the future of work to social causes to mental health.
“The unprecedented growth of the Creator Economy provides a platform for everyone to be a creator. Individuals, solopreneurs, small business owners and content creators can now express themselves and explore creative and artistic pursuits in new ways,” said Scott Belsky, chief product officer and executive vice president, of Adobe Creative Cloud. “Increasingly, creators from all walks of life are turning their creative inspirations and passions into new careers and businesses supported by Adobe’s creative tools.”
According to the report, one in four people are creators contributing photography, videography, creative writing and more to online spaces including social media platforms and blogs. Of those people, millennials make up 42% of the Creator Economy. Surprisingly, Gen Z represents just 14%. That’s counter to the concept that Gen Z is constantly glued to their phones. However, the age of Gen Z ranges from 10 to 24 years old. I don’t know many 10-year-olds who are monetizing their content without adult supervision.
One positive of the creator Economy is that it has unlocked a different and more flexible way of working. This is something that we will see a lot more of in the future. No longer are people accepting poor working conditions, low pay and lack of being valued. Adobe found that while content creation remains a side hustle for most, many creators aspire to do more. In fact, 17% of creators are business owners, while 39% aspire to become a business owner one day. For the majority of creators, however, creating is a hobby or side hustle. Six in 10 creators have full-time ‘day’ jobs.
The other interesting aspect of the report is those creators who spend the most time making content and posting online report the most positive moods and happiness levels. Could it be that creative pursuits and the arts, in general, make people happy? In fact, the majority of people surveyed would still create content even without financial compensation. Adobe’s customer base consists largely of content creators of all genres, whether professional or hobbyists. The increase in the number of people making content is good news for them. The information gathered from this survey will help Adobe better solve the unique problems of its customers, particularly in a post-pandemic digital world.
