Last week on New Creative Era, Josh and Yancey discussed what we’d like to see in a different creative status quo. Tune in for a list of seven ideas from each of us.
More people are making creative work — and being seen for it — than at any other point in history. The audience for independent creative work has never been bigger.
The business model that sustained the old system — gatekept media, limited shelf space — doesn’t work for where we are now. It’s been breaking down for decades.
A new model is replacing it: direct, monetized relationships between artists, creators, and audiences. A model more fitting for our time that's still gaining strength.
The problem with this new model is that it's designed and built entirely as a tool for individuals. Its heart is trapped inside the Lonely Economy where attention is scarce and competition is fierce.
This is where the current system gets stuck. It cannot conceive of anything more than further monetization and optimization. It teaches all of us to do the same.
But the possibilities for making work, making money, and building something bigger are so much larger than this. It becomes clear once we give ourselves permission to see beyond the status quo.
Picture, for a moment, an alternate universe. One where you earn not only from your own output, but also from the work you make with peers. Work you don't have to do all on your own. A world where shared effort creates shared upside.
That world isn’t a dream. It’s happening right now.
Metalabel's splits, royalties, shared treasuries, and collaborative release spaces are already generating a new kind of creative income based on cooperation, not just hustle.
In the past year alone, more than 20,000 Metalabel collects generated over $500,000 for hundreds of creators, all automatically and transparently split.
There are real reasons to feel concerned as a creative person right now. The ground beneath our feet is crumbling. Every channel has made it harder for us as individuals to be heard.
But there are also reasons to be hopeful. We can build a new foundation of our own. Where we struggle as individuals, we can thrive in groups instead.
We're in the midst of both a crisis point (DOOM) and an inflection point (BLOOM).
DOOM feels seductive — how much worse can it get?
BLOOM feels distant — can things really get better?
They can. And they will.
There are more of us creating than ever.
Together, we will bloom.