We’re rapidly approaching the three-year mark since the pandemic, and most creators have found their new normal. All of our new “norms” are unique, but the common theme is to re-evaluate our goals, priorities, and non-negotiables as working artists. WeTransfer and TRIPTK polled over 6,500 artists from 180 countries about success, fulfillment, and happiness. The 57-page report was released as Idea report for 2022and I’m here to share the results. First, let’s start with a test. Grab a pen and see how you’re targeting the state of the industry.
Who was polled?
Before I share the results, let’s dive into the highlights of this fascinating 57-page report. From photographers, videographers, advertising strategists and TikTok creators, more than half of respondents (52%) work full-time, 25% are self-employed, and 8% work part-time. Take the quiz below to guess the result before I reveal it.
Culture of personal sacrifice
The overarching theme of the findings is the narrative of being forced to perform a variety of tasks, with long hours of hard work and a disappointing sense of appreciation. “The Ideas Study” report: “Creative jobs are often referred to as ‘dream jobs’, where ‘doing what you love’ naturally leads to success… [yet] thriving in today’s creative field is not genius without effort, but in a frenzied hustle.” making sacrifices to achieve their career goals.This attitude is especially common among people. 25 and under are Gen Z (82%) and black creatives (90%).
WeTransfer summarized the sentiment expressed:
Creative people are no strangers to overtime, rushing work, and staying up all night. There is a general acceptance of a culture of personal sacrifice and sweating as a price to work in the industry. Dinner plans were moved, doctor visits were postponed, vacations were postponed in the name of perfecting a deliverable product or responding to a request from a late bankrupt customer. Nearly 70% accept the view that hard work, not unique talent, is the key to success and they are willing to make sacrifices to achieve their career goals.
Many creators, such as Tech Entrepreneur Marty Bell, express their desire for a clearer workday and clearer boundaries between their personal and professional lives. In his interview, he said: “I want to be able to separate my work and my life. Being able to see my career as a job like many of my friends do. Maybe off completely at 6pm and enter ‘personal life’ mode.”
One question he has begun to ask himself is: “In a year, will I regret not doing this?” This question helps him sort out what’s worth the sacrifice and what’s not.
This is an opinion that came from many respondents in the survey. The post-COVID workforce expressed a shared desire to be more assertive within their boundaries. When asked what skill creators most want to achieve: it’s not making reels, learning to market themselves better, or new crafting skills, it’s “saying no”. It may be that the forced social pause has led many to want to draw firmer boundaries around their work lives. Olivia Lopez, creative strategist, lamented the “range escalation”. It’s a notorious practice of adding tasks to an out-of-contract project. In general, artists share a common fatigue with their workloads and a desire to be able to disconnect from the demands of their work outside of working hours.
Redefining success
There are fascinating findings about success. When asked if they feel successful, only 44% of respondents expressed that they feel successful, with more than half admitting that they feel a failure as creators. I was quite surprised by this next finding: when asked to define success, respondents did not put impressive customer lists or recognition as the salient criteria of achievement, but instead sense of making a difference (22%), self-development (19%) and having time outside of work (18%) were their top success indicators.
Perspectives on the future
The interesting way, WeTransfer and TRIPTK found that a third of creators have changed jobs by 2021. Next year, a more conservative 20% say they will be looking for new opportunities, while 15% want to wait and see an economic downturn how the underlying economy will affect them. Furthermore, creators confess that they feel unprepared for the future defined by technologies like AR, VR, and AI.
Test results
You may have received many answers when you read the article. If you missed them, here is your answer sheet.
Stop thinking
After combining the facts and phrases of this report, I found myself disheartened by how dismal the state of the ads seemed. “We’re tired, we’re underpaid, we don’t have a personal life anymore,” the research seems to speak for itself.
Dinh, 9:49 pm. I swiped up. My client asks, “Is it too late to make a GIF, oh and maybe a Christmas scene for tomorrow’s shoot?” I struggle between saying yes or no. I continue to work on my post. I understand the sentiment I’m summarizing.
There is a sense of guilt when experiencing some of the complaints shown in the study. We feel as though we have the privilege of practicing our craft as a profession somehow canceling our status in order to be unsatisfied with the challenges of the job. However, when I think more deeply about the results, I wonder if it’s really just advertising? Would we feel any different if we worked in health insurance or accounting? According to the literature on the matter, including this Forbes 2022 article “burnout is a global problem,” creators are no different from the rest of society with the same conflict. Everyone is tired. So what should we do?
Would I, just another artist on the team, dare to offer any solution to worldwide creative burnout and burnout? Definitely not. However, in my 14 years as a full-time artist, I’ve learned some strategies that work for me. One is to picture myself working in an office for a boss I have to report to. Shrink back. Visualizing a small room, fluorescent lights, and someone to report to made me instantly grateful for my situation. It didn’t solve any immediate problems, but it reminded me of an alternative I didn’t want to choose.
Another strategy I’ve developed is the one named in research: the skill of saying no. I had to read the book When I say no, I feel guilty twice before I even saw the slightest improvement. Saying no is a skill that can be learned and one that leads to a healthier and more fulfilling life. Eventually, I learned to block “unstructured time” in my calendar and fiercely defend it. “I will be more creative if my mind is healthy.” Everyone wins, including my clients, when I take the time to ignore the incessant stream of communication. Thomas Jefferson himself said, “If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” So maybe your point of action from this article is to grab a notebook and reply, “What can’t I do?” Then you have to really stick with it.
I think if COVID teaches us anything, it’s that life is unpredictable and health is important. What is your lesson from all of this? Do these results surprise you? Are you waking up, creating your best work, and living in a space where you feel valued and supported? Or, do you resonate with some of the study’s findings? You’ve been dealing with burnout. What have you learned from those seasons? I’d love to hear about your experiences and strategies for creating and nurturing joy in your work.
