Since December of 2007, I’ve had the firm belief that internet platforms have the potential of creating jobs within any given sector. In undergraduate school I studied the humanities and the performing arts, and all of my experience working on research projects and taking on various roles in the theatre have brought me to the idea that it can be possible for the internet platforms to create reliable media for growing jobs in the Arts, Entertainment and Recreation sector.
At this particular time in my career as an internet entrepreneur, I was very green and completely idealistic. My head was clearly in the clouds about the prospective impact the internet could have on the arts sector. I am forever grateful to one of my favorite artists, Mr. Frank Shifreen, who gave me a call back then to discuss my ideas and how to bring them to life. The artist wanted to make sure that I understood that blogging alone will not bring widespread change through the arts; it must be combined with physical actions, much of them being on the grassroots level, that patrons of the arts can experience and thereby generate economic activity within the sector. I am forever grateful for this phone conversation because it took my head out of the clouds and encouraged me to not only be a blogger, but also someone who produces events and activities that will have a lasting effect on audiences and thereby generate more economic activity over time.
The internet landscape has changed significantly in a short period of time. Today, social media is where potential patrons share their user-generated content to showcase their particular interest. While a short time ago the interest was used to discover emerging talents like Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran, internet activity among these artists have grown significantly since the days of Myspace and early YouTube, which makes the digital and social media platforms a great place to discover new talent like Billie Eilish, Alessia Cara and Shawn Mendes.
Digital media platforms like Art.com, DeviantArt, Blue Canvas, Saatchi Art and so many others have led to the discovery of visual artist and their creations, giving them a platform to showcase and sell their artwork. Each digital platform within the visual art category has its own special feature(s) that it provides to artists and consumers. Since each platform has its own specialty, many internet savvy visual artists are leveraging the usage of as many digital media platforms as possible in order to promote themselves and their creations. My internet entrepreneur journey has existed in this same way. For example, my previous website specialized in creating arts criticism that examines and highlights what’s special about the composition of art. Today’s platform, which you are on right now, specializes in generating viewership for artists and critics, as well as giving creators the opportunity to sell their artwork (which is currently under development and will be launching soon).
Therefore, is it safe to suggest that digital media can generate jobs In the arts? The answer is unquiveringly, yes. Owners of digital media platforms need to examine their business operations and discover what it is that they can provide to artists and patrons in order to generate economic activity that is positive for both parties. When owners have a good grip on this, they can potentially have an impact on the notoriety and sales of artists. One good example of this is ProBlogger.com. It targets a very specific audience and has one of the most frequently visited job boards on the internet for writers. The website has probably connected thousands of employers with writing talent that they may not have seen otherwise.