{"id":11355,"date":"2022-01-24T18:00:05","date_gmt":"2022-01-24T18:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/?p=11355"},"modified":"2022-09-20T16:00:53","modified_gmt":"2022-09-20T15:00:53","slug":"are-creative-jobs-a-scam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/are-creative-jobs-a-scam\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Creative Jobs A Scam?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I doubt any of us will see a Kardashian in a 9am Zoom stand-up, or get a connection request on The Dots from a <\/span>Love Island <\/span><\/i>contestant. But the trend highlights the opacity of creative industry titles and structures. That\u2019s creative and artistic directors, but also curators, in-house stylists and designers. These titles can be as opaque and loosely defined as they are good at holding allure and transient social value. Further, creative industry structures have long been multifarious \u2013 propped up by invisible networks, nepotism, and long term unpaid internships \u2013 and on the other end of the spectrum, the labour on the lower-rungs is all-encompassing (eloquently meme-ified by the likes of <\/span>@FashionAssistants<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Does this tough-to-crack industry fuel misconceptions for people pursuing creative work, and what they believe will bring creative freedom, social capital, and opportunities? We don\u2019t need to worry about a Hadid or a Jenner stealing our jobs, but how \u2018creative\u2019 is the creative industry for the majority?<\/span><\/p>\n

Sociologist Dr. Nan Lin projected an evolution in our values and priorities around work two decades ago, in their seminal 1999 paper, \u201cBuilding A Network Theory Of Social Capital\u201d: \u201cWe are witnessing a revolutionary rise of social capital, as represented by cyber-networks. In fact, we are witnessing a new era where social capital will soon supersede personal capital in significance and effect.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The social capital from creative jobs can be the trade-off for terrible working conditions, but it\u2019s often acquired with economic support \u2013 \u2018the bank of mum and dad\u2019 \u2013 as well as obscured and informal networks. Ringfenced positions have an undeniable prestige, whether the job is truly \u2018creative\u2019 or not. Is the chief creative officer in luxury fashion doing much of the actual creating? Either way, they are the individuals championed as expounding the vision, from which they benefit \u2013 all while \u201cexposure\u201d is still a currency schilled to young creatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Freya Jewitt from Arts Emergency says: <\/span>\u201c<\/b>Creative workers are often passionate about the arts, believe in its power for good, and find work a key part of their identity. This can be exploited in the cultural sector, where people are expected to accept precarious working conditions or working for free, as part and parcel of \u2018doing what you love\u2019.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The ladder to these upper echelons leaves young people locked out of opportunities and creative freedom, and locked into a rat race. Research has shown that <\/span>the pressure to find a \u2018calling\u2019<\/span><\/a> leaves young people anxious and depressed. The numbers speak to the industry\u2019s impenetrability: <\/span>a study by Arts Emergency<\/span><\/a> says that just 16% of people in the creative industries are from a working-class background. Only 9% of those in film, radio, and TV are Black, Asian, or from a minority ethnic background, while it\u2019s 4.8% in music, visual, and performing arts. <\/span><\/p>\n

Personal networks and insider knowledge remain vital to getting in<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jewitt says: \u201cThe exclusivity of these industries rarely changes because, in order to maintain their monopoly on the social capital that comes with a \u2018cultural\u2019 job, the people at the top maintain steadfastly that the arts are a genuine meritocracy. In reality, personal networks and insider knowledge remain vital to getting in. A reliance on precarious and relatively invisible freelancers also intensifies inequalities, locking many talented people out of the sector and leadership roles.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve often been told, or it\u2019s been alluded to, that my job as \u2018a creative\u2019 is a luxury \u2013 because I love what I do,\u201d says <\/span>Ashleigh Kane<\/span><\/a>, a creative consultant, writer, and former Dazed art and photography editor. \u201cPeople would say, \u2018There\u2019s someone else ready to take your place if you don\u2019t want it\u2019. It felt like the sacrifices I had to make in order to do that were a part of that life. Almost 10 years into my career, and a year into being freelance, I realise that\u2019s absolutely not the case.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Creative Industries Federation<\/span><\/a> says 47% of creative workers are self-employed, compared with 15% across the workforce as a whole. Indeed, we\u2019ve seen the rise of the \u2018content creator\u2019 in tandem with the freelance economy, as young people attempt to break away from the sector\u2019s outdated structures \u2013 essentially, a catch-all for a photographer, videographer, editor, sound recorder, illustrator, designer, web designer, creative lead. <\/span><\/p>\n

Russell Dean Stone<\/span><\/a> is a creative director, editor, consultant, and writer, who teaches on the Middlesex University Fashion Communication course. He highlights how many editorial publications rely on creative work, but that it\u2019s not reflected in pay. \u201cThey are often the kind of all-consuming jobs where it’s hard to have boundaries with working hours,\u201d Stone says. \u201cI don’t think getting to do creative work means you shouldn’t have a great working environment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat is the sad reality of some creative jobs. People do them to get experience, and do work that allows them to springboard quickly to other opportunities that pay better \u2013 who can blame them! We’re still in this model of trading creativity for opportunities for portfolio.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We’re still in this model of trading creativity for opportunities for portfolio<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The creative industries and brands have a symbiotic relationship \u2013 brands crave the cultural relevance of creatives (say, a fashion magazine), while creatives require the brand money (for example commercial editorial that sits alongside the organic). But in Stone\u2019s experience, the cash is not adequately invested back into creative budgets to maximise profits either. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPublications use talented and well-meaning editorial teams as a front for them doing this,\u201d he says. \u201cIt is great to see independent platforms like <\/span>gal-dem<\/span><\/i> striving to work in different ways, to create opportunities and compensate people fairly. I implore brands to be more conscious about who they spend budgets with and support.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCompanies definitely use it to their advantage and it is exploitation,\u201d Kane continues. \u201cIt\u2019s just wrapped up in a cool package with the promise of parties, events. Especially in London. I think there\u2019s a balance \u2013 that validation and social capital have helped me, but ultimately, creatives should be paid the same as \u2018less alluring\u2019 industries.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So when crafting your own creative career, how do young photographers, directors, or balance the work that pays the bills and their true passion projects \u2013 is there a sweet spot? <\/span><\/p>\n

Keeping an open stream of editorial work or personal projects can help you retain creative autonomy<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Client-focused creative work, whether it’s a music video or working with a brand, is ultimately going to be about compromise and fulfilling a client brief, says Stone. \u201cKeeping an open stream of editorial work or personal projects can help you retain creative autonomy. It’s nothing new for creatives to juggle creative, personal, and editorial work against commercial work. They often feed off of each other in positive ways \u2013 editorial work gets you the \u2018money work\u2019.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

He adds: \u201cCreativity and commerce go hand-in-hand, and I approach any project with the same intention: to make the most magic possible within the constraints of timing, budget. I am someone that throws themselves all in on projects, and I am still learning what that balance looks like for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am fortunate enough that there\u2019s always some enjoyment in the work I get to do, but it’s true there is a lot less time to focus on passion projects \u2013 things that I get satisfaction from that aren\u2019t monetary,\u201d says Kane. \u201cI am not working on anything that isn\u2019t for a client. It\u2019s important that I\u2019m really gunning to establish myself and get some savings underneath me so I can set myself up for a future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

How do we resist our future cultural landscape being populated exclusively by the children of the wealthy and well-connected, with lofty titles? How do we take control of the gig economy and push pack against the precarity of freelance life? <\/span><\/p>\n

The Dazed Academy sessions, an educational initiative for aspiring creatives who seek a different route into the industry, ran a workshop specifically on the less outward-facing creative roles in making a magazine, from design to sales and production. Last year, fashion saw the launch of the <\/span>Rubric Initiative<\/span><\/a>, which is \u201cworking with leading industry figures to create educational resources and mentorship programmes, arranging outreach initiatives and paid internship placements, and by promoting transparent dialogues about race, class and gender in the creative fields\u201d. Jewitt highlights the importance of structural industry change with mentoring, like <\/span>Arts Emergency<\/span><\/a>\u2019s scheme, to tear down gatekeeping and encourage underrepresented young people to chart their own course into the industry with informed choices. <\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever level you\u2019re at, you can help make the sector more equitable and transparent<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWhile we\u2019re deeply committed to getting young people into the industry, we know that it can be hard to navigate once you\u2019re in, especially for perceived \u2018outsiders\u2019. Organisations still have much more to do to tackle toxic workplace cultures,\u201d Jewitt says. Arts Emergency runs workshops on topics including imposter syndrome, rights at work, and microaggressions. <\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever level you\u2019re at, you can help make the sector more equitable and transparent. Jewitt calls on recruiters to rethink their processes: \u201cNext time you are hiring, recruit better: offer guidance ahead of job interviews, show the salary, give alternative ways to apply, make non-grads welcome, and share feedback. It\u2019s crucial that those with the power to do so pay a living wage, support flexible working and good parental leave and pay.\u201d While we can\u2019t rely on Cardi or a Hadid sister to demystify the creative industry\u2019s top tiers, it\u2019s clear that there\u2019s some top-down responsibility that needs to be taken to make the creative industries truly \u2018creative\u2019 for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Read More: How To Handle Creative Compromise<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Anna Cafolla investigates how ‘creative’ the creative industries really are.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":11420,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[139],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11355"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11355"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11355\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11431,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11355\/revisions\/11431"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everpress.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}