When I say “we”, I am talking about artists. All artists, from musicians to thespians, are creatives. Our function in the economy of 2009-until-further-notice is to produce content that is discussed, shared and monetized when possible. Note that money is a second thought. That’s because, with the accessibility of the web, we cannot expect exclusivity anymore. YouTube is free. Last.fm and imeem are rampant. Facebook and MySpace encourage bootlegging. Copyrights are a blur now and intellectual property laws are trying to keep up with technology. Even the DVR arguments a few years ago seem as distant as Betamax lawsuits.

TechCrunch discussed the music industry a few months ago. I watch musicians and the music industry intently simply because I know the industry so well – I have an uncle who has a band and a recording studio, as well as several high school chums in the biz. The music industry’s management of talent may not be very pretty now, but they will be the first ones to really lock onto the next trend. Trust me.

In very real ways, we have reverted back to Rennaissance times. Commissioned only in private exchanges and giving away public display simply to promote one’s abilities, we have been stripped of the exclusivity of mediums. The entertainment industry is a prime example, with failing sales margins being blamed on the free accessibility of legal streamed content. Anyone who denies that times have already changed is lying.

To counteract this trend, artists are going to have to bite the bullet and understand that the paid public display market has collapsed – even cable can be replaced by watching YouTube on your Wii or by hooking a computer with a TV-out to a TV. Galleries may be available, but why pay admission if someone posted the entire walkthrough on Flickr? Inevitably, the only people paying for admission to see anything will be true art lovers or people who want to experience the creative work in meaningful ways. We call these people “the rich”. Joe the Plumber is too busy with torrents and Facebook updates to pay $8 to see your glass sculptures in person.

We will have to give content away. It sucks, and it’s a waste of time, but it is now necessary. New artists will have that much more work in store to be profitable. Much of the “sellout” distain will have to be replaced with complacency while bands of designers huddle together for income. We hope that our venues will support us, but we can’t be certain, so we will have to use every selling point and version of our art, our “content”, to make enough money to survive.

Don’t think this is a decree of doom and gloom. I’m jumping on this content provider bandwagon. I have relinquished the possibility of competing with established interactive marketers until I have partners. In the mean time, I have been developing all sorts of ways newfound content providers can monetize their work. I have an advantage, anyway: I was a web designer and interactive marketing specialist for 10 years. While I wait for that market to die down, I can keep my skills alive with my own work.

So expect to see writers with their own merchandise lines and street performers giving mime tips on YouTube. It’s all in the name of survival.

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