11 Jun Ninety-Five Percent of Creatives Have Lost Income During COVID-19

Even in the best of times, being a creative is hard work. Not only does it require discipline, commitment, business-savvy, and skill, it also requires the ability to create on a consistent basis. Now, in the midst of a global pandemic, this calling is even tougher. With event spaces shut down, summer festivals and shows cancelled, and people cutting back on “non-essential” expenditures, now it is harder than ever to be a creative.

Over the past few months, the nation’s leading nonprofit for advancing the arts, Americans for the Arts, conducted a COVID-19 Impact Survey aimed at gathering data about how the pandemic is impacting creatives of all kinds. So far, the survey’s results show that 95% of respondents are reporting financial losses due to COVID-19, 62% have become fully unemployed, and 80% do not have a plan for how to recover after the crisis. Artist Relief, an initiative put together by a coalition of arts grantmakers, received over 55,000 applications for funds designated for those who are in need of support. However, these $5,000 grants do not make up for the losses that creatives are seeing.

So, what can creatives be doing to make it through this difficult time and prepare themselves for whatever lies ahead? Get creative. At The Brand Protected ®, many of our clients are artists, makers, and creative entrepreneurs. We have been watching as our clients and creatives across the country are coming up with creative ways to adapt their businesses. Photographers are offering porch family portraits, performers and musicians are holding virtual concerts and shows, art educators are adapting their lessons to be done from home with follow-along videos and tutorials. Makers are even pooling their resources to hold virtual markets and shopping events. It really has been creativity at its finest.

Looking toward the future, creatives are getting creative with their business models, too. They are thinking about how to present their art in virtual spaces, serve clients remotely, and bring beauty, joy, and excitement to people in their homes. Do you have an idea for taking your creative business online that needs support? At The Brand Protected ®, we work with artists, creatives, and makers throughout the country to help them share their art in a way that is profitable and protected. If you would like some help, click here to sign up for a consultation.

Want to do more to help creatives during this difficult time? Support local creatives in your community, especially creatives of color, this week. Purchase their services, pay to attend a virtual event, or share their work online. 

If you are a creative who is struggling, there are some resources available. For more resources to help weather the COVID-19 storm, visit the National Endowment for the Arts’ website or the Americans for the Arts’ Resource Page.