You are creative in Kenya. But you have no idea of how to channel your wild imaginations and ideas combined with a specific set of skills to make a fortune out of it. You're not the only one caught up in this bubble. The creative industries are growing every year with economists stating that "human creativity is the ultimate economic resource" and "the industries of the 21st century will depend increasingly on the generation of knowledge through creativity and innovation.”
Now that we are
already in the century of creativity, how can you turn yours into profit?
Because we are always
looking out for you, here are some hacks that might help you.
Publish Content
To put yourself out
there as a creative economist, generate and share compelling content to your
audience. With the popularity of new media, you can create engaging content
with your followers. This is an ideal way of getting future customers and
promoting your brand.
If you’re a writer,
set up a blog post and build a business out of it. Have you come across Bikozulu?
It is a blog by writer, Jackson Biko. Through it, he has gained recognition and
won clients by posting paid content on his blog. As a content creator, you can
produce videos and post it on a YouTube channel. Find your niche and build
content around it.
Sell Skills
View your skills and
ideas as a product then package and sell them. Your customers are people who
need your skill because they lack the know-how.
But why not call it a
service? Services have custom pricing and require frequent interaction with the
customer while products aren’t specifically made for each customer and have
simple pricing. For example, instead of working on freelance graphic design
projects, you can create website graphic designs and sell them.
Build A Creative’s
Platform
Create a newsletter
that provides a platform for other creative workers. Through this, you can sell
your art and content. This may also be a marketplace for selling other people’s
products.
For example, you can
publish a monthly newsletter that highlights Kenya’s film scene,
opportunities, and jobs.
We here at Kreative
Kenya are passionate about keeping you informed about Kenya’s creative
industry.
Online jobs
In this age of
technology, there are online sites that offer creative projects. You simply
need to sign up and apply for these jobs. Because you appreciate the
flexibility that all creative artists enjoy, you can always do these gigs
remotely.
You can bid for gigs
such as graphic design, video editing, animation, voice-overs, and writing on
sites such as Upwork and Fiverr. If overwhelmed by jobs, you can always
outsource them. These online sites offer to pay on an hourly basis or per
project.
Consultancy
Be a consultant in
your area of expertise and provide these services to companies and
organizations. You can advise your clients on creative projects. For example,
you can start a consultancy on video production and sell your creativity to
film production companies, TV stations, Non-Governmental organizations (NGOs), and multinationals.
Sell Licenses
Sell licenses of your
individual creations such as audio-works, videos, designs, and codes. These can
be sold for varying fees depending on their commercial usage.
For example, if you
are an upcoming disc jockey, you can create a music mix and sell this to radio
stations.
Social Media
Advertising
Sell your art and
promote your profiles on social media profiles such as Twitter. It’s common to
see Kenyan artists such as poets posting their works on social media. An
example is Kenyan video content creators posting their videos, parodies, and
memes on Facebook and Instagram.
Events Performance
Present your
performance art act such as singing, emceeing, spoken word, painting, dancing,
poetry reciting, and disc jockeying at events, festivals, and social gatherings
such as weddings.
This is an opportunity
to showcase your skills and earn money.
Teach
Share your skills with
others. You can organize a master class to coach individuals and groups in your
area of expertise such as the production of video games. You can also
charge for workshops and give lectures at schools and universities.
Create multi-media
courses and sell them and make videos or podcasts about your works and charge
for advertising. This you can share on sites such as YouTube. You can earn by
sharing your knowledge with others.
Sell, Sell and Sell
The main factor in
turning your passion into profit is selling it. Every time you are sharing your
ideas and skills with a second party, you’re selling it. You can write and sell
articles and books about your creative process.
The selling never
stops.
Best of luck...