Cailin Riley Books

Well, the top three challenges, according to moi, anyway.

It’s crazy to think that I’ve been working as a creative and producing content for more than 10 years now. I remember way back in college when I started my first blog as part of a school assignment. (The blog, called Stumbly, was an odd mishmash of college life etiquette and culture review. My classmates liked it, but man, am I glad it no longer exists online.)

The challenges I’ve faced as a writer, author, and creator have changed over time, but I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the true extent of the challenges facing people working in creative fields today. New technologies, including AI, have expanded our horizons and the way we reach our audiences. In many ways, they have improved things greatly for us! But they have also introduced some unique complications that have essentially changed the way artists work and operate.

This post is my own take on the top three challenges creatives currently face, and my advice on what my fellow creators can do in response. Just as you might not face every single one of these challenges, you might not resonate with my proposed solutions, so take what you find valuable and leave the rest.

Let’s dive in.

Challenge 1: The market for creative work has become oversaturated.

Way back in the day, if you wrote something or created a sculpture, you could (in theory) hawk it on the street and find a buyer. And because most of the other people around you were likely NOT fellow artists, you could become a hot commodity. After all, the world seemed smaller, and most people didn’t have the resources or time to travel far or search wide for artistic works. So, they stuck to what they liked that was “close” to them.

But thanks to the internet, people can find anything they want at any time. Sites like Amazon, Etsy, and Fiverr allow people seeking content or content-related work a one-stop shop for finding exactly what they need. This introduces the idea of overcompetition, or too many creators offering the same things. It becomes much, much harder to stand out when you’re now one of a million authors peddling your books on the metaphorical corner. In addition, our free market system drives down prices. That’s a good thing when you’re buying, but not so good when you’re the seller. How can you charge a decent sum for your book on management when there are 500 other similar books charging only $1 for a Kindle copy?

The Solution: Instead of trying to stick out, find a place where you stick in and grow organically.

The problem with trying to be a super special, once-in-a-lifetime author or artist is that everyone is a once-in-a-lifetime artist. That’s why I hate advice that tells you to punch through the market by doing something crazy or doing something that nobody has done before. (I’m pretty sure it’s all been done before, at this point.) So instead of trying to stick out, find an audience and a place where your own personal brand fits in authentically. That might be starting small with a Facebook group or friends of a current client. But I think focusing on where you have your current best connections keeps you true to your brand, and people are drawn to what feels real. And people share what feels real to them. You might see slower growth this way, but it’ll be more stable.

Challenge 2: Artificial intelligence is here to stay, and yes, it can do your job.

You didn’t think I was going to get through this post without talking about AI, did you?

I use AI daily, in both my personal and professional life, and it’s my honest belief that, yeah, these tools keep getting better and better. It’s getting harder, maybe even near impossible, to tell the difference between authentic and AI-created materials, including written works, designs, art, photography, and video. When it’s that good, of course, consumers and employers are going to turn to what will likely be the cheaper option to create content. A human element will likely never go away completely, but AI isn’t going away.

The Solution: Make artificial intelligence work for you, not against you.

Rather than simply feel threatened by AI, you can choose instead to make it a partner in your work. For example, I use AI to help me brainstorm content ideas and organize my thoughts. I’m not comfortable with letting ChatGPT completely take the wheel, but I think it has a role in my work process. I often point to Grammarly as an example of AI that most writers would suffer without. It helps to have a tool that can catch errors more quickly and efficiently than we can; I don’t think there’s anything malicious or shameful in that. So, my advice is to take the time to think about how AI can fit in your creative process. And if you really don’t want AI to have any part of your process, that’s okay too. Just realize that other artists will be using these tools and it’s up to each person to draw the line on when it’s okay or not okay to use AI.

Challenge 3: At least in America, art is undervalued.

Even if you’re not an artist or creator, you probably still have felt this in your life. In school, art class was viewed as an extra. Artistic programs are still widely underfunded when compared to other programs, especially sports. If you’re an author, people only consider you a “real” author if you’ve been traditionally published. Artistic projects are deemed acceptable only as hobbies or side hustles. 9 out of 10 people will roll their eyes if you tell them you’re pursuing woodcarving as your life’s work. In many ways, it’s sad that art is so undervalued because art is what makes us human, what makes us feel something at the end of the day. When people talk about a movie that made them cry, or a book that changed their life, they’re talking about art. But something in our culture makes it so we fail to appreciate not just the art itself, but the artist behind it.

The Solution: Value art in your life and become a champion for the arts.

Supporting the arts, no matter if you consider yourself a creator or artist or not, can be as easy or as hardcore as you make it.

Easy ways to amplify the arts include discussing them with coworkers, friends, and family members. Go see good movies and plays. Take your kids to museums and the library and encourage them to explore their creative side. If you have the money and time, donate to programs that showcase the arts. Our culture can change, one person at a time. And it’s not an either-or situation. We can value artists and other professions all at the same time.