Predictions for 7 post-covid in-demand areas for artists to make money from

Our top trend-spots so you can get a creative side hustle to pay the bills

CALLING ALL ARTISTES! By which we mean creators, makers and shakers of any sorts and orders. We know this period of 6 months has been incredibly difficult for anyone in the creative industries, so we’ve been keeping an eye out for any trends we think will grow in the second half of 2020 that haven’t been dominated or explored to their full extent yet. Simply put, this is our attempt to help you source some extra cash in the way of diversification by getting ahead of the game. Even if these predictions all prove to be totally wrong, at least it might help spark some ideas for you to get a little side hustle going that can help pay the bills!

Redefining meditation

Creating is a form of meditation. The growth of sales in puzzles, paint-by-numbers and other such activities has allowed people to experiment with the way they spend downtime. There’s a huge market out there for artists to spread the word that meditation doesn’t have to be sitting cross-legged on the floor, it’s simply the activity of emptying your mind, however you might choose to do that. Alternative meditation workshops, classes and other such things are on the up — helping other people learn how to be creative is a great way to extend your practice. Credit to Tom Fairey for this one (he told me about alternative meditation!).

Audio experimentation

People have podcast fatigue, but they’re used to podcasts now (we all know listening figures have gone sky-high since lockdown started) — the problem is that all the formats are the same… interviews. Listening to a conversation is super informative, but it isn’t necessarily the most interesting of formats anymore and there is so much you can do with audio. The market is just waiting for more variety. Audio / art fusion will become more of a thing, introducing inspiration rather than simply conversation. I actually did another article on the best experimental / non-interview podcasts out there so that’s worth a read for some of your own inspiration.

Coffee table products

People have become so intertwined with their own environments over lockdown and are paying more attention to their living spaces than ever before. Investing in little luxuries that make your space more inviting is a trend we’ve seen happen because of covid-19. Plus, zoom calls have meant more background dressing — zoom is kind of like a shop window into someone’s life. Coffee table books, trinkets, coasters, candles, photos… there’s plenty of creative space here for you to repurpose your content for the enjoyment of someone at home. For example, due to Covid magazines are going out of business — this makes space for a new collaborative, collective generation of magazine (or zine) makers. Perfect for the at-home worker who is house proud.

Second-hand

Repurposing, repairing, reusing. On the whole, we’ve have had to get more used to the three R’s over covid. It’s been very difficult to replace things over lockdown, purely because of shop closure (with the exception of Amazon, of course). The nation has become more creative as a result and are seeing the benefits, both financially and emotionally — when you fix something, it’s a far more rewarding feeling than just getting a new version. Artists have a natural flair for creativity and can maximise on this service — finding a niche repurposing/repairing area and injecting an extra layer of aesthetic. Take the age old Japanese broken vase, for example. Rather than gluing it back together, the artist makes it even more beautiful by replacing the glue with gold.

Shop windows

Shops have to entice people in — more and more shops have been commissioning artists to create art on their shop windows as opposed to the usual posters or bland window-dressing. Murals and window art is a growing area. And something only artists can do!

Adult storybooks

Because of Covid-19, adult colouring books have sold out, we’ve seen a spike in adult bedtime stories on the Calm app, it’s just a matter of time before adult storybooks become a thing. These could be catering to the naughty-crowd (slightly ruder, more explicit, witty) or they could be more parable-esque in an effort to let our inner child out but addressing more adult themes… the floor is yours, art world!

Gloves

Masks have been jazzed up — what happened to gloves?? Someone needs to get on this stat.