Fueling the Future of the Creative Community

Sure. This is the “Digital Age,” yet many of us got started in the days of loading film into a camera. We edited a motion picture by splicing the actual film footage. There was a time when we burned a plate for a printing press using a big sheet of graphic arts film. The Dodge Tool wasn’t just a thing used in Adobe Photoshop; it was an actual little tool in the darkroom. And then there was learning how Adobe InDesign allows you to space type that was once the job of hot metal typesetting. That background illuminates what the digital tools are all about. Understanding the analog techniques can improve the methods used in media technologies. And, then, there are those of us who pioneered the original 1984 Mac, Windows 2.0, and have 35 years in the digital world.

The US Bureau of Labor Statics (BLS) says that millions of Americans are not retiring at 65 years of age. Many of us, in North America, continue to work as long as we can. That BLS data in not as fresh as we would like, but between 1977 and 2007 workers 65-69 increased 85%, 70-74: 98%, and 75+ 172%! 

For now, that’s a good thing. It allows those of us, with institutional foundations, to give the industry’s new blood that foundational knowledge. Then, the new industry leaders can carry the foundations of the creative community into the ongoing growth of new technologies.

We personally know why this is important. We are still in the midst of our career journey. Along the way, we are always learning new things. We find ourselves leaning on the knowledge of those with longterm expertise, who are kind enough to share what they know.

So, what’s your story? If you are a Creative Professional, approaching 65 (like us), do you plan to stay in this for as long as possible? How about if you are over 65: is the thought of retiring a scary idea that you wish we never even mentioned? What if you are new to the creative workforce: have you found some experienced and trusted advisers who have shared with you some of that foundational expertise?