The Pursuit of Happiness in the Creator Economy

Are you ready to venture into the satisfaction scale of creators and unpack some tantalizing insights? We've taken a deep dive into ConvertKit’s State of the Creator Economy, putting aside the nitty-gritty of growth tactics and income goals, to explore the heart of the creator experience. What emerges is a vibrant picture of creators who, against all odds, seem to harbor a constant undercurrent of positivity. Turns out, Podcasters are leading this happiness parade, and we explore what fuels this joy. 

As we progress, we unravel some intriguing correlations between income and satisfaction. Creators earning over $100,000 annually exhibit a higher satisfaction score compared to those earning less, but why? 

We also get up close and personal with creators, who spill the beans on their strategies to increase happiness. Moreover, we tackle the ever-looming specter of Creator Burnout, helping you identify its signs and strategize how to overcome it. So buckle up, savor the freshness, and let's keep going on this exciting journey.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 0 (00:00):
Welcome back to another episode of the Putty
Report as we round out this weekof diving into ConvertKids
State of the Creator Economy.
This is one I'm so happy to endon because we're talking about
the Creator experience, so let'sset aside the growth tactics
and income goals for a moment.

(00:21):
Are creators happy?
Generally, yes, Creatorsatisfaction scores have
remained positive for the pastfew years.
Building an idea into abusiness is challenging at times
.
Still, moments like positiveaudience feedback make the
journey worth it.
From productivity to outsourcing, creators gave us a deep dive

(00:44):
on their years in lesson learned.
So, so incredible and I love.
There's one stat that Iabsolutely cannot wait to share
with you.
Okay, are you ready?
The average satisfaction scoresby creator type.
That means like who's thehappiest?
This is so funny, Like if youwere to put like a lineup of all

(01:06):
the different types of creatorswho is the happiest out there?
That took the survey.
Guess what was number one?
Guess Can you guess?
And how high did it score?
Podcasters.
Podcasters were number one andI, when I read this, I was so
thrilled I have such a hugestupid grid on my face right now

(01:27):
because podcasters scored aseven and a half out of 10 on
the happiness scale and this wasfantastic.
So this is what ConvertKit said.
It says podcasters rankednumber one when asked how
satisfied they were with theirwork as a creator, followed by
digital content creators,photographers and filmmakers,

(01:48):
authors and artists anddesigners.
And while money can't buycreator happiness, it does seem
to support it.
So creators making over$100,000 had an average
satisfaction score of eight outof 10, compared to creators
making under 10,000 a year ratedtheir satisfaction a six out of
10.
So that's super interesting andit's something that I think you

(02:12):
know.
You could dive into the detailsaround, like why that is, but I
believe it's probably becausethe people that are not making
$100,000 a year, they're makingunder that 10,000, that means
that they're doing multiplethings, that they're working
part time at their creatorbusiness and they still have a
full time job and they're tryingto bridge that gap right now.

(02:34):
So if that is you like, stickwith it.
You're in the messy middleright now and you absolutely
still can go full time in yourcreator business.
But let's move on, because itsaid one more thing about income
.
It says income is an easy totrack metric to gauge progress
with, which could contribute tohigher income earners reporting
greater satisfaction.

(02:55):
In fact, almost 35% of creatorsmeasure their personal success
by the amount of income earnedthrough their creator business.
So money isn't the only perk ofcreating, though, and 28% of
creators cite the ability towork full time as their top
measure of personal success.
So hobbyist and part timersalso said they use autonomy over

(03:19):
their content output and theiramount of followers as success
metrics.
So this was really interesting.
I actually wanted to read a fewof these testimonials that are
right here, because I think thatthese people are full time
creators and I want you to hearfrom them.
So Jay Klaus, who is thefounder of Creator Science, says
even six years in, I've stillbuilt the business to depend a

(03:42):
lot on my input, so there areconstant pressures to publish
and perform.
I'm looking to build bettersystems and delegate more in
order to remove some of thedependence from me.
And then it says ways creatorsplan to increase their happiness
this year.
That's what we're reading from.
And then Jennifer Fishkin, afood blogger at Princess Pinky

(04:03):
Girl, says I want to streamlinemy business so I can enjoy more
time with my family and friends.
I love what I do, but I dospend too much time behind the
computer.
I can absolutely relate to that.
I'm so glad that she was honestabout it, because that is where
I find myself today.
And then Austin Saylor says mybiggest initiative to increase

(04:24):
happiness is reducing how manyhours I work maximum of four
hours of deep work and a maximumof four hours of shallow work.
So this is so interesting.
So if you love people's inputsand looking at metrics, like, go
download this report.
It will be so, so helpful and Iwant you to look at it.
There's actually an articlearound Creator Burnout that I

(04:44):
want you to read and the statson how you can identify it and
how to overcome it.
But that's all I have for youtoday.
So, as always, remember, keepit fresh, keep it fun and just
keep going.