It’s remarkable to watch a five-year-old draw, void of any anxiety about what the world will think. We all start our lives creatively confident, happy to create and share our work with pride. And then, as we age, our comfort with creative expression declines. We’re discouraged by the learning curve of creative skills and tools, by our tendency to compare ourselves to others, and by the harsh opinions of critics. As Picasso famously quipped, “All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” It is a sad irony: As we age, our creative capabilities (and opportunities!) grow as we collect life experiences that inspire us — but our creative confidence shrinks. We are more creatively confident in kindergarten than we are as adults. Correcting this is among the greatest opportunities for the next generation of humankind.

Well, we’re entering an era that changes everything. A few critical technology breakthroughs and fundamentally more accessible platforms are changing everything. From free web-based tools with templates that help conquer the fear of the blank screen to powerful generative artificial intelligence that conjures up anything from a text prompt, expressing yourself creatively no longer requires climbing creativity’s notoriously steep learning curve.

As these new tools give millions (or billions!) more people life-long creative confidence, what are the implications for society at large? How is this good for humanity, and what does it mean for the professional creators among us? I see seismic shifts ahead. How creators get compensated will change. How people succeed and get promoted in most jobs will change. And the nature and goals of K-12 education will change. Humanity will gradually shift from the insatiable pursuit of productivity to individual differentiation through creativity. Culture itself will evolve as a creative expression is democratized, empowering all of us to personalize fashion and our everyday life experiences in miraculous ways.

So, let’s better understand the drivers here:
• The Death of Creativity’s Learning Curve
• The Opportunity for Creative Pros in the Era of Creative Confidence
• Implications for Creative Careers, Culture, & Beyond