Thanks to all my fine supporters and persuaders for encouraging me to present my paper at this important conference in Gatineau, March 2008. I learned a lot, met many charming economists and statisticians, and created a little havoc. There was an openness and curiosity among the international crowd, and an energy that gave me some momentum to tackle the next bit of writing I need to do. My paper is a proposal to use an asset-based livelihood system approach to capturing a better (more holistic) picture of the economic lives of artists. I hope that with follow-up I can find a research partner who will want to implement a study using this approach.

Sustainable Livelihood Systems:

A Framework for Understanding the Economic Role of Artists in the Creative Economy - ABSTRACT

This paper will present a systems approach to mapping and understanding the creative economy at the level of its individual creative assets, the artists and cultural workers (the knowledge economy’s new capitalists, according to Drucker). Despite an increase in data profiling the sector’s economic impact and potential, much of the information about how individual artists generate income and sustain themselves is not effectively captured in these studies. In order to rethink the starving artist stereotype and put the creative worker at the centre of the creative economy, it is important to have an understanding of their livelihood systems, and provide a framework within which this information can be described and used. Although livelihood systems models are most identified with international development work, primarily in poverty work with rural populations, it is certainly not limited to that use. It is an ideal approach for addressing groups, clusters and individuals. With a sectoral focus on artists and cultural workers, this framework can inform research and policy development, program design and, more importantly, give us a more holistic and effective way of including the individual creative worker as asset and economic contributor within the economic models being developed.