Yancey Strickler Proposes 'Artist Corporation' Model as 85% of Creatives Earn Below $25,000 Annually

Yancey Strickler, co-founder of the renowned crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, has issued a compelling call for a fundamental transformation of the creative economy, asserting the need to build an entirely new system rather than attempting to mend existing structures. In a recent social media post, Strickler articulated his vision, stating, > "We don’t need to fix the creative economy. We need to build a completely new one." This bold declaration signals a significant shift in thinking about how artists can achieve sustainable careers.

Strickler's advocacy stems from a critical assessment of the current "creator economy," where, despite the widespread consumption of art and creative content, a vast majority of artists struggle financially. Data highlights a stark reality: approximately 85% of visual artists earn less than $25,000 annually, and only 13% of creative professionals manage to secure a full-time income from their work. This systemic issue often traps creatives in a demanding "hustle culture" devoid of traditional benefits or viable paths to collective wealth.

To counter these pervasive challenges, Strickler has introduced the concept of the "Artist Corporation" (A-Corp), a proposed new legal and economic framework tailored specifically for creative endeavors. An A-Corp would empower artists to pool resources, share profits, and collectively own their intellectual property and businesses, aiming to inject stability and shared prosperity into creative professions.

Unlike conventional business entities such as LLCs or C-Corps, which are often ill-suited for the fluid and collaborative nature of artistic work, A-Corps are envisioned to offer integrated solutions. They would facilitate access to essential benefits like healthcare, accommodate diverse funding streams (both commercial and non-profit), and enable the issuance of shares for investment, thereby providing a clear pathway to collective wealth and sustained growth for creative groups.

Strickler's commitment to empowering independent creative projects is well-established, notably through his work with Kickstarter, which revolutionized how creators could bypass traditional gatekeepers. His current initiatives, including Metalabel, further explore new operating systems for creative collaboration. He firmly believes that artists require "power," not charity, to thrive in an increasingly digital and AI-driven landscape, emphasizing the urgent need for infrastructure that supports artistic self-determination and collective agency.

The development of Artist Corporations represents a pivotal effort to redefine how value is generated and distributed within the arts sector. While establishing such a novel corporate form will undoubtedly involve considerable legal and logistical hurdles, Strickler's initiative aims to lay the groundwork for a future where creative individuals can build sustainable careers and secure collective prosperity, fundamentally reshaping the global creative industry.