Those dusty old paintbrushes and crochet needles in the attic? It's time to put them to use again.
With the rise of AI slop on the internet, Gen Z is craving real, physical experiences, like shopping in malls, sending snail mail, and going to in-person dating events. And a group of entrepreneurs is seizing the moment.
Art and creative side hustles are no longer just hobby-driven; they're becoming avenues to earn a substantial second income stream. Artists, illustrators, writers, and even people with no creative backgrounds are making cash by selling products like art prints, literary pamphlets, stickers, and postcards.
Creative work has never had a reputation as a cash cow. For decades, working 9-to-5 jobs in traditional STEM, finance, and consulting industries was seen as the key to a successful career and a full wallet.
But AI-triggered layoffs are coming for traditional sectors, and leaders are warning that STEM is overdone. As AI tightens its grip on logic-driven and repetitive work, execs say society may pivot toward the humanities and more emotion-driven pursuits.
There's an art to turning your hobby into a hustle. Check out our coverage of people who've turned their analog into ambition.
Aditi is a junior news reporter at Business Insider's Singapore bureau. She writes about Gen Z and millennial side hustles, careers, and retail and consumer behavior. She previously worked for The Straits Times, where she wrote breaking news stories for the Singapore desk. She studied communications and business at Nanyang Technological University. Aditi can be reached via email at [email protected]Featured stories:
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