What would it take for a young creative to look at their future in Aruba and say: “I can build a life doing this”? A life in which their work allows them to pay their bills, develop their skills and plan ahead. That is the ambition I want us to have for Aruba’s cultural and creative industries.
We speak proudly about our talent and celebrate artists when they achieve something, especially when that recognition comes from abroad. But what opportunities are we creating for them to grow here? Encouragement matters, but so does the first client who pays fairly, the organisation that offers a proper contract, the experienced professional who shares knowledge and the business that commissions work again because it understands its value. A creative career becomes possible when opportunities stop being exceptions.
Imagine a young filmmaker getting a first paid assignment, delivering good work and building a relationship with a client who returns. That income helps them maintain equipment, strengthen their skills and eventually hire someone else. One opportunity begins to support more than one person. The same possibility exists for designers, musicians, writers, performers, architects and many others, but moving from talent to a sustainable livelihood takes more than personal determination.
It takes people willing to buy creative work, clear agreements, access to appropriate spaces and equipment, and practical knowledge about pricing, intellectual property and running a business. It also takes room to learn without being expected to work for free indefinitely. We cannot keep telling young people to follow their passion without taking an interest in how they will support themselves.
This is why developing the CCIs matters to me. I want us to understand what stands between the work people are capable of doing and the opportunities available to them. Where does a promising beginning become a dead end? What would help someone move from occasional assignments to a reliable income? The answers will differ across the sector. We need to listen carefully enough to understand those differences and then turn that understanding into useful support.
Through our mapping work and the development of CreActivo, that is the direction I want us to pursue. We should be able to point to the conditions we helped improve and the opportunities people were able to build from them. If we are serious about developing the sector, we need to understand whether our efforts are helping people sustain their work and earn a living.
There is a role for all of us. Businesses can commission local creative professionals and pay them on time. Institutions can make their opportunities clearer and more accessible. Experienced practitioners can offer paid learning opportunities where possible, while creatives can share knowledge, collaborate and open doors for one another. These are practical choices that can help someone take their next step.
We also need to think beyond the size of our island. A creative professional based in Aruba could work with clients across the region and elsewhere. Building a career here should include the possibility of reaching further. Some people will choose to leave, study abroad or build their lives somewhere else, and there is value in that too. Staying should be a viable choice, and returning should offer possibilities.
I want a young creative to see a future here without having to ignore the financial reality of that choice. That would give us something meaningful to celebrate: people building livelihoods, doing work they care about and contributing to Aruba’s future. We have talent worth investing in. Let’s help make a life from it possible.