New Work Economy for Indonesia

COVID-19. Something that is haunting the minds of everyone in the world.

At the end of the War Of The Worlds story, the mighty army of Mars planes and war machines are finally paralyzed because the Martian creatures can't stand Earth's microbes, and finally the Martian attack can be bent. In fact, humans are not susceptible to attack by microorganisms, especially those that have never attacked humans before, such as the novel coronavirus.

Of course, the impact of handling COVID-19 is the impact of income on various industrial sectors, especially those that have roots in the "real" world. From shops, cinemas, factories to entertainment. In order to prevent a wider spread, people in various parts of the world have been quarantined, locked down, until the Indonesian version, Large-Scale Social Restrictions. A humanitarian crisis is unfolding for many people as a result of COVID-19, both those who were directly infected and those affected by it being unable to work as usual again. Nothing escapes the impact, and of course we ask, how long?

Many parties have raised, "what do you want to do after COVID-19?". But in my opinion, this condition will not quickly return to its previous state. Apart from handling COVID-19, this situation has forced us to have a new frame of mind towards living and working as humans. Not only adapting to conditions, but actually preparing themselves for a completely new era.

The new normal

Because KaryaKarsa Many touch and interact with artists, around us we can clearly hear a shift from, for example, musicians whose main income comes from performing, to being unable to perform at all. Their income is gone. Luckily, if there is still income from other sources, only a few can do it. It is natural for these workers to ask, when will this condition end?

We at KaryaKarsa, who are certainly affected, want to advance another frame of mind. We can turn the shift that occurs because of this "compulsion" into an opportunity to build a New Work Economy. An economy with higher resilience, as strengthened by an entrepreneurial mindset and aided by digital infrastructure. We as 21st century humans, after all, have lived simultaneously in the "real" world and the digital field.

Previously, the Karya Economy was largely indoctrinated in physical form or presence, which was a response to the perception that digital goods were “free” and had no value. Slowly this has shifted with the presence of paid services that people are willing to spend money to subscribe to, even though it is still for a small part of the Indonesian people. Suddenly, now everyone must play an active role in the digital economy. To quote the meme that is currently circulating, what triggers digital transformation in all companies is not the CEO or the board of commissioners, but COVID-19.

New Work Economy

In the New Karya Economy, creators can work and earn from activities in physical and virtual spaces, with the same effectiveness. Both creators and audiences are used to watching live concerts, as well as live streaming from home (or watching together from a place far from the event venue). Creators and audiences are used to using physical and virtual spaces as part of their work plan, without making any distinctions - because the main thing for the audience is content, not medium. Of course, the medium has a strong role in content, but it becomes a contextual function, not the main one.

What is the form of this New Works Economy?

In the New Karya Economy, the form and medium of the work is a consequence of the strategy, not the ultimate goal - because it is actually based on a business approach that focuses on Intellectual Property (IP). For example, a song does not only have to be in the form of a live performance, but can also be realized as interactive merchandise, live streaming concerts, and even the behind-the-scenes process of making it. The works are the same, but the embodiment and delivery are adjusted to the medium and target audience.

The model for financing work activities also has various options. In addition to models that have already taken place, such as through advertising, sponsorship endorsements, collaboration with owners of capital and expertise (for example, music labels) and work licenses, you can also get funding for activities directly from the audience (such as via KaryaKarsa). And with the help of digital access, the reach of this direct funding is not limited to the presence of an audience at an event, but can be consumed anywhere as long as there is an internet connection.

In the New Works Economy, there is hope. But of course there is homework for all industry players. A shift in the framework of thinking from one that focuses on the form of the work, to one that focuses on IPR. Of course it is not easy, because often works cannot be separated from their form. And not all work activities can be easily translated into other forms, let alone digital. Not to mention the fluency of creative industry players in the digital world is still very varied.

What is clear in this New Work Economy, the players are no longer limited to works that are usually considered creative, such as musicians, artists, writers, comic makers and so on. At KaryaKarsa, there are yoga trainers, sports coaches, education about marketing, discussions about personal branding, and even tarot card readers.

But again, this is everyone's homework. What must be understood is that with the New Karya Economy mindset, Indonesia's creative economy can be adaptive to continue to grow, survive, and develop.

Cheer up, because we definitely can. Let's clean up and help shape The New Normal in order to build the New Work Economy. So that we can return to being a victorious human race thanks to the virus, like in the movie War Of The Worlds.

- Disclosure: this guest article was created by Ario End.

Ario is the CEO Karyakarsa, creator appreciation platform. He can be contacted via Twitter @barijoe