By Wanjiku Karimi
For a new generation of young creatives, social media has become more than just a place to share photos and videos. It has become a space to build communities, showcase talent and increasingly, create career opportunities.
But as the YES Space Creators Lab Kiambu officially kicked off, participants were challenged to look beyond likes, followers and views, and think about what they can build with their creativity. The first day brought together young creatives eager to turn their skills and ideas into meaningful opportunities. One of the key lessons was that being a creator is much bigger than simply posting on social media.
Participants explored the difference between the Creator Economy and the Creative Economy, gaining a better understanding of how the two spaces can create opportunities for young people who want to build sustainable careers.
The session also looked at the difference between a creator and an influencer. While influence can be an important part of a creator’s journey, participants were reminded that having a huge following is not necessarily a requirement for creating value.
“You don’t have to wait until you have a million followers to start creating value, your skills, ideas and ability to solve problems can create opportunities long before the numbers get big, said Hillary Kabillah, a trainer at YES Space Kenya.
The discussion also highlighted the many ways creators can turn their skills into income. Beyond platform monetization, opportunities can come through brand partnerships, user generated content (UGC), creative services, storytelling, events, digital products, collaborations and other skill-based work.
For young people navigating an increasingly digital job market, this shift in mindset is important. Instead of focusing solely on becoming popular online, creators can begin to think of themselves as professionals, entrepreneurs and problem solvers.
The YES Space Creators Lab therefore seeks to encourage young people to see their creativity as something that can have value beyond the screen.
At the heart of the first day was a simple message: the goal isn’t just to become popular online, the goal is to become valuable. And for the young creators in Kiambu, that could mean turning something they once considered a hobby into a skill, a business, or even a career.
