Why elevating our media is crucial to powering Asia’s online creative economy

This is an edited version of the original article, first published here. The author, Daylon Soh, is the design founder of CuriousCatch, which helps independent artist and crafters sell creative products through its online video shopping channel.

Artwork by Brian from BRICK.sg

Terence, SGE‘s assistant editor, recently wrote an interesting article on “The rise of platformed creativity in Asia and how it’s connecting creators to consumers”. In brief, he touched on the increasing availability of online platforms/marketplaces where creative goods and services can be exchanged.

Many of the mentioned startups, including our own online store CuriousCatch.com, are fairly new channels that are reinventing (or replicating) what  overseas counterparts are doing. These overseas sites include Fab, Etsy and Kickstarter, which are more established and well-funded than most of us.

Since our announced launch in 31 July, this year, we’ve been getting a variety of feedback and suggestions from our customers and personally I’ve come to learn more about how the local market consumes creative goods and services as compared to a market like the U.S. or China.

There’s also much to learn from studying brick and mortar set-ups in the same space, including multi-label boutiques and flea markets. Expanding on what Terence has shared, I hope to explore what are the pre-conditions necessary for the success of platformed creativity in Asia, particularly Singapore.

The Big Apple as a role model for Asia’s creative entrepreneurs

A New Yorker consumes differently as compared to a Singaporean.

A friend shared a fascinating story of how he’s able to build film sets cheaply as a film student from scavenging the more well-to-do parts of the city. He’s found fairly new furniture like that’s dumped on the streets, even though it’s probably been used for only 3 to 6 months. These households consist of mainly working professionals with ready disposable income. They are used to the idea of online transactions and fast domestic shipping from dominant eCommerce players like Amazon.com.

Many design-centric tech companies, like Fab, Etsy and Kickstarter, are based in New York City,  which for the last few decades has been a haven for artists like Andy Warhol, singers like Bob Dylan and advertising agencies from Madison Avenue, well-portrayed by the drama series Mad Men.

Every year, thousands of eager students from around the world world attend some of the very best arts schools in the nation: from the New York Academy of the Dramatic Arts (NYADA) to Parsons New School of Design. Some will find fame in Broadway and a few will be honored by the prestigious Art Directors Club.

An equally eager and enthusiastic crowd of 2.5 million visitors will come to tour the aisles of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) annually, including shopping at the renowned MoMA Store, which supports local and international industrial designers (e.g. Japanese retailer, MUJI).

And earlier this year, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg  initiated a campaign to grow its budding technology scene. According to Mashable, it is currently the second-highest ranked city after Silicon Valley in the US for attracting venture capital dollars.