Traditional creativity is thriving in the internet age

There’s a good story to tell here, though, because the internet is often an enabling force for good. More people are participating in local sports thanks to apps such as Blue Fields. Demand Media’s eHow can help tackle even the thorniest bank holiday DIY problem. The high street retailer, Paperchase, even cited Pinterest being the cause of an unexpected resurgence in sales of scrap books last month.

And personality-led brands are playing their part, as they have done for many years. TV was the platform that launched Jamie Oliver and has been fundamental for Bear Grylls, too. Both are global stars, of course, and both have a real passion for social responsibility. In a world where being on TV, in print and online simultaneously is expected, personality-led brands are more important than ever in rediscovering the hobbies of yesteryear. In some ways, it seems that content is king once more. As someone who passionately believes in the creative process – be that in fashion, TV production, literature, music or technology – that makes me extremely proud.

For so long, content was written off as expensive and commoditised but it seems that people are more willing to accept that it is the very foundation of so much that we do. The delivery of high-quality content has always been important but never more so than now. Most of us struggle to concentrate for as long as we used to because of the demands on our time but we can all be drawn in by a good story. And if that good story can inspire us to create ourselves then all the better. I always remember the film Julie & Julia as an example of this – where a young New Yorker cooks all the recipes she finds in an old cookbook over the course of a year … and then blogs about it!

I genuinely believe that the connectivity from which we all now benefit is behind the resurgence of what we are seeing in local communities and special interests. The difference being that these communities now exist in the physical and the virtual world.

Another of the facets of this virtual world is that people pursuing arts and crafts now have the means of distribution to sell their goods online. Notonthehighstreet and Etsy enable talented artisans to pursue their passion in the knowledge that ends can be made to meet.

One swallow doesn’t make a summer holiday, of course, but I hope that people’s hobbies can continue to flourish. Arts and crafts are never going to be an economic game-changer but growth should come from everywhere. If just a few people every day can make their passion into their profession, that’s a good start and will help us to recognise that the disruption that we see all around is actually a force for good.

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