Wait, creator...science? 🤔

Hello, my friend! My name is Jay Clouse, and I'm the writer behind Creator Science.™️ You could even call me a Creator Scientist. 👨‍🔬

You may be thinking, "creator...science?"

I know, it's a weird idea.

Sorta like those Starburst commercials talking about delicious contradictions:

We've been conditioned to believe that art and science are at odds. They should be kept separate like church and state, right?

Well, I don't think so.

In fact, I believe being a successful creator today is more science than it is art.

Let me explain...

For the last several years, I've spent most of my time talking to creators.

And these creators span the entire spectrum from just getting started to borderline celebrity.

This began as a hobby and then became my obsession. I started dedicating more and more time to trying to uncover how casual creators become professional creators.

What is a "professional" creator?

Before I answer that, let's just talk about what a creator is.

This term is broad and inclusive, but it can also be confusing. Here's my working definition, first shared in this Twitter thread:

A creator makes an asset for the purpose of being consumed and creating value for both the consumer and the creator.

Furthermore, I think creators actually fall into one of two camps:

1. creator-educators
2. creator-entertainers

Creators generally find themselves either trading in information or entertainment. Personally, I spend more time studying creator-educators because I think there's more room for people to enter that space (plus, you don't need to compete with actual celebrities)!

Creator-educators: the true opportunity of the creator economy

Ever since the term “creator economy” was coined, I’ve resisted it. I care about the creator opportunity. I care about the creator movement. And I do believe it’s never been easier to turn your earned insight into an independent income. But when people talk about the “creator economy,” I usually

Creator ScienceJay Clouse

A professional creator is someone who not only creates content for others but is also rewarded financially for their work. More often than not, they're leveraging their earned insight.

And they aren't just making some pocket change! I'm talking about a real, livable income – even wealth. You might do that through a YouTube channel, podcast, blog, or something else.

It doesn’t matter what medium you use or what platforms you choose to connect with your audience. Whether you’re looking to become TikTok famous, monetize your work through Patreon, start a membership, or partner with other brands...if you create consistently, you can become a professional creator.

Becoming a professional creator

Professional creators are the modern-day rockstars. And most online business gurus would lead you to believe this rockstar lifestyle is possible in just a couple of years.

Well, I started Creator Science because I want to be honest with you:

To become a professional creator earning a living from your art and creativity is a lot of hard work.

Not only that, but the tools and techniques are always changing!

I can't teach you to become a professional creator with a pre-recorded course. I can't teach you to become a professional creator with a single cohort-based course, either.

Becoming a professional creator takes a lot of time, patience, and constant iteration.

The best way I can help you is with an ongoing relationship.

That may be the Creator Science newsletter, the Creative Elements podcast (below), and even the Creator Science Lab.

It's more possible than ever, but that doesn't make it easy.

To become a professional creator, you need to build what I call a creator brand.

Your creator brand includes the content you create, the products you sell, and the services you offer. It's the way you show up online and all the systems supporting you.

As you build and develop your creator brand, you're creating a flywheel for your entire business.

Why you need Creator Science

The more I've studied creators, the more I've come to one major realization:

Today's top creators aren't just artists. They're scientists.

I know, when you hear the word "science" you start thinking of beakers, test tubes 🧪, and lab coats. 🥼

But that's not quite accurate.

Science is the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the world through observation and experimentation.

So science can be thought of as both a body of knowledge  (things we have already discovered) and the process of gaining new knowledge (through observation and experimentation).

And a scientist is the person conducting that study (hi, it's me). 👋

Remember the scientific method from school?

1. Make an observation
2. Ask a question
3. Form a hypothesis or testable explanation
4. Make a prediction based on the hypothesis
5. Test the prediction
6. Iterate: use the results to make new hypotheses or predictions

Sounds like a pretty useful way to understand and grow your creator business, right?

The creators you look up to don't leave growth to chance. They are constantly forming new hypotheses, testing things, and changing direction based on the results. Not only that, but they share their results with their creator friends!

Creator Science is your new creator friend.

We do the work of compiling shared knowledge here as well as acquiring NEW knowledge. That may be through interviews, first-hand experience running this business, or off-the-record conversations.

Well, rest assured, reading Creator Science will be doing a lot of that hard work to save you time and give you a leg up. With this information, hard work, and a little luck, you'll be a professional creator in no time.

About Me

Creator Science was born from my personal journal in 2017. I had this story I would tell myself that I wasn't creative. I couldn't draw, I couldn't paint, and I couldn't design...so surely I wasn't creative.

That belief got even more limiting because it evolved into a belief that I didn't even have good ideas! I was just good at executing other people's ideas.

But I loved seeing other people create. I had to do something to turn this around.

So to prove to myself that I WAS creative, I decided to publish an email newsletter every day for a year.

Every. Single. Day. For a year!

It was super rewarding. And at times, the things I wrote really sucked! I mean, who has something to say every day?

But it shattered my limiting belief. It built the habit. And with the momentum of that habit, I've now built a business that supports me full-time as a professional creator.

The short version

I'm a Creator Scientist obsessed with helping people become professional creators. I write Creator Science and host Creative Elements, a narrative-interview podcast exploring how today’s top creators make a living with their art and creativity.

I previously led the Community Experience team for Pat Flynn and Smart Passive Income, designing their paid membership community and cohort-based course programs.

My creator stats

• 1,500,000+ downloads of Creative Elements
• $750K+ earned as a creator
• $120K+ earned from podcasting alone
• $100K+ in digital product sales
• $255K+ in membership sales (in less than 12 months)
• 15K+ email subscribers
• 12 published courses (including LinkedIn Learning)
• 7 private investments (including Maven and Gumroad)
• 2 companies started and sold
• Profiled in Business Insider

Want to chat on your podcast or YouTube channel? Get in touch 👋