"Breaking through the morass": Narratives of resistance and persuasion by individuals in creative economy careers

Abstract

Work has become a central part of the lives of individuals. Based on this, individuals are deviating away from traditional career paths to follow those that appeal to their artistic and creative talents. The creative economy is noted to be a net contributor towards development, with more individuals being drawn to explore creative careers. However, there are not many empirical studies undertaken to explore the career development processes of those individuals engaged in such work. This research aimed to explore the career development processes of individuals working within the creative economy in South Africa. To achieve its aim, this study identified and engaged 20 participants operating within the South African creative economy in semi-structured interviews. Data was analysed using three levels of meaning-making which were adopted in previous qualitative research. Based on data analysis, three narrative findings emerged. Firstly, the presence of structural constraints was found to affect individuals operating within the creative economy. Secondly, the study also revealed resistance as a tool employed by individuals in the formative years of their careers to navigate past constraints. Thirdly, it was found in the latter years of the individual’s career, that resistance was replaced by persuasion in order to deal with constraints in creative economy careers. Based on the findings and narratives generated from this work, suggestions are made that affect individuals within the creative economy as well as those who counsel these
individuals.